VOA慢速英语2014 洛杉矶细化禁止非法用水

 

AS IT IS 2014-07-20 Los Angeles to Fine Illegal Watering 洛杉矶细化禁止非法用水

California is in its third year of drought, or lack of rain.  Farmers in California’s Central Valley have suffered major reductions in the amount of water they can use. The cuts are threatening agriculture, one of the state’s major industries. 

At the same time, up to half the water in the city of Los Angeles is used for watering the grass on people’s property.  But the huge city has strong laws that limit water waste.  So, local officials send officers to enforce the laws.

VOA correspondent¹ Mike O’Sullivan took an early morning ride with a Los Angeles water officer. 

Rick Silva of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power travels the city in search of illegal watering.

On a recent day, the water officer drives his car up and down the streets of the Hollywood Hills, a rich neighborhood in central Los Angeles.  Mr. Silva sometimes pulls over to the roadside when he sees watering systems operating illegally, or water running down the street.

“We’ve been looking for run-off from lawns, people that are watering on the wrong days,  and (working)  more just to get them on board that a lot of water is being used towards irrigation (watering),  and that there’s also a lot of potential savings² there.”                                                    

Fines for homeowners who do not cooperate start at $100.  Fines for businesses start at $200.  In the future, water-wasters could pay fines of up to $500.  But most people who violate³ city laws get a warning and advice about how to reduce their water use.                                    

Mr. Silva says the city is trying to educate people to save more water. For example, people with houses that have even street numbers are told they can water Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.  People whose houses have odd numbers can water Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  But nobody can use watering systems between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., or on Saturdays.

 Mr. Silva says most people are responsive, once they learn the law. 

The city also advises a long-term solution.  It suggests homeowners replace their grassy⁴ lawns with plants that can live a long time without moisture.  The water cop says Los Angeles will pay people three dollars for each square foot, or one tenth of a square meter, that they remove.

This offer has caused some homeowners to put in plants that grow naturally in the mild climate of Los Angeles.  These varieties include Cleveland Sage⁵, California Redbud, California Poppy or Deer Grass.

Rick Silva notes that the city has placed a model landscape in a public park.  This design of greenery is meant to show people what can be done with special plants instead of grass.

“You see, some of them are flowering now.”

Los Angeles reservoirs still has enough water to supply the city.  But reservoirs in other parts of the state are at levels far below normal.  And the mountain snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains measured 20 percent below normal in May.  The mountain snowpack, mountain snow that melts during the summer, provides much of the city’s water. 

1 correspondent   

n.记者，通信者；adj.符合的，一致的，相当的

参考例句：

• He volunteered as a correspondent for the war.他自愿担任作报道这次战争的记者。
• The result was correspondent with my wishes.结果与我的愿望是一致的。

2 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

3 violate   

vt.违反，违背，亵渎，侵犯，妨碍

参考例句：

• Those who violate traffic regulations should be punished.那些违反交通规定的人应该受处罚。
• Can they be allowed to violate rules and regulations at will?难道能容许他们随心所欲地破坏规章制度吗？

4 grassy   

adj.盖满草的；长满草的

参考例句：

• They sat and had their lunch on a grassy hillside.他们坐在长满草的山坡上吃午饭。
• Cattle move freely across the grassy plain.牛群自由自在地走过草原。

5 sage   

n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的

参考例句：

• I was grateful for the old man's sage advice.我很感激那位老人贤明的忠告。
• The sage is the instructor of a hundred ages.这位哲人是百代之师。