2018年CRI Metropolitan Museum starts charging non-New Yorkers

 

The Metropolitan¹ Museum - a fixture² for any tourist to New York and the largest museum in the world - hosts a whopping 7 million visitors each year.

It costs 300 million dollars annually³ to operate the Met, but this art and cultural institution was until recently the only museum of its kind that received no federal funding for the arts, and required no entry fee.

The MET is famous for its treasure trove⁴ of art spanning 5 thousand years of world culture - from Claude Monet's Water Lily Impressionist paintings to the relics⁵ from Ancient Egypt and King Tut's tomb.

But in a controversial move this year, the MET decided⁶ to charge non-New York state residents a $25 dollars fee for a 3-day pass to its 3 buildings. New Yorkers will be able to pay a donation for entry as they wish.

Kenneth Weine, the museum's Chief Communications Officer says while the uptick in visitors has almost doubled in the past two decades, donations from visitors have fallen by 70%.

"For a museum to be successful it needs support from government, from visitors and from philanthropy. We are truly a global museum, we're the world's largest museum, 7 million visitors a year. We receive no money from the federal government，" Weine says.

Donations from visitors only accounted for about 12% of its overall budget, the remaining bulk coming from big-time donors⁷. The museum is hoping the change will help them have a more predictable source of revenue.

"We actually think this is a really important opportunity to have a conversation with the public about how great culture is funded，" Weine adds.

While it may be too soon to know whether the $25 admission will mean fewer visitors some tourists say they'd rather spend their money elsewhere.

"Arts is full [in] Italy - so it's not so important to us to visit this," says one tourist.

But other visitors say the treasures at the MET are worth the price of admission - like this woman from the nearby state of Connecticut.

"I don't think it will deter⁸ visitors - I think New York is expensive enough that if they know they're coming here - they're just gonna have to just suck it up and pay to come to the museum. It would be a tragedy if they missed."

And the MET says it's certain that the change will help the enormous organization provide its art, history, and archaeological offerings for years to come.

1 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

2 fixture   

n.固定设备；预定日期；比赛时间；定期存款

参考例句：

• Lighting fixture must be installed at once.必须立即安装照明设备。
• The cordless kettle may now be a fixture in most kitchens.无绳电热水壶现在可能是多数厨房的固定设备。

3 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

4 trove   

n.被发现的东西，收藏的东西

参考例句：

• He assembled a rich trove of Chinese porcelain.他收集了一批中国瓷器。
• The gallery is a treasure trove of medieval art.这个画廊是中世纪艺术的宝库。

5 relics   

[pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸

参考例句：

• The area is a treasure house of archaeological relics. 这个地区是古文物遗迹的宝库。
• Xi'an is an ancient city full of treasures and saintly relics. 西安是一个有很多宝藏和神圣的遗物的古老城市。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。