2007年VOA标准英语-Shrinking Cities an International Phenomenon

By Yi Suli
Detroit, Michigan
23 May 2007
 

A detail of some artwork in the exhibit

The world's fast-growing megalopolises often grab headlines, but another urban phenomenon is having just as much of an impact on the planet. Many cities around the world are suffering from urban decline. The reasons are many but the net result on the urban landscape is devastating¹. An international art exhibit is focusing on this phenomenon looking at the causes of city shrinkage and possible remedies. VOA producer Yi Suli caught up with the exhibit in one of the featured cities, Detroit, in the Midwestern state of Michigan. Jim Bertel narrates².

Since the end of World War II hundreds of cities around the world have experienced phenomenal growth. During that same period, however, dozens of other cities have contracted. The Shrinking Cities project examines this urban phenomenon by focusing on four cities in decline: Detroit, Michigan; Halle/Leipzig in Germany; Manchester/Liverpool in Britain; and Ivanovo, Russia through the use of a variety of media.

Recently, the exhibit stopped in Detroit, Michigan where it was presented at two venues³: the Cranbrook Art Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. Curator Mitch Cope explains the exhibit. "So it is giving you the international context of why cities and regions have shrunk, whether it is war, or industrial cities or regions (that) have fallen apart (in the) postindustrial era. Also there are environmental disasters and natural disasters that took place that caused shrinkage."

In Detroit, the shrinkage is blamed on many factors including a shift away from heavy industry, crime, and, according to Cope, even a poorly placed highway. "I highlight in red about half inch of where there is an obstructed⁴ path or an obstructed view," he says. "It feels like you are not really supposed to be here, doesn't it? It is not for pedestrians⁵."

But all is not lost for cities experiencing shrinkage. In recent years Detroit's population decline has slowed as young people and immigrants move into the city. Gregory Wittkopp, Director of the Cranbrook Art Museum, credits artists with paving the way for these new city dwellers⁶.

"You look around other cities around the world, it is often the artists that have seen the opportunity of a particular neighborhood, have gone into these (areas) as pioneers and got everyone else to think about that neighborhood differently," says Wittkopp.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit itself is an effort to revive the city. Acting⁷ director Marsha Miro spearheaded the conversion⁸ of a rundown warehouse⁹ into a museum. "The kind of idea of the city still is carried in the walls of the building. When we fixed¹⁰ the building up to be a museum space, we left a lot of the rawness, the kind of urban quality, and the industrial quality in the building," she says.

In addition to showcasing the past, the Shrinking Cities project looks at ways to pump new life into the urban environment. Miro adds, "In Detroit we have many people who farm in the city, who own or use the empty lots next to them and they are growing their food there. We have a real urban farming movement."

The Shrinking Cities project has traveled the world, with exhibits in the coming months scheduled for several German cities before ending its tour early next year in St. Petersburg, Russia.

1 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。

2 narrates   

v.故事( narrate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It narrates the unconstitutional acts of James II. 它历数了詹姆斯二世的违法行为。 来自辞典例句
• Chapter three narrates the economy activity which Jew return the Occident. 第三章讲述了犹太人重返西欧后的经济活动。 来自互联网

3 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网

4 obstructed   

阻塞( obstruct的过去式和过去分词 )； 堵塞； 阻碍； 阻止

参考例句：

• Tall trees obstructed his view of the road. 有大树挡着，他看不到道路。
• The Irish and Bristol Channels were closed or grievously obstructed. 爱尔兰海峡和布里斯托尔海峡或遭受封锁，或受到了严重阻碍。

5 pedestrians   

n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Several pedestrians had come to grief on the icy pavement. 几个行人在结冰的人行道上滑倒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Pedestrians keep to the sidewalk [footpath]! 行人走便道。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 dwellers   

n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes. 城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They have transformed themselves into permanent city dwellers. 他们已成为永久的城市居民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

8 conversion   

n.转化，转换，转变

参考例句：

• He underwent quite a conversion.他彻底变了。
• Waste conversion is a part of the production process.废物处理是生产过程的一个组成部分。

9 warehouse   

n.仓库；vt.存入仓库

参考例句：

• We freighted the goods to the warehouse by truck.我们用卡车把货物运到仓库。
• The manager wants to clear off the old stocks in the warehouse.经理想把仓库里积压的存货处理掉。

10 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。