美国酒店最长住客十年后退房

 　　美国弗吉尼亚州一位老妇在万豪酒店旗下一处套房酒店居住十年后于上周正式退房，成为该酒店历史上居住时间最久的住客。据悉，这位老妇现年79岁，2001年她丈夫去世后独自从新罕布什尔来到弗吉尼亚工作，并于当年8月4日正式入住这家酒店。她所住套房一月的房费比华盛顿地区普通公寓每月1500到1700美元的租金还要低，而且住酒店不必付水、电、有线电视等费用，而且每天有人帮忙铺床、整理房间，还可享用免费早餐和无线上网。十年来，老妇已经把酒店当成了自己的家，酒店员工和其他住户就是她的邻居。不过，由于年纪大，又有骨质疏松及类风湿性关节炎，老妇最后还是决定搬去跟女儿一起住。

　　Last week, 79-year-old Joy Bricker checked out of the TownePlace Suites² in Virginia.

　　She had been living there for 10 years.

　　The former pilot made headlines when movers came to her Falls Church, Virginia, hotel room to mark the end of her stay. Now ailing³ with rheumatoid arthritis⁴ and osteoporosis, the otherwise active woman is leaving her decade-long home to move in with her daughter, Christy Winton.

　　Before leaving, she served tea to staff and media, all eager to meet the woman with the title of "longest extended-stay guest" in Marriott hotel history, in her 500-square-foot suite¹. She outlasted⁵ six different managers at the hotel.

　　Bricker moved into suite 202 on August 4, 2001, having relocated from New Hampshire to Virginia to work with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) after the death of her husband. A homemaker for most of her life, Bricker's professional life didn't begin until she was 50. She moved into the TownePlace Suites at the age of 68.

　　"I wrote that one check, and I knew I was good for that month," Bricker said of her move-in day. Her decision to stay long-term was a gradual one.

　　For less than the price of many apartment rentals⁶ in the Washington metro⁷ area (roughly $1,500-$1,700 a month), the place offered convenience: round-the-clock security, complimentary⁸ continental⁹ breakfasts, free WiFi, and no electricity or cable bills. With the addition of just one familiar chair and a few family photos, the suite soon became home.

　　Over the years, she intentionally¹⁰ sought to built community at the place, despite many of the residents being short-term.

　　"I call it community planning," she told CNN. "I turned it into a community."

　　Still determine to offer "whatever I am able to give," go-getting Bricker plans to devote her time to church.

　　She'll likely have to adjust to her new life, sans hotel luxury.

　　"There's no continental breakfast at the Winton Inn," she joked about her daughter's house.

　　And, yes, she's a Platinum¹¹ Premier¹² member of the Marriott rewards program.

1 suite   

n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员

参考例句：

• She has a suite of rooms in the hotel.她在那家旅馆有一套房间。
• That is a nice suite of furniture.那套家具很不错。

2 suites   

n.套( suite的名词复数 )；一套房间；一套家具；一套公寓

参考例句：

• First he called upon all the Foreign Ministers in their hotel suites. 他首先到所有外交部长住的旅馆套间去拜访。 来自辞典例句
• All four doors to the two reserved suites were open. 预定的两个套房的四扇门都敞开着。 来自辞典例句

3 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

4 arthritis   

n.关节炎

参考例句：

• Rheumatoid arthritis has also been linked with the virus.风湿性关节炎也与这种病毒有关。
• He spent three months in the hospital with acute rheumatic arthritis.他患急性风湿性关节炎，在医院住了三个月。

5 outlasted   

v.比…长久，比…活得长( outlast的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I outlasted several downsizings but the last one included me. 虽然我坚持到了最后，还是逃不过被裁的命运。 来自互联网
• This clock has outlasted several owners. 这座时钟的寿命比它的几个主人的寿命都长。 来自互联网

6 rentals   

n.租费，租金额( rental的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• In some large hotels, the income derived from this source actually exceeds income from room rentals. 有些大旅馆中，这方面的盈利实际上要超过出租客房的盈利。 来自辞典例句
• Clerk: Well, Canadian Gifts is on the lower level. It's across from Prime Time Video Rentals. 噢，礼品店在楼下，在黄金时刻录像出租屋的对面。 来自口语例句

7 metro   

n.地铁；adj.大都市的；(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国，主要经营零售)

参考例句：

• Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗？
• The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。

8 complimentary   

adj.赠送的，免费的，赞美的，恭维的

参考例句：

• She made some highly complimentary remarks about their school.她对他们的学校给予高度的评价。
• The supermarket operates a complimentary shuttle service.这家超市提供免费购物班车。

9 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

10 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

11 platinum   

n.白金

参考例句：

• I'll give her a platinum ring.我打算送给她一枚白金戒指。
• Platinum exceeds gold in value.白金的价值高于黄金。

12 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。