2006年VOA标准英语-One Man's Dream Helps Rebuild New Orleans' Hard

By Margaret Kennedy
New Orleans
07 July 2006
 
watch New Orleans report

New Orleans has been rebuilding since Hurricane Katrina struck the city last August.  Broken levees are repaired and between a third and half of the population has returned. Still, low income black neighborhoods have remained  damaged and empty.  But, as VOA's Margaret Kennedy reports, that situation is beginning to improve.

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Ronald Lewis
  
"This Is my life and my world, right here. And this is my future of education in the community, the future House of Dance and Feathers." Ronald Lewis proudly proclaimed.

Ronald Lewis left his house on Tupelo Street just before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans last year. Floodwater almost five meters deep devastated¹ his neighborhood in the mostly black Lower Ninth Ward². Now he's one of the first to rebuild.

Volunteer students from Kansas State University are repairing his house and replacing the small private museum he had that was called the House of Dance and Feathers.  It housed a collection of artifacts and costumes associated with the African-American way of celebrating Mardi Gras. Most of it was lost. The retired³ transit⁴ worker and community leader is intent on re-creating his museum.

Boxed artifacts from the House of Dance and Feathers  
  
"You know, it's not just about the artifacts. It's about the education of the culture of New Orleans."

Lewis' passion for preserving New Orleans' culture came to the attention of Patrick Rhodes, Assistant Professor of Architecture at Kansas State University.  He and his students designed the new House of Dance and Feathers.

Professor Rhodes runs a non-profit group that creates community buildings with money from private donors⁵. Thousands of volunteers like him and his students have been helping⁶ cleanup and rebuild New Orleans in cooperation with private community action groups. "The idea was that this would hopefully serve as a catalyst⁷ for this neighborhood. And that we can -- I don't know if inspire is the right word -- but if we can show people that things are happening down here."
 
  
  
Mardi Gras is the defining annual event in New Orleans, part of the Christian⁸ custom of Carnival⁹ before the season of Penance¹⁰. Elaborate costumes have long been a feature of the general celebration. African-Americans make fantastic feathered costumes called Mardi Gras Indians for parades in their own neighborhoods. 

 
Patrick Rhodes
  
Professor Rhodes says the future museum will be more than a museum. "So the idea of this museum here in the backyard of Ronald's house is that it also served as a kind of ad hoc community center. You understand his kind of dedication¹¹ to passing on the traditions to the youth of the neighborhood. It touched a chord in all of us and we felt like we needed to do it."

Lewis and his wife are staying in an apartment about an hour away, but he says that his heart is on Tupelo Street. His friend Henry Faggen --also driven away by the storm and living in Texas -- came to visit today and wonders when he, too, can return.

"We love our community," he says. "As you see, there are trailers coming up on Tupelo Street. That's several neighbors coming back. (There are) trailers down in this block. Most of the houses on this street have been gutted¹² out. And those that have not, we're working to assist them."

More affluent¹³ areas of New Orleans had less damage or have been able to get insurance money for repairs. Lower income families often had little or no insurance and many lived in rental¹⁴ housing. At least half the city's population has not returned, many because they have no place to live.

There are complaints about slow government aid, no electricity in some areas, and doubts about rebuilding in low lying sections. Yet private and community action groups are pushing hard for resettlement and helping people like Lewis. 

Professor Rhodes and students are rebuilding the House of Dance and Feathers  
  
But Professor Rhodes says there is progress. "We've seen a lot of activity on this block, just since we've been working here. They are on a deadline. If people don't move back and get things started, they are going to find that they don't get the public assistance they need and it's going to become infinitely¹⁵ harder for them to do what they have to do to get back home."

Lewis says he is optimistically waiting for the final project. "I'm working my way back home.  The life I live here in New Orleans to me is second to none. New Orleans is me... the life, the culture, everything. I'm here to show people of my community that through this tragedy we can have a new beginning, a new life. And that's what I'm working towards."

Celebration in New Orleans is not just for Mardi Gras. Parading goes on now in the recovered French Quarter despite the destruction in other parts of the city. Lewis looks to the day there can be parading again on his streets in the Lower Ninth Ward.
 
 

1 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

2 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

3 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

4 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

5 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》

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 catalyst   

n.催化剂，造成变化的人或事

参考例句：

• A catalyst is a substance which speeds up a chemical reaction.催化剂是一种能加速化学反应的物质。
• The workers'demand for better conditions was a catalyst for social change.工人们要求改善工作条件促进了社会变革。

8 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

9 carnival   

n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演

参考例句：

• I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
• Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。

10 penance   

n.（赎罪的）惩罪

参考例句：

• They had confessed their sins and done their penance.他们已经告罪并做了补赎。
• She knelt at her mother's feet in penance.她忏悔地跪在母亲脚下。

11 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。

12 gutted   

adj.容易消化的v.毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的过去式和过去分词 )；取出…的内脏

参考例句：

• Disappointed? I was gutted! 失望？我是伤心透了！
• The invaders gutted the historic building. 侵略者们将那幢历史上有名的建筑洗劫一空。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 affluent   

adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的

参考例句：

• He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
• His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。

14 rental   

n.租赁，出租，出租业

参考例句：

• The yearly rental of her house is 2400 yuan.她这房子年租金是2400元。
• We can organise car rental from Chicago O'Hare Airport.我们可以安排提供从芝加哥奥黑尔机场出发的租车服务。

15 infinitely   

adv.无限地，无穷地

参考例句：

• There is an infinitely bright future ahead of us.我们有无限光明的前途。
• The universe is infinitely large.宇宙是无限大的。