(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report.
Detroit Mayor Dave Bing had to report some bad news last month. He said Detroit was seeking bankruptcy protection. The move would give the city court protection from creditors.
"This is very difficult for all of us but if it's going to make the citizens better off, then this is a new start for us."
The decision to declare bankruptcy is an offer to restruction and reduce debt. It comes at a difficult time for Detroit.
In March, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder named Kevyn Orr, a bankruptcy expert to oversee the city's financial problems.
Detroit has been struggling to reduce a budget deficit of more than $300 million. In addition, the city's long-term debt has increased to at least $18 billion.
Detroit's problems have grown over many years. Michigan State University professor Eric Scorsone says the city depended too much on one-industry.
"You know, Unlike Chicago, New York and other cities where had economic diversity, Detroit really didn't. It had the auto industry, it had suppliers to the auto industry, and so as those went away, the city began a very long decline that's really occurred over 50 years essentially."
Jobs with car manufactures were a big reason why Detroit was one of the country's largest cities half a century ago. In the 1950s, it had a population of about 1.8 million people. Today, the number is down to less than 800,000.
Robin Boyle is a professor of urban planning at Wayne State University. He says over the years, many Detroit residents moved to areas outside the city, or even left the state. That hurt Detroit's ability to invest in the city.
"They have so little disposable income to reinvest in their communities, that if they have money they leave, they go to the suburbs or they go to find work elsewhere, further putting us into this vicious cycle that drives us further and further down. How you break that is the challenge in Detroit."
It is rare for a large city to seek bankruptcy protection. In 1975, New York City came close before the federal government agree to provide money.
Detroit, however, is the largest city to seek bankruptcy. A federal judge will consider Detroit's request. The judge's decision is expected in one to three month.
One of the main issues is what to do about the retirement pay of city workers. Currently, there are many more retired workers than those pay into the pension system.
And that's the Economics Report in VOA Learning English. For more of our reports and learning activities, go to www.kekenet.com. I'm Mario Ritter.
VOA英文文本来自51VOA，译文属可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载。
词汇学习
1.creditor n. 债权人，债主
The boss assigned his car to his creditor.
那工头把自己的小汽车让与了债权人。
2.restruction n. 重构，重建
3.oversee vt. 监督，监视
Soldiers oversee the food handouts.
士兵们看管着救济食品。
4.diversity n. 多样化
Our party believes in encouraging cultural diversity, not diversion.
我们党鼓励多种文化，而不是文化分歧。
5.decline n. 下降；（力量、健康、品格、权力、价值等的）衰退
We need to take corrective action to halt this country's decline.
我们得采取纠偏行动来阻止这个国家的衰落。
6.disposable adj. 可动用的
The advertisement is aimed at people in their 20s with high disposable incomes.
这个广告的对象是那些二十多岁且可支配收入高的人士。
7.vicious adj. 邪恶的，恶毒的
He is a wolf in sheep's clothing,outwardly kind but inwardly vicious!
他是个披着羊皮的狼，外貌仁慈，内心狠毒！
内容解析
1.In addition, the city's long-term debt has increased to at least $18 billion.
in addition另外；除此之外
You need money and time, in addition, you need diligence.
你需要金钱和时间，此外你还需要努力。
2.Michigan State University professor Eric Scorsone says the city depended too much on one-industry.
too much过分；过多
I started to eat too much out of sheer boredom.
由于实在闲极无聊，我开始无节制地大吃起来。
3.Currently, there are many more retired workers than those pay into the pension system.
many more多的多
可修饰比较级的词
1)a bit, a little, rather, much, far, by far, many, a lot, lots, a great deal, any, still, even等
2)还可以用表示倍数的词或度量名词作修饰语。
3)以上词(除by far)外，必须置于比较级形容词或副词的前面。
参考译文
美国之音慢速学英语节目，这里是经济报道。
底特律市长戴夫·宾(Dave Bing)上月不得不宣布一些坏消息。他表示，底特律正在申请破产保护。此举可以让这个城市面临债权人时享受法庭的保护。
“对我们所有人来说这都是非常艰难的。但是如果能够让我们的公民生活得更好，对我们来说就是一个新的开始。”
宣布破产的决定是为了重组和减少债务。底特律正处于一个艰难的时期。
三月份，密歇根州长里克·斯奈德(Rick Snyder)任命破产问题专家厄尔(Kevyn Orr)监督该市财政状况。底特律正在努力减少超过3亿美元的财政赤字。此外，该市长期债务已经增长到至少180亿美元。
多年来，底特律的问题逐渐滋长。密歇根州立大学教授Eric Scorsone表示，这座城市过于依赖单一工业。
“你知道，与芝加哥，纽约和其他城市不同，这些地方的经济非常多样化，而底特律不是。底特律只有汽车工业，其供应商也是供应汽车行业，所以随着汽车工业的衰退，实际上，这座城市50多年来一直在衰败。”
与汽车制造相关的工作岗位是半个世纪前底特律成为全国最大城市之一的主要原因。上世纪50年代，底特律人口大约180万。而今，人口总数已经少于800,000。
Robin Boyle是韦恩州立大学城市规划教授。他表示，多年来，许多底特律居民搬到城外，甚至离开这个州。这损害了底特律的投资能力。
“他们没有可支配收入对社区进行再投资，即使他们有钱也离开了，搬到郊区或者去其他地方找工作，让我们进一步进入恶性循环，越来越衰败。如何打破这种恶性循环对底特律来说是一个挑战。”
大城市申请破产保护是非常罕见的。1975年，联邦政府同意拨款之前，纽约市也曾经濒临破产边缘。
然而，底特律是申请破产的最大城市。一位联邦法官将考虑底特律的要求。预期法官需要一到三个月的时间来做决定。
其中一个主要问题就是如何支付城市居民的退休金。目前，退休工人的数量超过了缴纳养老保险的人数。
以上就是今天的VOA学英语节目经济报道。收听更多报道请登录我们的网站查看。我是Mario Ritter。
