VOA慢速英语--比萨发源地那不勒斯的比萨店重新开业营业

Wood is burning again in Naples' world-famous pizza ovens. Pizza businesses reopened this week in the birthplace of pizza, after two months of coronavirus restrictions¹. For now, they are only open for home delivery.

Pizzerias in Rome and other Italian cities were permitted to operate for take-out and delivery service during Italy's national lockdown. But, pizzerias in Naples closed because officials feared the virus could spread very quickly in such a crowded city.

The leader of the surrounding Campania area, Vincenzo De Luca, put extreme lockdown measures in place. He did so in part because he knew Campania's hospitals would not be able to deal with a huge increase in patients. The region has seen a less severe outbreak of COVID-19, the disease the virus causes, than some other regions in Italy.

This week, De Luca lifted bans on pizza deliveries as well as home deliveries from restaurants, ice cream stores, bars and some other food and drink businesses.

"Surely this is a little restart for the entrepreneurs³, important for us and for our region, our city and our nation," said Giovanni Pezzuto, owner of a Neapolitan pizzeria. "This is a symbol of hope," he added.

It is not a total reopening, however. The pizzerias can only take orders by phone, not in person. The pizzerias have to be cleaned very often and workers must wear covers on their hands and faces.

Vincenzo Capuano, owner of Capuano pizzeria, said even the limited reopening will help Campania's economy. Everything he uses to make his pizzas comes from local providers.

"To make pizza I have to buy the local flour from Naples, (local) San Marzano tomatoes, I have to buy the potatoes, the onions," he said.

Without this business activity, "after the health crisis⁴ we could have a much worse economic crisis," he added.

Italy was the first western country to be hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. It has reported more than 26,000 deaths, the highest number in Europe.

The center of Italy's outbreak was based in the northern area of Lombardy. Officials say Campania and other areas in the south have had fewer infections because the government locked down the whole country in time.

Across Italy, bars and restaurants are planning to reopen more fully⁵ in June. Visitors will be required to observe social-distancing measures and the businesses must follow special rules for cleaning and disinfecting.

I'm Ashley Thompson.

Words in This Story

oven - n. a piece of cooking equipment that is used for baking or roasting food

delivery - n. the act of taking something to a person or place

lockdown - n. an emergency measure or condition in which people are temporarily prevented from entering or leaving a restricted area or building during a threat of danger

entrepreneur² - n. a person who starts a business and is willing to risk loss in order to make money

symbol - n. an action, object, event, etc., that expresses or represents a particular idea or quality

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 entrepreneur   

n.企业家，主办人

参考例句：

• The entrepreneur has become a news figure.这位企业家变成了新闻人物。
• The entrepreneur takes business risks in the hope of making a profit.企业家为追求利润而冒险。

3 entrepreneurs   

企业家( entrepreneur的名词复数 )； 主办人

参考例句：

• He is one of the entrepreneurs of the concert. 他是这场音乐会的主办人之一。
• Entrepreneurs are free to develop their businesses. 企业家们可以任意发展自己的企业。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

4 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。