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VOA慢速英语2009年-THIS IS AMERICA - Pittsburgh Enjoys its Da

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VOICE ONE:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Barbara Klein. This week on our program, we look at how times have changed for the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A writer once called it hell. Now Pittsburgh is hot, but in a good way.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:
 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Sixty years ago, Pittsburgh was known mainly for one thing. It was the capital of the American steel industry, then the world's mightiest1. But then, one by one, the steel works closed as the industry shrank. Today two steel factories remain in Allegheny County; both are outside the city.

Pittsburgh has worked hard to rebuild itself -- and the world is taking notice.

VOICE TWO:

President Obama will host a Group of Twenty summit in Pittsburgh on September twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth. The G-20 brings together nineteen of the world's wealthiest countries and the European Union.

The leaders will discuss progress in efforts to deal with the world economic crisis. Earlier meetings took place in Washington and London.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs announced the Pittsburgh summit at the end of May. Reporters asked, why Pittsburgh?

ROBERT GIBBS: "I think it's an area that has seen its share of economic woes2 in the past, but because of foresight3 and investment is now renewed -- giving birth to renewed industries that are creating the jobs of the future. And I think the president believes it'd be a good place to highlight some of that stuff."

For example, the White House praised the city's use of environmentally friendly technology in its economic development. The summit will take place at a convention center recognized for leadership in energy and environmental design.

But that is not the only recognition Pittsburgh has received.

VOICE ONE:

Last October, BusinessWeek magazine named Pittsburgh one of best places to live during a recession.

And, last month, the Brookings Institution in Washington listed the city among the twenty economically strongest in America. Pittsburgh earned eighteenth place as researchers pointed4 to a relatively5 stable economy based on higher education and health care.

Researchers from the Pew Charitable Trusts recently looked at how thirteen American cities are trying to balance budgets in a time of recession. Pittsburgh was the only one not predicting a deficit6 for two thousand nine or ten. In fact, the city has a surplus.

VOICE TWO:

Yet not long ago, in two thousand three, Pittsburgh was in financial crisis. The city came close to declaring bankruptcy7. The report says Pittsburgh was forced to make many of the difficult decisions that other cities are facing now.

Over the last five years, the city has reduced its public workforce8 and taken other steps like closing fire stations and swimming pools. The Pew report said the city is in better financial health today as a result of the actions it took.

But the report noted9 that opinion is divided about who should get credit for the recovery. Some say local leaders. Others point to measures recommended by a state-appointed committee.

In any case, Britain's Economist10 magazine recently named Pittsburgh the most livable city in the United States. As for the world, that honor went to the Canadian city of Vancouver.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Pittsburgh city leaders are understandably happy about all this good publicity11. But they are protesting one recent listing that is not so good.

The American Lung Association said Pittsburgh was last in the nation in one of three measures of air quality. The group's recent "State of the Air" report said Pittsburgh has the worst short-term fine particle pollution in the country.

City officials say the report is misleading and unfair. They point out that the finding was based on one air measurement taken in an industrial town that is not even in Pittsburgh.

A spokeswoman for the mayor's office, Joanna Dovan, says the Pittsburgh area has been working to improve its air quality. The number of particles in the air has been reduced. But experts say it is still too high and Pittsburgh has more work to do.

VOICE TWO:

Pittsburgh is located in western Pennsylvania in the area where three rivers meet -- the Allegheny, the Monongahela and the Ohio. More than two million people live in the Pittsburgh area. Three hundred ten thousand live in the city itself.

The most recent numbers show that Pittsburgh lost almost two thousand people between two thousand seven and two thousand eight.

City officials hope the G-20 meeting in September will attract more people to Pittsburgh. Joanna Dovan from the mayor's office says it is true that the city now has its lowest population of the past ten years. But she notes that the losses have slowed. As many as five thousand people left the city each year between two thousand and two thousand six.

Special efforts are being made to keep young families. For example, a program called Pittsburgh Promise offers college scholarships for graduates of the city public schools.

The city has many colleges and universities. The best known include Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:
 
Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl

Pittsburgh is led by America's youngest big-city mayor. Luke Ravenstahl was just twenty-seven when he won a special election in two thousand seven. The former mayor had died in office.

In Pittsburgh, Democrats12 such as Mayor Ravenstahl heavily outnumber Republicans. In fact, Pittsburgh has not had a Republican mayor in more than seventy years.

Like many American cities, Pittsburgh was built on the hard work of immigrants. The ancestors of many of today's Pittsburghers came from all over Europe to work in the iron and steel factories.

Pittsburgh produced huge amounts of steel in factories built near the rivers. But these steel mills also produced huge amounts of pollution. Brown and green liquid flowed into the water and black smoke filled the sky.

The nineteenth-century English writer Anthony Trollope called Pittsburgh the blackest city he ever saw. In eighteen sixty-eight, the American writer James Parton called it "hell with the lid off."

VOICE TWO:

One reason Pittsburgh became the world's leading producer of steel was Andrew Carnegie. He came to Pittsburgh from Scotland in eighteen forty-eight at the age of just thirteen. In time, he started the Carnegie Steel Company and built it into the biggest in the world.

Andrew Carnegie became one of the wealthiest men in history. The steel industry made other Pittsburgh citizens rich, too. One was another Andrew -- Andrew Mellon, a banker who provided money for the industry.

But not everyone became rich. In eighteen ninety-two, workers at a Carnegie Steel mill in the nearby town of Homestead went on strike. They objected when management tried to lower their pay.

The strikers battled with private guards hired by the company. Several people were killed. Finally the state governor sent National Guard troops who took control in Homestead. The end of the strike was a big setback13 for the steelworkers union.

VOICE ONE:

For years, even as other industries moved to Pittsburgh, steel mills continued to poison the air. During one week in nineteen forty-eight, poisonous air in a nearby town killed twenty people and sickened six thousand others.

City leaders recognized that the situation could not continue. So they began a clean-up campaign. They called it the Renaissance14 Project. A second redevelopment project was launched in the nineteen seventies. Much of the downtown area was rebuilt. And there was another strong period of building in the nineties and beyond.

VOICE TWO:
 
Pittsburgh Penguins15' Bill Guerin raises the Stanley Cup after the Penguins won the National Hockey League championship in June

Over the years, when its sports teams have done well, Pittsburgh has been called the "City of Champions." Two of its major teams are the current champions of their leagues. The Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl in the National Football League. And the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in the National Hockey League.

The city is also known for its arts tradition. Veronica Corpuz is public relations director for Pittsburgh's Cultural District. She says the arts in Pittsburgh have generally done well even in the recession. The Cultural District is a fourteen block area of downtown that includes public spaces, art galleries and six major theaters.

One of these, the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, is home to the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and the Pittsburgh Opera. Another, Heinz Hall, is where the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performs.

Pittsburgh even has a well-known dinosaur16 collection. It is housed at the Carnegie Museum, which has both an art museum and a museum of natural history.

Now, looking to the future and the upcoming G-20 summit, Pittsburgh is preparing for a chance to show the world how much the city has changed.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Our program was written by Nancy Steinbach and produced by Mario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Barbara Klein. Join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 mightiest 58b12cd63cecfc3868b2339d248613cd     
adj.趾高气扬( mighty的最高级 );巨大的;强有力的;浩瀚的
参考例句:
  • \"If thou fearest to leave me in our cottage, thou mightiest take me along with thee. “要是你害怕把我一个人留在咱们的小屋里,你可以带我一块儿去那儿嘛。 来自英汉文学 - 红字
  • Silent though is, after all, the mightiest agent in human affairs. 确实,沉默毕竟是人类事件中最强大的代理人。 来自互联网
2 woes 887656d87afcd3df018215107a0daaab     
困境( woe的名词复数 ); 悲伤; 我好苦哇; 某人就要倒霉
参考例句:
  • Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
  • She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。
3 foresight Wi3xm     
n.先见之明,深谋远虑
参考例句:
  • The failure is the result of our lack of foresight.这次失败是由于我们缺乏远虑而造成的。
  • It required a statesman's foresight and sagacity to make the decision.作出这个决定需要政治家的远见卓识。
4 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
5 relatively bkqzS3     
adv.比较...地,相对地
参考例句:
  • The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
  • The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。
6 deficit tmAzu     
n.亏空,亏损;赤字,逆差
参考例句:
  • The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
  • We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。
7 bankruptcy fPoyJ     
n.破产;无偿付能力
参考例句:
  • You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产,就必须节省开支。
  • His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。
8 workforce workforce     
n.劳动大军,劳动力
参考例句:
  • A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
  • A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。
9 noted 5n4zXc     
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。
10 economist AuhzVs     
n.经济学家,经济专家,节俭的人
参考例句:
  • He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
  • He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家,自以为什么都懂。
11 publicity ASmxx     
n.众所周知,闻名;宣传,广告
参考例句:
  • The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
  • He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事,只当它是一种宣传手法。
12 democrats 655beefefdcaf76097d489a3ff245f76     
n.民主主义者,民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
  • The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 setback XzuwD     
n.退步,挫折,挫败
参考例句:
  • Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
  • She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。
14 renaissance PBdzl     
n.复活,复兴,文艺复兴
参考例句:
  • The Renaissance was an epoch of unparalleled cultural achievement.文艺复兴是一个文化上取得空前成就的时代。
  • The theme of the conference is renaissance Europe.大会的主题是文艺复兴时期的欧洲。
15 penguins fc5bf5a50fd6b440a35d113f324c5e75     
n.企鹅( penguin的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Why can penguins live in cold environment? 为什么企鹅能生活在寒冷的环境中? 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Whales, seals, penguins, and turtles have flippers. 鲸、海豹,企鹅和海龟均有鳍形肢。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
16 dinosaur xuSxp     
n.恐龙
参考例句:
  • Are you trying to tell me that David was attacked by a dinosaur?你是想要告诉我大卫被一支恐龙所攻击?
  • He stared at the faithful miniature of the dinosaur.他凝视著精确的恐龙缩小模型。

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