VOA标准英语2010年-Inner-City Garden Plants New Hope in M

As a university professor in Miami, Florida, Marvin Dunn launched an inner-city garden to give his students an outlet¹ for volunteer activity. Now his vision has grown into a year-round urban farm that produces scores of vegetables and fruits.

Marvin Dunn grew up in Overtown, a historical black neighborhood in Miami. He knows it once saw brighter days.

"Overtown was a popular, healthy, wonderful place to live," said Marvin Dunn. "There was no unemployment here. And then over the years the community declined."

Like in many inner-city areas of America, jobs left and drugs and crime moved in. But amid the challenges, Dunn saw an opportunity, even if he didn't have claim to land in Overtown.

"There were vacant lots, a lot of trash, garbage here," he said. "We just started planting. I figured what were they going to do, tell me to bring the [drug] needles back? Bring the garbage back?"

Now Dunn has a deal to use the land and several financial grants to support his vision.

"We have broccoli², spinach³, cucumber, beets⁴...," said Maggie Pons.

The garden produces vegetables, fruits and herbs to sell or give away to the community. Site manager Maggie Pons says in two years the plot has grown from a garden into a year-round farm.

"It's constantly seeding, it's constantly transplanting, making sure the crop is doing fine," she said. "So it's beyond a garden."

To care for the plants, there is a team of eight workers, mostly unemployed⁵ people from Overtown. Ronald White says the garden is a step toward positive change.

"Hopefully, doing this and people seeing this, it'll change things, [be]cause this neighborhood needs a lot of help," said Ronald White.

In addition to jobs, the garden provides healthy food for low-income residents. Dunn says few people in Overtown can afford to buy fresh, organic produce.

"That has certain health implications, especially for children," said Dunn. "That is why last growing season, we took most of our produce to schools in this community and distributed it for free."

Much of the garden's output is given away for free. Dunn says he is happy knowing it is going to those who need it most.
 

1 outlet   

n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄

参考例句：

• The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
• Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。

2 broccoli   

n.绿菜花，花椰菜

参考例句：

• She grew all the broccoli plants from seed.这些花椰菜都是她用种子培育出来的。
• They think broccoli is only green and cauliflower is only white.他们认为西兰花只有绿色的，而菜花都是白色的。

3 spinach   

n.菠菜

参考例句：

• Eating spinach is supposed to make you strong.据说吃菠菜能使人强壮。
• You should eat such vegetables as carrot,celery and spinach.你应该吃胡萝卜、芹菜和菠菜这类的蔬菜。

4 beets   

甜菜( beet的名词复数 )； 甜菜根； （因愤怒、难堪或觉得热而）脸红

参考例句：

• Beets are Hank's favorite vegetable. 甜菜根是汉克最爱吃的蔬菜。
• In this enlargement, barley, alfalfa, and sugar beets can be differentiated. 在这张放大的照片上，大麦，苜蓿和甜菜都能被区分开。

5 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。