VOA常速英语2007-A Slice of South Asia Lives in Chicago

By Ade Astuti and Susy Tekunan
Washington
01 October 2007
 

Chicago, Illinois, is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the United States. One of its best-known ethnic¹ neighborhoods is Devon Avenue, the heart of the city's South Asian community. For producers Ade Astuti and Susy Tekunan, VOA's Jim Bertel takes us to this multicultural² landmark³ in the American heartland.

Devon Avenue is a boulevard rich in culture offering many of the sights and sounds of South Asia. Abdul Sataar is President of Chicago's Muslim Community Center explains. "Back in 1965, [or] around '64, a lot of Muslims from India and Pakistan started migrating to the United States of America," he said. "And, because of the fact that Chicago is one of the largest cities, most people came to Chicago. There was no Devon Avenue [Muslim community] at that particular time. And since the majority of the people settled on the north side of Chicago, eventually Devon Avenue [community] came into being."

Today, Devon Avenue boasts the largest concentration of Muslims in the U.S., and the neighborhood's atmosphere reflects that.

There are supermarkets that sell products prepared in accordance with Islamic law. Devon Avenue Stores cater⁴ to their residents' needs. There are Islamic books, Bollywood films, and South Asian music and clothing for sale.

But Devon Avenue is a multicultural neighborhood, where Muslims live side by side with a Jewish orthodox community from Eastern Europe. While stores on the western side of Devon Avenue cater to the Muslim community, resident Dave Segal says many shops on the eastern side offer kosher foods.  "I'm Jewish Orthodox, so this is a great neighborhood for me, myself. The shopping here is catering⁵ to the Jewish Orthodox neighborhood. This is what we're looking for, all the people here are very nice."

"I've never heard of any incident here on Devon. Everybody gets along very well. I've never heard of any fights, or any racial, or ethnic problems, not only among Muslims and non-Muslims, but also among the different sects⁶ of Muslims themselves," said Sataar.

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 multicultural   

adj.融合多种文化的，多种文化的

参考例句：

• Children growing up in a multicultural society.在多元文化社会中长大的孩子们。
• The school has been attempting to bring a multicultural perspective to its curriculum.这所学校已经在尝试将一种多元文化视角引入其课程。

3 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。

4 cater   

vi.(for/to)满足，迎合；(for)提供饮食及服务

参考例句：

• I expect he will be able to cater for your particular needs.我预计他能满足你的特殊需要。
• Most schools cater for children of different abilities.大多数学校能够满足具有不同天资的儿童的需要。

5 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？

6 sects   

n.宗派，教派( sect的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had subdued the religious sects, cleaned up Saigon. 他压服了宗教派别，刷新了西贡的面貌。 来自辞典例句