PBS高端访谈:里约奥运会开幕对巴西国内的影响

 　　HARI SREENIVASAN, PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND ANCHOR: Joining me now via Skype from Rio is Dom Phillips of "The Washington Post." Dom, we're not going to ask you sport scores. I know the "Washington Post" has a big team covering that, but let's talk a little bit about what else is happening outside. From the looks of it, the opening ceremonies went off without any major calamities¹ and that's a good start.

　　DOM PHILLIPS, THE WASHINGTON POST: It is and I wonder if the opening ceremony might mark a change in the mood in Rio. The mood before the games as you'll know has been quite negative for a lot of reasons — the financial problems of the state of government, the impeachment² process, concerns about Zika and concerns that promises on cleaning up polluted waters haven't been met. The response to the opening ceremony was hugely positive by many, many Brazilians. It may have even restored a little bit of their bruised³ national pride.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN: Let's talk a little bit about some of those problems. Several of the athletes competing, especially in the water-related events are concerned for their own safety. They are concerned for their own health as they have to swim or sail on these waters. What's the likelihood that there are going to be any measures taken between now and the end of the games that could improve that situation?

　　DOM PHILLIPS: There's very little they can do to improve the situation. For instance, when we're talking about the sailing, the sailing events, which happen four of the seven races in the Guanabara Bay, the best they can do is clear up the floating rubbish that they have in bay. The problem with floating garbage that floats in the bay, and they have a squad⁴ of eco-boats doing that. In terms of the quality of the water, the big problem there is the amount of raw sewage that flows into it and that raw sewage is coming from a whole bunch of towns in the metropolitan⁶ area of Rio and outside that don't have sanitation⁷. They're not going to be able to put sewage networks into the next few days. So, really, they're cleaning 50 percent of that raw sewage. They were supposed to get to 80 percent. They're not going to do it.

　　里约奥运会开幕对巴西国内的影响

　　HARI SREENIVASAN: Tell us a little bit about the security infrastructure⁸. I've seen photos and video. It seems there are armed guards posted in lots of different places throughout the city, especially, I'm assuming there's some heightened alertness, just for the possibilities of a terror attack, possibilities of anything going on.

　　DOM PHILLIPS: That's correct. What you see is a very, very obvious, large military presence throughout Rio on streets, on main highways, metro⁵ stations. You'll see armed soldiers standing⁹ around outside the athletes' village, along the beach. You'll see soldiers everywhere, one reason being there's been rising violent crime in Rio in the last few months, and another being that a government policy pacify¹⁰ favellas — these are low-income communities — which for years has been dominated by drug gangs, has been sort of crumbling¹¹. So, at the entrance of some of these favelas, you will see soldiers stationed.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN: The economy was supposed to get a big shot in the arm with all the new money, the new investment, the new tourists coming in. What's actually — what you have seen on the ground?

　　DOM PHILLIPS: The economy is struggling, has been struggling for a long time, and a lot of people have lost their jobs. And whether there has been a big sort of input¹² from the Olympic Games, there's probably been some in Rio, and what we are hearing recently from economists¹³ is the economy is beginning to show some signs of a recovery. But that's going to be — there's a counter-balance to that which is going to be as soon as the games are over, a lot of people are going to be made unemployed¹⁴.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN: All right. Dom Phillips of "The Washington Post" joining us via Skype from Rio — thanks so much.

　　DOM PHILLIPS: OK.

 

1 calamities   

n.灾祸，灾难( calamity的名词复数 )；不幸之事

参考例句：

• They will only triumph by persevering in their struggle against natural calamities. 他们只有坚持与自然灾害搏斗，才能取得胜利。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• One moment's false security can bring a century of calamities. 图一时之苟安，贻百年之大患。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 impeachment   

n.弹劾；控告；怀疑

参考例句：

• Impeachment is considered a drastic measure in the United States.在美国，弹劾被视为一种非常激烈的措施。
• The verdict resulting from his impeachment destroyed his political career.他遭弹劾后得到的判决毁了他的政治生涯。

3 bruised   

[医]青肿的，瘀紫的

参考例句：

• his bruised and bloodied nose 他沾满血的青肿的鼻子
• She had slipped and badly bruised her face. 她滑了一跤，摔得鼻青脸肿。

4 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

5 metro   

n.地铁；adj.大都市的；(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国，主要经营零售)

参考例句：

• Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗？
• The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。

6 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

7 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

8 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

9 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

10 pacify   

vt.使(某人)平静(或息怒)；抚慰

参考例句：

• He tried to pacify the protesters with promises of reform.他试图以改革的承诺安抚抗议者。
• He tried to pacify his creditors by repaying part of the money.他为安抚债权人偿还了部分借款。

11 crumbling   

adj.摇摇欲坠的

参考例句：

• an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof 一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子
• The boat was tied up alongside a crumbling limestone jetty. 这条船停泊在一个摇摇欲坠的石灰岩码头边。

12 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

13 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。