VOA标准英语2013--Upheaval Crushes Tourism in Egypt

 

Upheaval¹ Crushes Tourism in Egypt

Tourism in Egypt has been the country's major source of cash.  Until two years ago when revolution hit the streets.

Magdi Sheko says the constant upheaval has scared away tourists.  The economy, he says, is a disaster.

“There is no business by the way.  We are dying here.  We are broke.  And no-one feel us here in Egypt,” he said.

It is not just souvenir sellers in Cairo who are suffering. At the  famous pyramids of Giza, normally there would be tour buses coming up and down the road, but now the people working here say tourism has dropped off and business is bad.

Saeed has been working here for 45 years. He says that now tourists are no longer coming to Giza Square, and he blames Morsi supporters for the problem this past year.

Tourist sector² workers say the unrest on Egypt's streets and Morsi's Islamist rule almost destroyed the industry.

Even upscale restaurant owners are suffering.  The “Armada,” a multiple deck cruise boat on the Nile, is practically empty.

There are 30 cooks on the payroll³ but almost no-one to cook for, says general manager Ziad el-Minabbawi.

“The tourism is one of our biggest income after the Suez Canal, so you can imagine what happens to your second biggest income when it drops 90 percent.  It is a catastrophe,” he said.

Mahmoud Atif Tartour learned the camel business from his father and grandfather. But without tourists looking for camel rides, he has had to sell four of his 12 camels.

“If there is no tourists, how will we work?  How will we feed our camels?  How will we feed ourselves?  So, we can not, so we actually can not handle one more year.  It is going to kill us like that,” he said.

Like many in the tourism business here, Tartour hopes with the Muslim Brotherhood⁴ out of power, things will begin settle in Egypt.  And they hope the tourists will return.

1 upheaval   

n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱

参考例句：

• It was faced with the greatest social upheaval since World War Ⅱ.它面临第二次世界大战以来最大的社会动乱。
• The country has been thrown into an upheaval.这个国家已经陷入动乱之中。

2 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

3 payroll   

n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额

参考例句：

• His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
• I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。

4 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。