读者文摘:底特律的骄傲:约翰·乔治(2)（在线收听）

"I'm half Lebanese, half Italian, and 100 percent Detroit stubborn," George told nationswell.com.

乔治告诉nationswell网站，“我一半是黎巴嫩人，一半是意大利人，百分之百是底特律人。”

"Once we get something in our heart and in our head, it's almost autopilot."

“一旦我们的心中和脑子里有了什么想法，这个想法基本上就会实现。”

But that was only the beginning. In 2003, George also breathed life into a dilapidated square mile of Detroit by turning it into Artist Village,

但是这只是一个开始。2003年，乔治还把底特律一平方英里破旧的土地变成了艺术家村，给它注入了生机，

an area now filled with galleries, a performance space, community gardens, a coffee shop, and outdoor courtyards.

现在这里是一个充满了画廊、穿孔空间、社区花园、咖啡馆和户外庭院的区域。

Because this region of North Detroit was a food desert, George also persuaded a supermarket chain to move into the neighborhood.

因为底特律北部的这个地区是食物荒漠，所以乔治还说服了一家连锁超市搬到附近。

"Blight is like a cancer: If you don't set upon it, it will spread," George told thehubdetroit.com.

乔治告诉thehubdetroit网站，“城市萎缩就像癌症：如果你不攻击它，它就会扩散。”

And then there's Halloween. In Detroit, October 30 was ruefully known as Devil's Night, a period when all hell would break loose in the form of crime and vandalism.

还有万圣节。在底特律，人们把10月30日悲伤地称为“魔鬼之夜”，在这段时间里，所有的黑暗势力都会以犯罪和破坏公物的形式爆发。

In response, George created a citizens' patrol that would take to the streets, keeping an eye on suspicious behavior.

作为回应，乔治创建了一个市民巡逻队，可以上街巡逻，监视可疑行为。

He dubbed it Angels' Night. What began with 12 neighbors on patrol in 1990 has grown to more than 60,000 citywide.

他称之为天使之夜。1990年开始时有12名邻居巡逻，现在全市已有6万多人巡逻。

George's inspired ideas have not gone unnoticed by the city he loves.

乔治的灵感并没有被他所热爱的城市所忽视。

"John wants to show that there is still something to Detroit. That it's still worth it," says real estate agent Robert LaBute.

房地产经纪人罗伯特·拉布特说，“约翰想向世人展示，底特律仍然有它的魅力。它现在仍然是值得的。

And others are buying into it. "We're seeing the trend of younger homeowners coming in."

其他人也在买入房产。“我们看到越来越多的年轻房主加入进来。”

Is George proud of having boosted his once-ailing hometown? You'd better believe he is.

乔治是否为振兴了他一度陷入困境的家乡而感到自豪?你最好相信他是。

As he puts it: "We are on the front porch of the greatest urban comeback story in this nation's history."

正如他所说的：“我们正站在这个国家历史上最伟大的城市复兴故事的前廊上。”