时间:2019-01-14 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2009年(十月)


英语课

By Sabina Castelfranco
Venice
27 October 2009


A group in Italy's canal city, Venice, is planning to hold a "funeral" for their hometown, which is rapidly losing its permanent residents. The group says the city is being drained of its normal life.


 
The Bridge of Sighs in Venice, Italy
Venetians have been concerned about the declining population of the canal city for decades. The population stood at more than 145,000 in 1960. Thirty years later, it had dropped to about 78,000.  Now it has hit an all time low, dipping below the 60,000 mark.


Many residents are concerned and feel something needs to be done about this steady demographic decline. They say the population is getting older, the buildings are in a state of degradation 1, and more and more shops are being opened for the millions of tourists that visit the city.


But they say the traditions and crafts of the canal city are fast disappearing.


Mario Secchi says he was born in Venice, his dad and grand dad were Venetians, but he was forced to emigrate to the mainland because the rents were too high in the historic center.


His son, Matteo Secchi, a local businessman who runs a hotel, is one of the organizers of the upcoming funeral for the city. On November 14, a group of Venetians will carry a coffin 2 symbolizing 3 the death of the city down the Grand Canal in a procession of three boats and anyone else who wants to join in.


Matteo Secchi says the high property prices and rental 4 costs are forcing ordinary residents to leave the city.


"Venice is under attack from the business," he said. "The rich people think they are at the stock exchange with the houses of Venice. For example they buy at 100 an empty house and they sell after 5 years at 150, like the stock exchange. Venice stock exchange."


Secchi and his friends are also responsible for a population counter that has been placed in the shop-window of a pharmacy 5 in the city center.


Doctor Andrea Morelli explains why he decided 6 to host the counter in the shop.


The doctor says it was installed in March 2008. He decided to do this out of his love for the city of Venice and because he thought it was important to put on display the real decline of the population, to raise public awareness 7.


The more pessimistic Venetian residents say the countdown has begun and that if the exodus 8 continues at this rhythm, in 2030 Venice will have become a ghost city with no more citizens, just hordes 9 of tourists. Today 18 million tourists visit Venice every year, but in 20 years this number risks doubling.



n.降级;低落;退化;陵削;降解;衰变
  • There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。
  • Gambling is always coupled with degradation.赌博总是与堕落相联系。
n.棺材,灵柩
  • When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。
  • The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。
v.象征,作为…的象征( symbolize的现在分词 )
  • This symbol later evolved into a common hieroglyphic symbolizing victory. 这幕场景后来逐渐演化为象征胜利的普通象形文字。 来自时文部分
  • Mooncakes reunion, is symbolizing the Mid-Autumn festival will feed. 月饼象征着团圆,是中秋佳节必食之品。 来自互联网
n.租赁,出租,出租业
  • The yearly rental of her house is 2400 yuan.她这房子年租金是2400元。
  • We can organise car rental from Chicago O'Hare Airport.我们可以安排提供从芝加哥奥黑尔机场出发的租车服务。
n.药房,药剂学,制药业,配药业,一批备用药品
  • She works at the pharmacy.她在药房工作。
  • Modern pharmacy has solved the problem of sleeplessness.现代制药学已经解决了失眠问题。
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
n.意识,觉悟,懂事,明智
  • There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
  • Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。
v.大批离去,成群外出
  • The medical system is facing collapse because of an exodus of doctors.由于医生大批离去,医疗系统面临崩溃。
  • Man's great challenge at this moment is to prevent his exodus from this planet.人在当前所遇到的最大挑战,就是要防止人从这个星球上消失。
n.移动着的一大群( horde的名词复数 );部落
  • There are always hordes of tourists here in the summer. 夏天这里总有成群结队的游客。
  • Hordes of journalists jostled for position outside the conference hall. 大群记者在会堂外争抢位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
学英语单词
acanthoidine
adjacent line
air-breather
ambiguohypoglossal
avoking
bestower
buffer reagent
buy-and-holds
catanator
caveling
chlordan
cost-reimbursement
de-activation
Deinotherioidea
democratic values
desoxypyridoxine
dexamethasones
diameter of working disk
diatonic auxiliary note
discretamine
domain magnetization
double-layer fluorescent screen
dropper plate of free grain
Drusze
dynamicize
editon
elbow equivalent
electrode-travel motor
embraced
endomycopsis hordel
Engler viscosimeter
fairwells
fang-likest
fawns on
federal radio act 1927
fling oneself into the breach
fluoroolefin
free-taking
general staff
grinding media charge
hachi
hard-fightings
Hatsukaichi
HRST
ignition of precipitate
inverse mercator
iodine trap
jM-factor
karhunen loeve transform (klt)
kemerer
laughing-eyed
liege poustie
light-alloy armo(u)r
Longué-Jumelles
lophocoronids
Louis Henri
market chaotic
multistage linear amplifier
Narfeyri
Ngoso
octuplex
optical fiber ribbons
organised-crimes
pass in a program
pelviroentgenography
photoelectrocatalytic reactor
phrenemphraxis
polar moments of inertia
portcullised
practice range
prevelar
primordisl endoderm cells
reave
Rectocillin
residual concentration
Riemann upper integral
rifle shot
safo
saltations
screw-tap
sebiferic acid
second anchor
short-lived asset
sleight-of-hand
sniol
sound-barriers
speed change control
stalk extractor
structurality
Tharrawaw
thirst bucket
thoughted
three-dimensional imaging
throw dust in someone's eyes
transnationally
unwed mother
vel non
voiced sounds
votes down
well-customed
wharfies
wrecking