2006年VOA标准英语-Carl's Corner: A Truck Stop And More

By Yi Suli
Carl's Corner, Texas
03 October 2006
 
watch Carl's Corner report

 
Carl's Corner in the southwestern state of Texas used to be an old-fashioned truck stop.  Today it is a city in its own right, a haven¹ for truckers passing by, a frontier for alternative fuels, and much more. For producer Yi Suli, VOA's Ealine Lu has the story.

On highway I-35 in Texas, at least seven trucks drive underneath² the overpass³ at Exit 374 every minute.  Carl Cornelius noticed the business opportunity some 20 years ago and established his truck stop, Carl's Corner, for truckers passing by to refuel and take a break.

"Welcome to Carl's Corner. Keep guessing your weight? Try your luck."

Looking somewhat old-fashioned, Carl's Corner has its own appeal to truck drivers.  Edward Frenze, from the southeastern state of South Carolina, is one of them. Frentz frequents Carl's Corner at least once a month. "Well, I like it because it is more of a 'mom and pop' place instead of a big chain," he says.

About 500 truckers, on average, stop here every day.

Owner Carl Cornelius of Carl’s Corner adds, "Well, serve the people. Everybody in the world should serve each other like brothers and sisters. Taking care of the people. Whatever they ask for, we try to help them."

 
Timothy Barrett, trucker
Timothy Barret and his wife have known Cornelius for a long time. "Well, he doesn't forget our faces. He is a good old Texan boy."

In order to obtain a liquor license⁴, Carl had to have a city. So he filed an application with the state of Texas and made his corner a city in the 1980s   He is the city's mayor, which is home to 130 residents, including his own family. 

While an oasis⁵ for truckers in the rough landscape of northern Texas was taking shape, a disastrous⁶ fire hit -- Carl lost his three sons and his hope for them to carry on with his dreams for the corner.

Then longtime friend country music legend Willie Nelson, came into the picture. 

 
Carl Cornelius, owner of Carl's Corner
Carl explains. "I was shutting my business down. I was tired. I lost my three boys. So what took place was I was shutting down. He called me and told me the story of Annie and (the) car (that runs on biodiesel fuel) and everything. I decided⁸ to go ahead with Willie."

Willie not only helped to raise money to rebuild Carl's Corner with a benefit concert, he also brought Willie's biodiesel fuel to the corner and established a pioneering community for alternative fuel in the country.  Barrett has been a user of biodiesel for three years and says, "It burns cleaner, (with) less pollution. The engine runs quieter."

Willie eventually decided to set up a biodiesel company to meet the increasing demand. Bob King is the designer of the facility. "Here we will be able to sell 40 thousand gallons a day out of this plant," he said.. "We also got room to expand. We can double that."

 
Willie Nelson
BioWillie, Willie Nelson's own blend of B-20 Biodiesel, is made from vegetable oils . It reduces the emission⁹ of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and sulfur¹⁰ dioxide.  Diesel⁷ engines can use biodiesel without being remodeled.

Carl says the business concept is a winner. "We've got a win-win situation throughout the whole world.  In Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island or Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Montana. It doesn't matter.  It will go everywhere."

 
Carl's Corner music hall
Carl's Corner offers more than fuel.  It boasts entertainment like a rodeo show and a 1,000-seat theater/music hall that features Willie Nelson and other country music singers.

The director of the Texas Musicians' Museum, Thomas Kreason, debuted¹¹ the museum's collections at Carl's Corner during "Willie Nelson's Warmup Weekend."  "The unique thing happening out here is with Willie being involved and development out here with Carl's picnics coming out here, it is just a very complimentary¹² thing for us and Texas music and history kind of acquainted with all," Kreason said.

Carl says, "Without a vision, you perish," a motto he lives by when it comes to the future of Carl's Corner. “A whole shopping center. Entertainment area. Maybe a casino. “This is going to be the bio diesel gorilla¹³ of the world, probably. "

1 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

2 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

3 overpass   

n.天桥，立交桥

参考例句：

• I walked through an overpass over the road.我步行穿过那条公路上面的立交桥。
• We should take the overpass when crossing the road.我们过马路应走天桥。

4 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

5 oasis   

n.（沙漠中的）绿洲，宜人的地方

参考例句：

• They stopped for the night at an oasis.他们在沙漠中的绿洲停下来过夜。
• The town was an oasis of prosperity in a desert of poverty.该镇是贫穷荒漠中的一块繁荣的“绿洲”。

6 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

7 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 emission   

n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发

参考例句：

• Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取严格有力措施，降低污染物排放总量。
• Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低颗粒排放的方向。

10 sulfur   

n.硫，硫磺（=sulphur）

参考例句：

• Sulfur emissions from steel mills become acid rain.炼钢厂排放出的硫形成了酸雨。
• Burning may produce sulfur oxides.燃烧可能会产生硫氧化物。

11 debuted   

初次表演，初次登台（debut的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• In late 2003 a full-size SUV, the Pathfinder Armada, debuted. 2003年末，全尺寸SUV的探路者无敌舰队，推出。
• The album debuted at number two and quickly went platinum. 专辑一亮相就荣登排行榜第二名，很快就取得了白金销量。

12 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。

13 gorilla   

n.大猩猩，暴徒，打手

参考例句：

• I was awed by the huge gorilla.那只大猩猩使我惊惧。
• A gorilla is just a speechless animal.猩猩只不过是一种不会说话的动物。