VOA慢速英语2016--美国邮轮抵达哈瓦那

AS IT IS 2016-05-04 U.S. Cruise Ship Arrives in Havana 美国邮轮抵达哈瓦那

For the first time in almost 40 years, a U.S. cruise ship has arrived in Havana, Cuba.

The Carnival¹ Cruise Lines’ ship Adonia and its 700 passengers left Miami on Sunday, arriving the next day on the island nation.

Hundreds of Cubans gathered to watch the arrival of the Adonia. They cheered and took photographs as the ship docked.

AP news agency spoke² to Mercedes Lopez in Havana. She is a 54-year-old nurse. She waited for hours to see the Adonia arrive at Havana’s cruise terminal.

“This is history,” she said. “This is a little step forward, a little step towards normalization³, peace, family unification.”

The passengers of the Adonia were welcomed with live music and dancing inside the cruise terminal. A crowd of Cubans waited in Old Havana’s Plaza⁴ to take tourists on walking tours.

Tens of thousands of Cubans have tried to cross the Florida Straits on homemade boats. Thousands are believed to have died in that process. Cruises and other ships often rescue those stranded⁵ in homemade boats.

The cruise ship’s arrival marks another step in restoring U.S.-Cuba relations. But, the voyage almost did not happen. Cuban officials wanted to ban Cubans who had left the country from sailing back to their birthplace. The officials feared they would cause political problems. U.S. and Cuban officials settled the matter during talks.

U.S. cruises are expected to bring Cuba tens of millions of dollars. More than 10 other cruise lines have announced plans to run U.S.-Cuba cruises. If they all begin operations, Cuba could earn more than $80 million a year, says the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council.

But, environmental scientists fear that a major increase in cruise travel will seriously damage the island. For now, Cuba has the healthiest marine⁶ life in the Caribbean Sea. Experts from the Environmental Defense⁷ Fund’s Cuba program say that an increase in large ships in Cuba’s coastal⁸ waters will harm coral reefs and marine life, and reduce water quality.

Air service between the two nations also is expected to restart later this year. The U.S. and Cuba agreed to permit 20 flights a day from the U.S. to Havana, and 10 daily flights to Cuba’s nine other international airports.

Cuba received a record 3.5 million visitors in 2015, according to Reuters news agency. That is a 17 percent increase from 2014. Reuters says the number of American visitors in 2015 rose 77 percent from 2014.

Experts worry that the island is not yet ready for the growing number of American visitors. The Cuban government is seeking foreign investment to develop its tourism industry

Words in This Story

cruise - n. a journey on a boat or ship

dock - v.  to bring a ship into a port or area of water where ships are unloaded

terminal - n. a building where passengers can wait and get on and off (of a ship, train, bus, etc.)

tourists - n. people who travel to a place for pleasure

voyage - n. a long trip, usually on a boat

1 carnival   

n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演

参考例句：

• I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
• Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 normalization   

n.（normalisation）正常化，标准化

参考例句：

• The visit signalled the normalization of relations between the two countries.这次访问显示两国关系已经正常化。
• He was pleased to the normalization of relationship between the police and the people.他很高兴警方和人民之间关系的正常化。

4 plaza   

n.广场，市场

参考例句：

• They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
• The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。

5 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

6 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。