VOA标准英语2014--支持者说纽约面临饥饿危机

 

Advocates Say New York City Facing Hunger Crisis 支持者说纽约面临饥饿危机

NEW YORK —

In the Harlem section of New York City, people come early and line up each day for food to feed their families at a pantry run by the Food Bank for New York City.

The food comes from several kilometers away at a massive distribution warehouse¹ in the Bronx where supplies come in from the government, food companies, and donors². Row after row of canned goods, household products and fresh fruits and vegetables are neatly³ stacked.

According to the New York City Coalition⁴ Against Hunger, nearly one in five New York City residents is "food insecure."

The Food Bank, a non-profit social services organization, delivered 35 million kilograms of food to pantries and kitchens in New York’s five boroughs⁵ this past year. In the past five years the number of people on food assistance in New York alone has risen by over 200,000, according to city figures. 

And Food Bank CEO Margaret Purvis says the need is getting greater with each passing day.

“We talk about the haves and the have nots — we talk about the gap between the rich and the poor," she said. "What we’re seeing more and more in the world of poverty is that it’s not a gap. It’s more like a canyon⁶, and the distance between those who have and those who do not is really quite devastating⁷."

At the pantry, volunteers play an important part in preparing foodstuffs⁸.

“I never really volunteered anywhere before,” said one woman who chose to withhold⁹ her name. “I’ve done little things in high school, so it’s been a while, but it just makes you appreciate what you have, but also how much more people out there need help.”

One recent day, a financial services company was preparing bags of macaroni for distribution. Needy¹⁰ folk are not just given food. They are also taught simple, cheap, and nutritious¹¹ recipes.

“This is roasted sweet potato mash,” Sunny Anderson, a Food Network host told them. “It’s really, really easy. It’s just sweet potatoes, onion, salt, pepper and butter. It’s delicious.”

Pantry customers do not pay for food but are granted allotments based on the size of their families.

Camesha Grant, the Food Bank's director of member services, said a cutback in food stamps in 2013 resulted in a significant increase in hungry New Yorkers.

“One in five are children, and one in six are seniors," she said. "And just to really make the point, we’re talking about working people. We see people who have jobs, who are working every day but really struggling to make ends meet. So it’s really been a challenge.”

It’s a quiet crisis. And it's getting worse. According to a report issued by the USDA, the number of people on food assistance in New York City alone has risen by over 200,000 in the last five years.

1 warehouse   

n.仓库；vt.存入仓库

参考例句：

• We freighted the goods to the warehouse by truck.我们用卡车把货物运到仓库。
• The manager wants to clear off the old stocks in the warehouse.经理想把仓库里积压的存货处理掉。

2 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》

3 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

4 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

5 boroughs   

（尤指大伦敦的）行政区( borough的名词复数 )； 议会中有代表的市镇

参考例句：

• London is made up of 32 boroughs. 伦敦由三十二个行政区组成。
• Brooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City. 布鲁克林区是纽约市的五个行政区之一。

6 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。

7 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

8 foodstuffs   

食物，食品( foodstuff的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Imports of foodstuffs accounted for a small proportion of total imports. 食物进口仅占总进口额的一小部份。
• Many basic foodstuffs, such as bread and milk, are tax-free. 许多基本食物如牛奶和面包是免税的。

9 withhold   

v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡

参考例句：

• It was unscrupulous of their lawyer to withhold evidence.他们的律师隐瞒证据是不道德的。
• I couldn't withhold giving some loose to my indignation.我忍不住要发泄一点我的愤怒。

10 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

11 nutritious   

adj.有营养的，营养价值高的

参考例句：

• Fresh vegetables are very nutritious.新鲜蔬菜富于营养。
• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。