2007年VOA标准英语-Los Angeles Highlights Role as Creative Center

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
12 March 2007

Los Angeles gets little respect as an artistic¹ or cultural center from its rivals on the East Coast, such as New York or Boston, but the sprawling² West Coast city is highlighting its role as a creative hub. VOA's Mike O'Sullivan has details.

 
Evening view of downtown Los Angeles
Even its critics acknowledge that Los Angeles has wonderful weather and impressive scenery. And it is home to the entertainment industry, with all its glitz and glamour³.

Yet Los Angeles receives only grudging⁴ recognition as a creative center.

Jon Goodman, who heads the civic⁵ group Town Hall Los Angeles, says art and technology are converging⁶ in L.A., where movies are made with computer software, and medical schools use entertainment technology to train students to interact with patients.

"Twenty first century art, design and entertainment requires technology," said Jon Goodman. "The real convergence is not TV going to the computer, or movies going to computer. The real convergence is technology, art and design all coming together."

 
Disney Concert Hall  
Los Angeles architect Frank Gehry uses computer-generated designs to create architectural landmarks⁷ like the Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles.

Gehry and Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa came to another cultural center, the Getty Museum, to launch the campaign promoting Los Angeles as a creative center. The promotion⁸ features a full month of activities, ranging from art shows and museum exhibits to dramatic performances. The mayor says the city is due for some recognition.

 
 
"This is an opportunity for us to celebrate what LA is all about," said Mayor Villaraigosa. "It is a place of many, many cultures. It is the place where the world comes together, where immigrants come like Frank Gehry from Canada, with a dream, and live that dream in a way that makes us all feel so special."

Gehry came to Los Angeles at age 17. Now 78, he has spent his career in the city, a place he says is not bound by traditions and orthodoxies.

"It is an open system here, maybe because it is so dispersed," said Frank Gehry. "And it has been under the radar⁹. It is nice to focus on it."

Don Levy¹⁰, a senior vice¹¹ president for Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment, says Los Angeles is a center for all kinds of innovation.

"Creativity is not limited to the arts," said Levy. "Creativity is really about imagination, and imagination is really the underpinning¹² of virtually all innovation. That includes science, medicine and business. And Los Angeles is a city filled with imaginative people looking at new ways to present ideas, fashion, design, technology, as well as entertainment."

Los Angeles officials say creative endeavors are also good for business, providing hundreds of thousands of jobs and injecting $13 billion a year into the local economy.

1 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。

2 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

3 glamour   

n.魔力，魅力；vt.迷住

参考例句：

• Foreign travel has lost its glamour for her.到国外旅行对她已失去吸引力了。
• The moonlight cast a glamour over the scene.月光给景色增添了魅力。

4 grudging   

adj.勉强的，吝啬的

参考例句：

• He felt a grudging respect for her talents as an organizer.他勉强地对她的组织才能表示尊重。
• After a pause he added"sir."in a dilatory,grudging way.停了一会他才慢吞吞地、勉勉强强地加了一声“先生”。

5 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

6 converging   

adj.收敛[缩]的，会聚的，趋同的v.（线条、运动的物体等）会于一点( converge的现在分词 )；（趋于）相似或相同；人或车辆汇集；聚集

参考例句：

• Plants had gradually evolved along diverging and converging pathways. 植物是沿着趋异和趋同两种途径逐渐演化的。 来自辞典例句
• This very slowly converging series was known to Leibniz in 1674. 这个收敛很慢的级数是莱布尼茨在1674年得到的。 来自辞典例句

7 landmarks   

n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址）

参考例句：

• The book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of modern science. 这部著作是现代科学发展史上著名的里程碑之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship. 孩子的出世是我们俩关系中的一个重要转折点。 来自辞典例句

8 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

9 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

10 levy   

n.征收税或其他款项，征收额

参考例句：

• They levy a tax on him.他们向他征税。
• A direct food levy was imposed by the local government.地方政府征收了食品税。

11 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

12 underpinning   

n.基础材料；基础结构；（学说、理论等的）基础；（人的）腿v.用砖石结构等从下面支撑（墙等）( underpin的现在分词 )；加固（墙等）的基础；为（论据、主张等）打下基础；加强

参考例句：

• Underpinning this success has been an exemplary record of innovation. 具有典范性的创新确保了这次成功。 来自辞典例句
• But underpinning Mr Armstrong's technology changes is a human touch. 但阿姆斯特朗技术变革的支柱是人情味。 来自互联网