VOA常速英语2013--在破产边缘的底特律艺术学院

 

Detroit Art Institute at Center of Bankruptcy¹ Debate 在破产边缘的底特律艺术学院

底特律—底特律艺术博物馆，又名DIA，拥有着价值连城的绘画、雕塑,以及来自世界各地的文物。

Inside its massive halls are more than 60,000 objects that make up one of the top collections of art in the United States.

Visitors to the Detroit Institute of Arts Museum can see up close the brush strokes of Vincent Van Gogh’s “Self Portrait” or William-Adolphe Bouguereau's “Nut Gatherers” which is so finely detailed² it looks more like a photograph than a painting.

It was the large wall murals of Detroit’s auto³ industry, painted by Diego Rivera, that attracted Virginia-based airline pilot Terrence O’Toole.

“And I thought it was interesting to come in here and see the murals depicting⁴ the cultural diversity of the plant,” O'Toole explained.

If you look closely as you walk the halls of the DIA, there are placards that describe each artifact on display.

Underneath⁵ the title of many of the pieces are four important words - “City of Detroit Purchase.”

What sets the DIA apart from most major museums is that the city owns the DIA building and its collections.  

Even before Detroit’s emergency manager Kevyn Orr filed for bankruptcy protection, he inquired about the Institute’s inventory⁶, setting the art world - and Detroit’s citizens - into a frenzy⁷.

“It’s a slam against all the citizens of this city and a slam against the citizens of the whole area here," said bookseller John King, a lifelong Detroit resident who stayed in the city as its population dramatically declined.  He said the DIA is important to what is left of Detroit's spirit, and hopes creditors⁸ don’t force the sale of its assets to pay the city’s debt.

“It’s sad they’re even talking about going after that asset," King said. "I, mean they have other assets they could go after, and they shouldn’t really be touching⁹ the Detroit Institute of Arts.”

Finance professor Amiyatosh Purnanandan of the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan says the total value of the DIA’s collection is far less than what Detroit owes its creditors.

“You’re looking at $18 billion of debt," Purnanandan said. "The Art museum will fetch you about $1 to $2 billion.  Even if you sell that, it’s not going to solve your problems.”

“To have to sell it piecemeal¹⁰ would be sad," commented visitor O’Toole, adding that selling the collection could also undermine the very thing Detroit needs at the moment.

“It brings visitors, it brings cash flow to this community, which this city is in desperate need of some cash flow,” he noted¹¹. 

The non-profit group ArtServe Michigan says the state earned $2 billion in tourism money in 2011, based mostly on cultural institutions, like the Detroit Institute of Arts.  Not only would selling the DIA’s collection hurt tourism income, experts say such a sale would mean a large amount of rare and important artwork would flood the market, potentially undermining the city’s ability to get the best price possible for its holdings.  

1 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

2 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

3 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

4 depicting   

描绘，描画( depict的现在分词 )； 描述

参考例句：

• a painting depicting the Virgin and Child 一幅描绘童贞马利亚和圣子耶稣的画
• The movie depicting the battles and bloodshed is bound to strike home. 这部描写战斗和流血牺牲的影片一定会取得预期效果。

5 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

6 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

7 frenzy   

n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动

参考例句：

• He was able to work the young students up into a frenzy.他能激起青年学生的狂热。
• They were singing in a frenzy of joy.他们欣喜若狂地高声歌唱。

8 creditors   

n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They agreed to repay their creditors over a period of three years. 他们同意3年内向债主还清欠款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

10 piecemeal   

adj.零碎的；n.片，块；adv.逐渐地；v.弄成碎块

参考例句：

• A lack of narrative drive leaves the reader with piecemeal vignettes.叙述缺乏吸引力，读者读到的只是一些支离破碎的片段。
• Let's settle the matter at one stroke,not piecemeal.把这事一气儿解决了吧，别零敲碎打了。

11 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。