密歇根新闻广播 疫情结束后,密歇根州的主要街道会是什么样子

 

Small businesses forced to shut their doors are trying to figure out how to last through what could be months of being closed. Businesses still operating are figuring out how to keep going. 'Main Street' Michigan is doing everything it can to survive COVID-19 isolation¹.

Most downtowns in the state are pretty quiet these days. Shops that are considered non-essential are closed. Many of the restaurants where you used to go are now only doing take-out.

We watched as servers at the Evans Street Station restaurant in Tecumseh wore masks and gloves as they dropped orders into the trunks of waiting cars.

Beth Kennedy is the General Manager and a co-owner. She had to shut down her catering² business and change how she served her restaurant customers who are used to dining in.

“We're doing our best. We're taking it day by day, week by week. You know, we're we're constantly reevaluating what we're doing and how we're doing it. We're trying to work smarter and streamline³ the menu,” she said.

Like many restaurants, sales numbers have fallen. Evans Street Station had to temporarily lay off some workers. But the business is hanging in there.

“We've got a tight ship, a solid crew. We're really lucky that we have a loyal long-time employees sticking with us. We're super grateful for that,” Kennedy said.

She says "grateful" because some businesses that are still operating need more workers for things like delivery services. But, there’s not much incentive⁴ to take a job unless it pays a lot.

Brian Calley is the President of the Small Business Association of Michigan. He says with the big $2.2 trillion stimulus⁵ bill passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump⁶, being unemployed⁷ can pay pretty well.

“So in Michigan, for example, the maximum unemployment that you could receive per week is $362 under the existing or the original formula. Congress would take that and add $600 to it. So it would be $962 per week for somebody who was receiving the maximum,” Calley explained.

And that will be the case at least until the end of June.

Finding workers, bringing in enough money to meet payroll⁸, paying the rent or mortgage, and keeping the lights on is tough for many of the small businesses still open. If your shop is closed, you’ve still got rent, utilities, debt service, and absolutely no money coming in.

The state and federal governments are offering some help: $394 billion nationwide. Some of the loans are forgiveable, but there are lots of strings⁹ attached. Banks and government agencies are overwhelmed by applications.

Harvey Schmidt runs a group of pharmacies¹⁰ called Schmidt and Sons. He says his business actually has ramped¹¹ up because it’s doing a lot more deliveries. That's to avoid a lot of people standing¹² in the store waiting for prescritptions to be filled.

He’s a former mayor of Tecumseh and keeps up with other merchants in town.

“I'm pretty sure that there are some businesses that are kind of on life support and they're looking for some help from this COVID package that came out of Washington. But quite frankly¹³, I think it's coming through a little, little too slow. And it may result in, you know, some businesses not being able to survive," he said.

The federal government is already considering another $200 billion to help small businesses because there is such demand and such a devastating¹⁴ impact to the economy if a lot of small businesses close for good.

Schmidt says he’s proud of merchants and employees who are still on the job at the grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies and so on. While not comparing them to health care workers on the front line, he notes those workers are at risk too.

“We really do have heroes within our own communities who are stepping up and servicing the needs of the people during the pandemic. I just think we need to say thank you,” Schmidt said.

The Small Business Association’s Brian Calley says there’s so much uncertainty¹⁵ with these two crises happening at the same time.

“One is a health care crisis and the other is an economic crisis. The health care crisis, I'm confident that our country will work its way through in the coming months. Our goal is to try and make sure that the economic crisis doesn't last years," he explained.

A lot depends on how people behave after the COVID-19 pandemic ends. For months, people will have been getting a lot of goods delivered rather than go to a store. Will people come out and shop like they used to do?

Or will they be skittish¹⁶ about getting out among other people?

1 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

2 catering   

n. 给养

参考例句：

• Most of our work now involves catering for weddings. 我们现在的工作多半是承办婚宴。
• Who did the catering for your son's wedding? 你儿子的婚宴是由谁承办的？

3 streamline   

vt.使成流线型；使简化；使现代化

参考例句：

• We must streamline our methods.我们必须简化方法。
• Any liquid or gas passing it will have streamline flow.任何通过它的液体或气体将呈流线型的流动。

4 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

5 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

6 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

7 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。

8 payroll   

n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额

参考例句：

• His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
• I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。

9 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

10 pharmacies   

药店

参考例句：

• Still, 32 percent of the pharmacies filled the prescriptions. 但仍然有32%的药剂师配发了这两张药方。 来自互联网
• Chinese herbal pharmacies, and traditional massage therapists in the Vancouver telephone book. 中药店，和传统的按摩师在温哥华的电话簿里。 来自互联网

11 ramped   

土堤斜坡( ramp的过去式和过去分词 )； 斜道； 斜路； （装车或上下飞机的）活动梯

参考例句：

• With the arrival of George Lucas, the pace has ramped up. 随着乔治·卢卡斯的到来，速度大大加快。
• They also sold corporate bonds as the global financial crisis ramped up. 在全球金融危机加剧之际，他们还抛售了公司债券。

12 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

13 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

14 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

15 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

16 skittish   

adj.易激动的，轻佻的

参考例句：

• She gets very skittish when her boy-friend is around.她男朋友在场时，她就显得格外轻佻。
• I won't have my son associating with skittish girls.我不准我的儿子与轻佻的女孩交往。