2007年VOA标准英语-Hello Deli In New York City has a Celebrity Own

By Roger Hsu
New York City
22 February 2007
 
watch Hello Deli report

New York City is known for many famous landmarks²: The Empire State building, the Statue of Liberty, and Times Square.  Amid all the hustle³ and bustle⁴ of the city is another landmark¹ that is quickly gaining international attention. For producer Roger Hsu, Elaine Lu takes us to the Hello Deli.

 
Rupert Jee
Hello Deli owner, Rupert Jee, is excited when he talks about sandwiches. "It was always my ambition to own a sandwich shop. I love eating sandwiches. To me it's like a toy."

At first glance, Rupert Jee's "Hello Deli" looks just like the many other sandwich shops on just about every street corner in New York. "Instead of being a strictly⁵ local deli place, now we are pretty (much) international. I get people from all over the world coming to have a sandwich here."

The deli's signature sandwiches are not the only draw. Many people come just to meet Jee.

One tourist find him amusing. "It's funny, because he is like a real person and he is hilarious⁶. He is like a real person. You could have him as a neighbor or something; he is like one of us." Another tries to describe it. "Two of my co-workers, they said they wanted, that's one thing they said they wanted: a Hello Deli tee-shirt."

 
Hello Deli, coffee mugs and t-shirts
Rupert Jee is purportedly⁷ the most famous deli owner in town. "Looks like I am selling more T-shirts than sandwiches today. We sell caps, T-shirts, mugs... mugs with my face on it. Isn't it freaky?"

The little sandwich shop's notoriety began when Jee appeared on the  "Late Show with David Letterman", a popular weeknight television comedy talk show.  

Jee was featured, as part of the show's "Meet the Neighbor" segment. His deli is just down the street from the show's studio. "I told the writers very bluntly that they didn't have to come in, because I was always fearful of being in front of (the) TV, I just never cared for it. But it was inevitable⁸, I think the more you don't want it, the more they'll do it."

 
Rupert Jee on Letterman show
Finally, Jee made his debut⁹ on the Late Show in September 1993.

Being a sidekick on Letterman's show, Jee often plays pranks¹⁰ on unsuspecting New Yorkers on the street.  He seems to have a knack¹¹ for it. "I know from the beginning (that) I have no talent for acting¹². The only way I can succeed in this, is to be myself, and let things take its course, and that's what I did."

Jee became so popular with the audience that he started to appear on the Late Show frequently. "I get people screaming my name out. I get people just smiling, people coming over for pictures and all that."

But his first love is still the deli. Co-owner Mrs. Ng explains why. "He seldom had the chance to eat American food. Everyday would be like the typical village (Chinese) food that would be laid on the table. He used to crave¹³ for sandwiches and American food. Only when he got sick, his mom would buy him a sandwich. So he used to love (them), that's the reason why he said he developed the passion for deli. I said, 'You are so weird¹⁴'."

This is why, even though he makes more than $200,000 a year from appearances on the Late Show and souvenirs sales at his shop, Jee still enjoys selling sandwiches. "Even after college I always dreamt about opening my own sandwich shop. I thought it would be a nice challenge for myself and it's something I truly wanted. That's why I got into the sandwich business. I think I am one of the few Chinese people in the deli business, but it's something I always wanted to do and, why kill a dream, just make it come true."

1 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

2 landmarks   

n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址）

参考例句：

• The book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of modern science. 这部著作是现代科学发展史上著名的里程碑之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship. 孩子的出世是我们俩关系中的一个重要转折点。 来自辞典例句

3 hustle   

v.推搡；竭力兜售或获取；催促；n.奔忙(碌)

参考例句：

• It seems that he enjoys the hustle and bustle of life in the big city.看起来他似乎很喜欢大城市的热闹繁忙的生活。
• I had to hustle through the crowded street.我不得不挤过拥挤的街道。

4 bustle   

v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹

参考例句：

• The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。
• There is a lot of hustle and bustle in the railway station.火车站里非常拥挤。

5 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

6 hilarious   

adj.充满笑声的，欢闹的；[反]depressed

参考例句：

• The party got quite hilarious after they brought more wine.在他们又拿来更多的酒之后，派对变得更加热闹起来。
• We stop laughing because the show was so hilarious.我们笑个不停，因为那个节目太搞笑了。

7 purportedly   

adv.据称

参考例句：

• This is purportedly the oldest tree in the world. 据称这是世界上最古老的一棵树。 来自互联网
• Mayor Oh Se-Hoon launched the campaign last year, purportedly to improve efficiency. 据悉，首尔市市长吴世勋于去年提出了这项旨在提高工作效率的计划。 来自互联网

8 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

9 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

10 pranks   

n.玩笑，恶作剧( prank的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Frank's errancy consisted mostly of pranks. 法兰克错在老喜欢恶作剧。 来自辞典例句
• He always leads in pranks and capers. 他老是带头胡闹和开玩笑。 来自辞典例句

11 knack   

n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法

参考例句：

• He has a knack of teaching arithmetic.他教算术有诀窍。
• Making omelettes isn't difficult,but there's a knack to it.做煎蛋饼并不难，但有窍门。

12 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

13 crave   

vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求

参考例句：

• Many young children crave attention.许多小孩子渴望得到关心。
• You may be craving for some fresh air.你可能很想呼吸呼吸新鲜空气。

14 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。