VOA慢速英语--政府关门期间华盛顿的生活

Living in DC During the Government Shutdown

No city experiences a government shutdown like Washington, DC.

In addition to the economic effect, a suspension of government operations affects Washington on a cultural and recreational level. It influences almost everyone, from trash collectors to young parents and even those hoping to get married.

The United States Congress and President Donald Trump¹ have not been able to reach agreement on a spending plan. On December 22, about one-fourth of federal agencies had no money left and were forced to close.

Trump wants to Congress to approve $5 billion to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. He says this would help strengthen national security. Democratic Party leaders oppose his spending request and the idea of a border wall.

The local District of Columbia (DC) government has continued operations without a federal budget in place as Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser had promised.

The economic situation is not good. Some studies estimate that the federal government directly employs more than 364,000 people in and around Washington, DC. This includes northern Virginia and southern Maryland. The district alone contains more than 102,000 jobs in government agencies that have no money to finance operations.

Deputy City Administrator² Kevin Donahue compared the shutdown to the main factory closing in a small industrial town. He noted³ that the closure has affected⁴ service industries like restaurants, food trucks and taxis.

“What keeps us up at night is not the work we know we have to do in weeks one and two,” Donahue said. It is the unpredictable effects of weeks four and five and onward⁵, he said, with the possibility for mass restaurant closures or federal workers missing payments on housing or car loans.

Public health concerns

Most immediately, the shutdown created a public health problem. The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) oversees⁶ many parts of DC, from the world famous National Mall to green spaces like Dupont Circle and even neighborhood parks.

Washington waste collection crews now empty waste containers at the city’s more than 120 separate NPS sites -- three times a day in the case of the containers at the National Mall. That service costs at least $54,000 a week.

Donahue said there is an unofficial agreement dating back to earlier shutdowns that the local government will be repaid when the federal government reopens.

The park service recently announced it would use other money to restart its own trash collection at some of the Washington sites.

For years, Washington has had a tortured relationship with the federal government, which can change or block any local law. Now, city officials seemingly have the chance to note the irony⁷ of the shutdown. They often claim they are treated by Congress as if they are unable to govern the city; now they are taking over and covering for the central government.

“When the federal government shuts down, we step up,” Bowser said during a January 4 press conference.

Effect on parents and children

The shutdown also affects the 700,000 people who call Washington, DC home. The Smithsonian Institution’s many museums, including the National Zoo, closed their doors about a week into the shutdown. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has severely⁸ cut back its hours of operation.

On a recent rainy weekend, parents and children gathered outside the Bloombars cultural center in Washington’s Columbia Heights neighborhood. They formed a line, stretching halfway⁹ up the street, for the usual Saturday morning children’s drumming class. The crowd was three times larger than the normal size.

The reason: parents searching for something to occupy their children in a city where more than 10 free museums and the zoo have been closed.

“It happens every time,” laughed BloomBars founder¹⁰ John Chambers¹¹, who recalls a similar increase during the 2013 shutdown, which lasted 16 days.

The district is filled with shutdown specials -- offering federal employees everything from food and drinks to live theater and medical marijuana at low or no cost to them.

Another effect of the shutdown is the closure of the DC office that registers marriages.

Bowser told The Associated Press that even she was surprised to learn that people could not get marriage licenses¹² because Congress pays for the local court system.

Bowser quickly reached out to allies on the Council of the District of Columbia to pass emergency legislation called the Let Our Vows¹³ Endure (LOVE) act. The measure gives her administration the right to approve marriage licenses.

At a recent event to sign the act into law, Bowser said, “Just so my team knows, we’re probably going to want to keep that power.”

Nobody laughed and she did not seem to be joking.

I’m George Grow. And I'm Anna Mateo.

Words in This Story

shutdown – n. a closure of a factory or system

irony – n. a situation that is strange or funny because things happen in a way that seems to be the opposite of what you expected

museum – n. a building where objects of artistic¹⁴, historical or scientific interest are kept

zoo – n. an establishment with a collection of wild animals

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

3 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。

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 onward   

adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先

参考例句：

• The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。
• He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。

6 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

7 irony   

n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄

参考例句：

• She said to him with slight irony.她略带嘲讽地对他说。
• In her voice we could sense a certain tinge of irony.从她的声音里我们可以感到某种讥讽的意味。

8 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

9 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

10 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

11 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

12 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

13 vows   

誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿

参考例句：

• Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
• The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。

14 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。