VOA慢速英语--难民将古老技艺注入新商业

 

When Parvin and Yadollah Jamalreza came to the U.S. from Iran, they brought two suitcases and a 100-year-old pair of scissors.

In the suitcases were just “some clothes, nothing much," Parvin says, but the scissors has special value for them.

“This is very old and dear to us. We brought it from Iran. My husband bought it 40 years ago from that guy who worked with that for 60, 65 years. It is almost 100 years old, that scissors has, and it really still is working well.”

Parvin Jamalreza and her husband Yadollah own a tailoring shop called Yady’s Alteration¹ in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Eleven years ago, they were accepted into the United States as refugees³ along with their three children. They had lived in Turkey as refugees for a year.

“When we came to [the] United States and Charlottesville airport we don’t know what we do. But somebody called our name and we [were] very excited, oh, ok, somebody knows us.”

A woman named Barbara from the International Rescue Committee helped them. The IRC helps refugees resettle and find housing⁴ and work. Barbara took them to a house that had been prepared for them.

Parvin soon began working at a tailor shop. She says she knew what to do even though she could not speak English.

“Because this is my thing. I know that, you know. I worked in my country actually like, before I came here about 25 years, I worked making clothes. That’s what makes me more happy to find exactly what I have a skill with that.”

She did not work at the shop for very long. Two years later, she and her husband opened their own shop. They now do work that very few Americans do anymore. Parvin says she works⁵ on cloth and her husband works on leather.

When they opened their shop, they advertised a lot. But they stopped advertising⁶ long ago. Their customers told others about their work and many people began paying them to work on their clothes. Getty Goedken is one of their customers.

“This is actually my first time. One of my friends who has lived here forever, they came heavily recommended. So I figured I’d go on his word, and he's always had great work done here. And s o, especially with what I picked up today I am very, very happy.”

Parvin says all of their hard work has helped them make a profitable⁷ business.

“I am feel successful about where I am now because I am really working hard. Where our business now is really good. I make people happy and people make me happy.”

The Jamalrezas bought their own house four years ago, and all their children have completed college and are working. The family loves living in Charlottesville.

“People here [are] very friendly, very kind, and very generous. I never feel I am a refugee². No, never. I am proud to be a member of this community.”

Another thing she likes about Charlottesville is that it is an “old town. It has history here.” It was an important place in the early days of the U.S. The third president, Thomas Jefferson, had his home nearby. So did the fourth and fifth presidents, James Madison and James Monroe.

Words in This Story

suitcase - n. a large case that you use to carry your clothing and belongings⁸ when you are traveling

scissors - n. a tool used for cutting paper, cloth, etc., that has two blades⁹ joined together in the middle so that the sharp edges slide against each other

dear - adj. highly¹⁰ valued

alteration - n. the act, process, or result of changing or altering¹¹ something

my thing - idiom. something you like to do or do well

1 alteration   

n.变更，改变；蚀变

参考例句：

• The shirt needs alteration.这件衬衣需要改一改。
• He easily perceived there was an alteration in my countenance.他立刻看出我的脸色和往常有些不同。

2 refugee   

n.难民，流亡者

参考例句：

• The refugee was condemned to a life of wandering.这个难民注定要过流浪的生活。
• The refugee is suffering for want of food and medical supplies.难民苦于缺少食物和医药用品。

3 refugees   

n.避难者，难民( refugee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The UN has begun making airdrops of food to refugees. 联合国已开始向难民空投食物。
• They claimed they were political refugees and not economic migrants. 他们宣称自己是政治难民，不是经济移民。

4 housing   

n.房屋，住宅；住房建筑；外壳，外罩

参考例句：

• Do you think our housing sales will turn around during this year?你认为今年我们的住宅销路会好转吗？
• The housing sales have been turning down since the summer.入夏以来，房屋的销售量日趋减少。

5 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

6 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

7 profitable   

adj.有益的，能带来利益的，有利可图的

参考例句：

• That business became profitable last year.那项生意去年变得很赚钱。
• The convention business is very profitable for the hotel industry.承办会议业务能给旅馆业带来很高的利润。

8 belongings   

n.私人物品，私人财物

参考例句：

• I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
• Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。

9 blades   

n.刀口( blade的名词复数 )；（机器上旋转的）叶片；桨叶；（船桨的）桨叶

参考例句：

• the blades of a propeller 螺旋桨叶
• Stay well away from the helicopter when its blades start to rotate. 直升机的螺旋桨开始转动时，尽量离远点儿。

10 highly   

adv.高度地，极，非常；非常赞许地

参考例句：

• It is highly important to provide for the future.预先做好准备非常重要。
• The teacher speaks very highly of the boy's behaviour.老师称赞这个男孩的表现。

11 altering   

v.改变，更改( alter的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The eighteenth century sought to refine upon Shakespeare by altering and adapting his plays. 18世纪，人们试图通过改编莎士比亚的作品来超过他。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Without altering the selection, you then set the background color to black. 在没有改变选择的情况下，又将背景颜色设置成黑色。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓