2006年VOA标准英语-Zamboni Family Product Keeps Ice Rinks Pol

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
22 May 2006

The name Zamboni is well known to fans of hockey and ice skating. The Zamboni resurfacing machine makes an appearance on ice rinks between the periods of a hockey game, or at intermissions for other ice sports. The unusual product was developed in an unlikely location.

-------------------------------------------------

A contemporary Zamboni  machine    
  

In the middle of an industrial neighborhood of Paramount¹ in southeastern Los Angeles, a small, family-owned factory makes the Zamboni, a machine that has become an intermission tradition for viewers of ice sports.

Richard Zamboni, the company president and son of founder² Frank J. Zamboni, says the device has many admirers, especially among hockey fans in the northern and midwestern U.S. states, and Canada.

"Years ago, we were at an event in Toronto, and people would come up," said Richard Zamboni. "We had the old machine there, and a new one that they could get their picture taken on, and they would say, 'what part of Canada was this developed in?' And we would say,'sorry to disappoint you. It's from Southern California.' They can't believe that."

Iceland facade   
  
The machine's development was tied to a series of challenges in the family business. In the 1920s, Zamboni's father and uncle produced ice for the many dairies in this California neighborhood. With the advent³ of electric refrigerators, they joined together with a cousin and used their ice-making equipment to build an ice rink. Called Iceland, it still operates today, three blocks from the modern factory.

Zamboni faced a problem that all ice-rink owners face. As skaters used the rink, its surface became rough. The traditional method of resurfacing, using ice shovels⁴ and hoses, was slow and cumbersome⁵. Zamboni developed a self-powered, moving machine to do the job better. The large-wheeled vehicle is run by a single driver, who sits high atop the Zamboni, and can resurface the ice in just a matter of minutes.

Earliest, 1949 Zamboni Model A at Iceland   
  
Rotating blades smooth the ice, as the machine cleans the debris⁶ and deposits a layer of water, which quickly freezes to leave a glassy surface.

Figure skater Sonja Henie bought two early Zamboni resurfacing machines, and as she traveled around the country in the 1950s, ice arena⁷ owners were amazed at what they saw, and placed orders themselves. The firm gained international notice when it provided six machines for the 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley, California.

Today, there are competing machines, but none has the flair⁸, or famous name, of the original Zamboni. Richard Zamboni says the company has at least half of the ice-rink market worldwide, and most of the market in North America.
 

Aerial photo of Zamboni's Iceland  
  
"It's a bit difficult to get exact numbers on that, but we know what we put out, and we try to track what the competitors are doing," he said. "And, generally, we're the people. At least, our name is out there, people know us, they come to us. Maybe some, they'll try somebody else's machine for a while, but we've been very fortunate, so many come back to us. And we feel we're got a majority of the share around the world."

He says the people he meets are sometimes surprised to learn that his name is Zamboni.

"You know, at trade shows, I'm always fascinated," said Richard Zamboni. "They say, 'oh, I didn't know that was a family name.' Of course, we kiddingly say, 'our name used to be Smith, but we changed it, because it sounds so good and the name is getting popular.'"
 

Zamboni Model B4  
  
In reality, the Italian-American family has gained an unusual kind of fame with a specialized⁹ product. At trade shows and exhibitions, fans are full of questions.

"People like to get their picture taken on the machine," he said. "The ladies at these shows, they say, 'gee¹⁰, I'd like to drive one of those things.' So it's fun, and we get a kick out of it that they even recognize the name and keep it as a positive memory in their minds."

A separate part of the business involves product licensing¹¹, so the famous family name, which is a registered trademark¹², appears on caps and T-shirts. The company also licenses¹³ tiny model ice resurfacing machines, and many were distributed in a recent promotion¹⁴ with McDonald's fast-food outlets¹⁵ in Canada.

Frank Zamboni   
  
Mr. Zamboni's father, Frank, died in 1988, but the family factory and skating rink keep Richard Zamboni busy. His oldest son, who, like the company founder, is also named Frank, runs a second Zamboni plant near Toronto, Canada.

Visitors to the family ice rink in Paramount, California, can see the earliest model of the resurfacing machine, built in 1949, as well as a modern Zamboni, which smoothes the ice to a shimmering¹⁶ surface.

1 paramount   

a.最重要的，最高权力的

参考例句：

• My paramount object is to save the Union and destroy slavery.我的最高目标是拯救美国，摧毁奴隶制度。
• Nitrogen is of paramount importance to life on earth.氮对地球上的生命至关重要。

2 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

3 advent   

n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临

参考例句：

• Swallows come by groups at the advent of spring. 春天来临时燕子成群飞来。
• The advent of the Euro will redefine Europe.欧元的出现将重新定义欧洲。

4 shovels   

n.铲子( shovel的名词复数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份v.铲子( shovel的第三人称单数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份

参考例句：

• workmen with picks and shovels 手拿镐铲的工人
• In the spring, we plunge shovels into the garden plot, turn under the dark compost. 春天，我们用铁锨翻开园子里黑油油的沃土。 来自辞典例句

5 cumbersome   

adj.笨重的，不便携带的

参考例句：

• Although the machine looks cumbersome,it is actually easy to use.尽管这台机器看上去很笨重，操作起来却很容易。
• The furniture is too cumbersome to move.家具太笨，搬起来很不方便。

6 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

7 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

8 flair   

n.天赋，本领，才华；洞察力

参考例句：

• His business skill complements her flair for design.他的经营技巧和她的设计才能相辅相成。
• He had a natural flair for business.他有做生意的天分。

9 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

10 gee   

n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转

参考例句：

• Their success last week will gee the team up.上星期的胜利将激励这支队伍继续前进。
• Gee,We're going to make a lot of money.哇！我们会赚好多钱啦！

11 licensing   

v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A large part of state regulation consists of occupational licensing. 大部分州的管理涉及行业的特许批准。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• That licensing procedures for projects would move faster. 这样的工程批准程序一定会加快。 来自辞典例句

12 trademark   

n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标

参考例句：

• The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。
• The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。

13 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

14 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

15 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

16 shimmering   

v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The sea was shimmering in the sunlight. 阳光下海水波光闪烁。
• The colours are delicate and shimmering. 这些颜色柔和且闪烁微光。 来自辞典例句