VOA慢速英语2013 洛杉矶警察改善与社会关系

 

Police Improve Community Relations in Los Angeles 洛杉矶警察改善与社会关系

From VOA Learning English, welcome to This Is America in Special English. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

And I’m Jim Tedder¹.

Today we take you to Los Angeles, California.

We talk about improvements in race relations between the police and community groups since the riots more than 10 years ago.

Then we look at the popularity of environmentally friendly cars in the region.

And finally we hear an attempt to define Los Angeles in a song.  

Los Angeles Riots 

In 1992, Los Angeles suffered riots after a jury found four white police officers not guilty in the beating of a black man, Rodney King. The beating took place after a  high-speed car chase. The incident was videotaped by someone nearby and shown on television. It increased racial tensions in areas of the city.

The riots were the worst in modern American history. Over 50 people died and many others were injured. National Guard troops had to help stop the violence. Police  Captain Phillip Tingirides says community relations were hard for a long time after the LA riots.

“The everyday community folks were angry. There was some hatred² towards us, for how LAPD had treated the community over a number of years prior.”

The LAPD — the Los Angeles Police Department — has been working to improve community relations. For instance, Captain Tingirides says the police have programs like  reading to children in school and coaching sports teams. Police officers hold holiday parties in housing projects and give away small gifts.

Captain Tingirides says one goal of community policing is to build relations before problems develop.  

“So that when you have a problem, you know who you can go and talk to. You have already some sort of connection with that person. And that's what's making the big  difference.”

Jerome Bynum has been to jail several times over the years. He says police behavior toward the criminal suspects they arrest is different from the past.

“They used to beat you up, then take you to jail, but I think they're getting better as far as how they treat the people in the street.”

A longtime critic of the LAPD agrees that relations with the police have improved since the riots. Najee Ali of Project Islamic Hope believes the situation will keep  getting better.  

“I think we now see a genuine partnership³ that's authentic⁴, and more importantly, crime has dropped because we now see community policing in our neighborhoods  throughout South LA and the city.  So I'm very optimistic that things will continue in the future to improve.”

Murder and most other serious crimes have decreased in Los Angeles over the last ten years. Crime has also fallen in other cities in the United States. In 2012, Police  Chief Charlie Beck called Los Angeles “the safest big city in America.”

Los Angeles Drives    

Los Angeles is the second biggest city in America, after New York. Almost four million people live there. That means a lot of traffic on the roads.

The city’s relationship with cars makes it a good place to market new vehicles, including electric cars. The Tesla company makes electric cars. A company spokesman,  Jeremy Snyder, says Tesla sells most of its vehicles to people in California.

"The state attracts people that are dreamers and big thinkers and ideators, and people that don't want to go with the societal norms, but they really want to create  the new societal norms."

Ed Zaelke is a good example. He just ordered a Tesla Model S.

“I believe that global warming is real, and I think that electric cars are one of the many things we have to do to look for a solution to that. And so I think I need  to be a part of the solution.”

Last year, Toyota introduced its electric RAV4 EV only in California. And, at the Los Angeles Auto⁵ Show, BMW, Chevrolet and Fiat⁶ all presented new electric vehicles.  

Electric cars may be popular in part because of the way California lawmakers support buying vehicles that are less harmful to   the environment. Brendan Flynn is a  spokesman for the L.A. Auto Show.

"They've given better incentives⁸, so the rebate⁹ you get in California when you buy an electric vehicle is better."

Shaun Halladay received $10,000 in state and federal rebates¹⁰ for his car, an all-electric Nissan Leaf.  

"Maybe if I was in a different state [and] that incentive⁷ wasn't there, I probably wouldn't have been able to do it."

Mr. Halladay says he also loves not having to pay for gasoline. But he wishes there were more stations where he could recharge his electric car.

“Even today I’m having a hard time finding a charger. So, I must find one in order to get home.”

Finding a charger in Southern California should not seem that hard. Jordan Ramer works for a company that he says has installed more than 1,000 charging stations for  electric cars around the country.

“Half to two-thirds of what we’ve deployed¹¹ is in the state of California, and probably a good portion of that is in Southern California.”

Even with the savings¹² on fuel, electric cars can be quite expensive. The Tesla Model S costs between $60,000 and $80,000.

Los Angeles Sings

Many big cities are celebrated¹³ in songs. Here is Liza Minnelli singing about New York.

"Start spreading the news

I’m leaving today

I want to be a part of it

New York, New York.

These vagabond shoes

Are longing¹⁴ to stray

And step around the heart of it

New York, New York.

I want to wake up in the city that doesn’t sleep,

To find I’m king of the hill,

Top of the heap…”

Or, you might have heard Frank Sinatra sing about Chicago:

“Chicago, Chicago,

That toddlin’ town,

Chicago, Chicago,

I will show you around.

I love it.

Bet your bottom dollar

You’ll lose the blues¹⁵

In Chicago, Chicago…”

Scott McKenzie sings about San Francisco, in northern California.  

“If you're going to San Francisco

Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair

If you're going to San Francisco

You're gonna meet some gentle people there.”

Here is another famous song about San Francisco, sung by Tony Bennett:

“I'm going home to my city by the Bay

I left my heart in San Francisco…”

Yet, for such a big city, Los Angeles does not have a song that really defines it.

In 1983, Randy Newman released “I Love L.A.” But some people think his song criticizes Los Angeles – or at least makes fun of it. The song includes these lines:

“Look at that mountain

Look at those trees

Look at that bum¹⁶ over there, man

He's down on his knees.”

So in 2012, a musician who was born in Los Angeles wrote a love song to his city.

Justin Chart called it “Los Angeles the Song.” He thinks Los Angeles is the most beautiful city in the world. He wanted people to know what was good about his  hometown.

He asked his musician friends to record the song with him. Then he posted a request online for a videographer to record the city in action.

Justin Chart placed four versions of the song and video on YouTube.  One version is for dancing. Another version is in Spanish for the big Latino population in Los  Angeles.

The songs have had several million views on YouTube.

“Downtown to Malibu

The Hollywood Hills

It’s all here for you.

From all around the world

We each bring our trust

To Los Angeles.

Los Angeles.

Los Angeles…”

Justin Chart says comments on YouTube show that people see what is positive and good in Los Angeles.

Still, maybe the city is just too big for one song. Steve Lopez writes a newspaper column for the Los Angeles Times. He recently urged people to try to write a better  song for the city.

Our program was written by Kim Varzi and Onka Dekker. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

And I'm Jim Tedder. For more stories for people learning English, go to our website, learningenglish.voanews.com, where you can read and listen to our programs.

1 tedder   

n.（干草）翻晒者，翻晒机

参考例句：

• Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆？特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
• Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆？泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网

2 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

3 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

4 authentic   

a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的

参考例句：

• This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
• Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。

5 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。

6 fiat   

n.命令，法令，批准；vt.批准，颁布

参考例句：

• The opening of a market stall is governed by municipal fiat.开设市场摊位受市政法令管制。
• He has tried to impose solutions to the country's problems by fiat.他试图下令强行解决该国的问题。

7 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

8 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

9 rebate   

v./n.折扣，回扣，退款；vt.给...回扣，给...打折扣

参考例句：

• You can claim a rebate on your tax.你可以要求退回部分税款。
• Customers are to benefit from a rebate on their electricity bills.顾客将从他们的电费退费中得到实惠。

10 rebates   

n.退还款( rebate的名词复数 )；回扣；返还（退还的部份货价）；折扣

参考例句：

• The VAT system offers advantages, such as rebates on exports. 增值税有其优点，如对出口商品实行回扣。 来自辞典例句
• In more recent years rate rebates have been introduced for households. 近年地方税的减免已适用于家庭。 来自辞典例句

11 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

12 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

13 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

14 longing   

n.（for）渴望

参考例句：

• Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
• His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。

15 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

16 bum   

n.臀部；流浪汉，乞丐；vt.乞求，乞讨

参考例句：

• A man pinched her bum on the train so she hit him.在火车上有人捏她屁股，她打了那人。
• The penniless man had to bum a ride home.那个身无分文的人只好乞求搭车回家。