2007年VOA标准英语-Hurricane Katrina Victims Still Rebuilding Live
时间:2019-01-13 作者:英语课 分类:2007年VOA标准英语(八月)
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
23 August 2007
Nearly two years have passed since Hurricane Katrina devastated 1 swathes of the U.S. Gulf 2 Coast, including the vibrant 3 city of New Orleans. Since then, some who fled the region have returned, while others have chosen to start anew elsewhere. Among those who elected not to go back is a tight-knit Vietnamese-American family that had been a fixture 4 of the New Orleans restaurant scene. Malcolm Brown reports on the Cao family's attempts to rebuild a business, far from the city they know.
Anh-Thu Vu Cao
The Cao family is back in business, doing what it knows best -- turning out tasty Vietnamese food. It is something the Caos did for more than two decades in New Orleans, starting in 1981 when Anh-Thu Vu Cao started the first of what grew to be four restaurants. "New Orleans, I like as a city," she says. "First thing is the food; all good food over there and a lot of choice -- easy life."
That easy life came to an end when Hurricane Katrina wrecked 5 the city and other Gulf Coast areas.
The Caos fled the advancing storm and ended up with relatives in the historic city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania -- almost 2,000 kilometers away.
The scenes, captured on a family video, when the Caos were allowed back into New Orleans in October 2005, dashed any hopes of a rapid recovery.
Vy Banh
Vy Banh -- Vu Cao's daughter and company president -- says it left the family with a painful choice. "If we would have put all our money back into the city right away, who knows what would happen to us? We could have easily went under. So, it was just, as a family decision, safer to start over here in Lancaster."
Safer, yes, but not without considerable financial risk. Family members pooled their savings 6 and bought a site, in a city they barely knew. With money tight, they did all the renovation 7 work themselves.
Staff members who managed their own restaurants in New Orleans now wait tables, often working seven days a week. Banh says, "It's been pretty rough. I mean, just getting used to living differently from what we were accustomed to."
For the older generation this is the second time they have started from scratch. Anh-Thu Vu Cao and her husband Chau fled their native Vietnam in 1975, just before the fall of Saigon. The family left behind a chain of restaurants started by her father.
The lifetime of experience is paying off again in their new location.
Dan Tran
Regular customer Dan Tran is of Vietnamese extraction himself and - coincidentally - was born in New Orleans. He sings the restaurant's praises. "We kind of knew who they were, what they had done in the New Orleans area and why they were here in the first place. So, I think for us that kind of helped us along to explore new places - a new restaurant with a new idea and got us in the door. Once we were in the door, we were pretty much hooked."
That verdict seems to be shared by the many repeat customers and obviously bodes 8 well for the restaurant's future. There's even talk of a modest expansion. That said, they estimate that Katrina set their business back five years.
- 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。
- The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
- There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。
- He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
- She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。
- Lighting fixture must be installed at once.必须立即安装照明设备。
- The cordless kettle may now be a fixture in most kitchens.无绳电热水壶现在可能是多数厨房的固定设备。
- I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假,那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
- By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时,他的存款已全部用完。
- The cinema will reopen next week after the renovation.电影院修缮后,将于下星期开业。
- The building has undergone major renovation.这座大楼已进行大整修。