2007年VOA标准英语-New Orleans Mardi Gras Wraps Up on High Note

By Greg Flakus
Houston
21 February 2007

The annual carnival¹ celebration known as Mardi Gras came to an end in New Orleans Tuesday with parades and parties. Crowds were much larger than last year and local officials say this has helped the city's efforts to recover from the effects of Hurricane Katrina, which struck the area in August, 2005. VOA's Greg Flakus has more from our bureau in Houston.

 
Mardi Gras reveler dances in street, 20 Feb 2007
This was the second Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans since Katrina and local officials and business leaders say it was a success both in terms of the money it brought in and in symbolizing² the "Big Easy's" comeback progress.

New Orleans business owner and property developer Kevin Kelly spent the last few days throwing a party at his house along the parade route on St Charles Avenue, in the city's warehouse³ district. Speaking with VOA by telephone, he described this year's Mardi Gras crowds as large and happy.

"Sunday was the largest crowd ever. I mean it was just huge crowds and it was a nice attitude. People are starting to see things starting to happen," Kelly said.

 
Scott Garver, left, and John Day, both from Baton⁴ Rouge⁵, La., wear masks on Mardi Gras, 20 Feb 2007
The population of New Orleans remains⁶ at less than half of what it was before Katrina, but Kelly says the people who have returned are determined⁷ to recover what they had before the disaster. He says most people have taken steps on their own without waiting for the government to help. One problem vexing⁸ the city and its image is crime. Since the beginning of the new year, 27 people have been murdered in New Orleans, nine of them in one seven-hour span late last week.

But Kevin Kelly notes that most of these crimes do not happen anywhere near the French Quarter, downtown or the St. Charles Avenue area, where most tourists go.

"Your problem is going to come if you are living in the typical crime areas, which are the housing project areas and very low-income areas," he said. "That is where the drug problems are."

Many local citizens are upset by the crime wave and last month several thousand of them marched on city hall demanding that Mayor Ray Nagin and police officials do more to get the situation under control.

But Kevin Kelly says the crime problem has not slowed down investment in the city and the rapid increase in real estate development, some of it spurred by U.S. government programs to encourage revitalization of the city.

"We have developers coming in from Germany and London and all over the United States and I am surprised at the activities," Kelly said. "The federal government has set up some very good inducements to help development happen. I think these special tax credits are bringing in people."

Much of New Orleans is below sea level and the city is protected by levees, some of which broke after Katrina struck. Around 80 percent of the city was flooded as a result and many of the worst hit areas remain disaster zones still. But the higher areas along the Mississippi river embankment and downtown recovered quickly and civic⁹ leaders say business is now thriving there.

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 symbolizing   

v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• This symbol later evolved into a common hieroglyphic symbolizing victory. 这幕场景后来逐渐演化为象征胜利的普通象形文字。 来自时文部分
• Mooncakes reunion, is symbolizing the Mid-Autumn festival will feed. 月饼象征着团圆，是中秋佳节必食之品。 来自互联网

3 warehouse   

n.仓库；vt.存入仓库

参考例句：

• We freighted the goods to the warehouse by truck.我们用卡车把货物运到仓库。
• The manager wants to clear off the old stocks in the warehouse.经理想把仓库里积压的存货处理掉。

4 baton   

n.乐队用指挥杖

参考例句：

• With the baton the conductor was beating time.乐队指挥用指挥棒打拍子。
• The conductor waved his baton,and the band started up.指挥挥动指挥棒，乐队开始演奏起来。

5 rouge   

n.胭脂，口红唇膏；v.(在…上)擦口红

参考例句：

• Women put rouge on their cheeks to make their faces pretty.女人往面颊上涂胭脂，使脸更漂亮。
• She didn't need any powder or lip rouge to make her pretty.她天生漂亮，不需要任何脂粉唇膏打扮自己。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

8 vexing   

adj.使人烦恼的，使人恼火的v.使烦恼( vex的现在分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论

参考例句：

• It is vexing to have to wait a long time for him. 长时间地等他真使人厌烦。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Lately a vexing problem had grown infuriatingly worse. 最近发生了一个讨厌的问题，而且严重到令人发指的地步。 来自辞典例句

9 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。