VOA标准英语2013--政府停摆对华盛顿的影响

 

Washington DC Hit Hard by Government Shutdown 政府停摆对华盛顿的影响

WASHINGTON — With the end of the U.S. government's partial shutdown, Washington is breathing easier, but bracing¹ for the possibility of more budget trouble ahead. The nation's capital, where tourism and the federal government are the top two employers, feels more pain than most other U.S. cities when the government shuts down.

Ford's Theatre, where President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated² in 1865, is one of Washington's most popular tourist attractions.

As many as 30,000 people visit it each week.

But it remained closed for two weeks during the government shutdown, until a private donation allowed it to reopen, to the relief of Debbi McSpadden.

"We're very happy.  Anything we can see in town right now that's open, we're excited about, because there's not much we've been able to see," she said.

Tourism is Washington's number-one employer, according to Mayor Vincent Gray. He says hotel bookings were down by more than eight percent in early October compared to last year, costing the city $2 million in lost revenue.

Restaurants suffered a double blow during the shutdown with both tourists and furloughed employees of the U.S. government, Washington's number-two employer, staying away.

Mayor Gray says the federal government is key to the well-being³ of the capital.

"Well, there's no question that the federal government continues to play a huge role in the economy of this city," he said.

Washington is unique among American cities.  It's a federal district and is not part of any of the 50 U.S. states. Its budget must be approved by its mayor but also by Congress.  When Congress fails to act, Washington is in trouble.

When the government shutdown forced the city to stop paying health providers under the federal Medicaid program for low-income patients, Stoddard Baptist Nursing Home worried about how long it could continue to operate.

Its president, Steve Nash, says they anticipated running out of money to pay staff and suppliers.

"If it continued, there was going to be a serious trickle-down effect and really cause disruption to our services," he said. "And so we are thankful that it has subsided⁴, but again, we are very concerned about when we are going to receive our payments."

Nash says he is preparing his staff and vendors⁵ for the possibility of another shutdown in three months.

"So we have to plan accordingly and talk to our vendors and make sure they understand, talk to our employees to make sure they understand that there may be delays in the future if this continues," he said.

Nash and Mayor Gray believe the best solution to D.C.'s budget worries would be to make it America's 51st state. 

1 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

2 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

3 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

4 subsided   

v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上

参考例句：

• After the heavy rains part of the road subsided. 大雨过后，部分公路塌陷了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• By evening the storm had subsided and all was quiet again. 傍晚， 暴风雨已经过去，四周开始沉寂下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 vendors   

n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方

参考例句：

• The vendors were gazundered at the last minute. 卖主在最后一刻被要求降低房价。
• At the same time, interface standards also benefIt'software vendors. 同时，界面标准也有利于软件开发商。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓