VOA标准英语2010年-Washington Attorney Transforms Lives

Rob Farley, a Washington Attorney¹ and church member of a congregation, sits at the table with others. He starts early each day offering coffee and breakfast to the city homeless

Millions of people are living in the streets of America's cities and small towns.  They sleep on park benches and in subways.  Some suffer from addiction² or mental illness; others are just down on their luck.  Most people walk by them, hardly noticing them. VOA introduces us to one man in Washington D.C. who took the time to stop and say hello, and at the same time transformed his own life.

As the sun rises over the nation's capital, Jonathan George begins to stir under his blankets on the steps of Capitol Hill United Methodist Church. Then, Rob Farley, a Washington Attorney and member of the congregation, shows up, fresh from his morning run.

Two years ago, people in the neighborhood began to complain about the homeless sleeping on the church steps.  So, Rob began to wake up the men each morning and get them moving along. Then something unusual happened: One of them asked for a cup of coffee. "And I was like, oh, I don't want to do this.  But it was cold, so I said sure, come in and get a cup of coffee.  So, I brewed³ a pot," he explained.

Initially⁴ it was just coffee. Then other homeless men started coming, and coffee grew into breakfast and friendship. "This is where we hang out.  we come in, I get the coffee going.  Victor is downstairs preparing some soup.   And then we get, uh, guys start coming in," he said.

 

Jonathan George has attended the breakfasts for almost two years. George worked most of his life as a building maintenance⁵ man.  After he was laid-off, he became homeless.

On any given morning, 7 or 8 people show up for breakfast.  Initially it's a place to have a warm meal and wash up after a night on the streets.

But then friendships form. For Rob and the other church members, it was a lesson in why people become homeless and what can or can't be done to get them off the streets.

"We have obtained the help of a social worker, Julie Turner, through an organization here in D.C. called the Downtown Cluster⁶ of Congregations.  And she has been working with us to help folks get into housing," Farley said.

It hasn't been easy but there have been success stories.  Alisa Lasater is pastor⁷ of the Capitol Hill United Methodist Church. "We have had four folks that let Rob or me take them to rehab.  Two of whom are still in the process doing really well," she said.

Rob says the breakfasts have brought new meaning to his life. "I don't know what they have gotten, hope they have gotten something," Farley said. "But we have been able to at least transform me as a person that is more open, more understanding, more humble⁸ ."

Alisa Lasater says the transformation⁹ has been mutual¹⁰. "What I am clear on is that people's lives look different.  Whether that is someone going and advocating for different policies, or whether that is men in this room who have said to me, I believe now I can make a change," Lasater stated.

Rob and Alisa are not sure where the breakfasts will go from here. But they have learned that homeless people are as human as anyone else.

 

1 attorney   

n.（业务或法律事务上的）代理人，辩护律师

参考例句：

• He acted as attorney for me.他充当我的律师。
• The attorney for the union accused the Mayor of playing politics.工会的律师谴责市长在这次罢工中耍阴谋。

2 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

3 brewed   

调制( brew的过去式和过去分词 )； 酝酿； 沏（茶）； 煮（咖啡）

参考例句：

• The beer is brewed in the Czech Republic. 这种啤酒是在捷克共和国酿造的。
• The boy brewed a cup of coffee for his mother. 这男孩给他妈妈冲了一杯咖啡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

5 maintenance   

n.维修，保养，扶养费，维持，保持

参考例句：

• His small farm provides maintenance,but not much more.他的小农场能使他们维持生活，但仅此而已。
• He has to pay maintenance to his ex-wife.他必须给前妻赡养费。

6 cluster   

n.串，簇，群，组；vi.群集，丛生；vt.集中

参考例句：

• She held a cluster of flowers in her arms.她抱着一束鲜花。
• A cluster of tourists was surrounded in the hill.一群游客被困在了山中。

7 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

8 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

9 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

10 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。