(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.
The textile and clothing industry in the United States is growing again after many years of decline. Many of the factories are competing against factories that pay low wages in countries like China.
VOA visited the southern state of North Carolina. The textile industry there was once one of the most important businesses in the state. It has reinvented itself using technology and employing fewer people than before.
Robots do most of the work at the National Spinning Company factory in Burlington, North Carolina. The factory dyes more than 110,000 kilograms of yarn every week in many different colors. The yarn is sent to clothing and furniture makers both in the U.S. and around the world.
Michael Hankensen is one of only two workers who take care of the dye producing machines.
"As you see, most of this is extremely heavy, cumbersome, and trying to move it around in the order that these robots do it, it would take an army of men to accomplish what these robots do," said Hankensen.
Technology is helping the company compete with factories in other countries that pay workers only a few dollars a day. The National Spinning Company factory pays its 100 employees between $10 and $20 an hour.
Ed Atkins manages the factory. He says it is important for the company to limit labor costs, but he says, it must also make high quality products, and he says, the company must provide good customer service to compete in the international market place.
"We've diversified ourselves, looked for markets that depended on the quick response that you can provide from American-made products, little niche markets. I mean we don't try to compete in the generic cotton business or anything like that, because it's not where our strengths are," said Atkins.
Deborah Wince-Smith is the president of the Council on Competitiveness, she says the textile industry must continue to develop technology.
"Companies and enterprises are really bringing their core activities to where they have a skilled workforce, where they have innovation talent and where they're actually able to develop the next generation of innovation that drives manufacturing," said Wince-Smith.
The textile industry has built 23 factories in the last three years, it has also increased its exports by 30 percent. To the surprise of many, the American textile industry is showing new signs of life.
And that's the Technology Report from VOA Learning English. Have a question or comment about this show? Email us atlearningenglish@voanews.com. For more of our programs, visit our website at learningenglish.voanews.com. We are also on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, iTunes and Twitter at VOA Learning English. I'm June Simms.
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
词汇解释
1.reinvent vt. 重新使用；彻底改造；重复发明（在不知他人已发明的情况下）
I will try my best to reinvent my own life.
我愿尽力彻底改造自己的生活。
2.yarn n. 纱线；奇谈，故事
She still spins the yarn and knits sweaters for her family.
她仍然纺纱为家人织毛线衫。
3.cumbersome adj. 笨重的；累赘的；难处理的
It's rather cumbersome having to carry all these cases around.
把这些箱子都带着走动是件相当麻烦的事。
4.generic adj. 类的；一般的；属的；非商标的
The generic term for wine, spirits and beer is alcoholic beverages.
葡萄洒、烈性洒、啤酒的通称是酒类饮料。
内容解析
1.Michael Hankensen is one of only two workers who take care of the dye producing machines.
take care of 照顾；注意；抚养
And I will take care of you, I promise.
我保证，我一定照顾你。
They appointed her to take care of that old man.
他们委派她照顾那位老人。
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语科技报道。
美国的纺织和服装业在经历几年衰退后开始再度发展，大多数工厂在与中国等国家支付低工资的工厂竞争。
美国之音采访了北卡罗来纳州南部，这里的纺织业一度是该州最重要的行业，目前利用科技并雇佣更少员工来进行改造。
在北卡莱来纳州伯灵顿市的全美纺纱公司工厂，机器人做大部分工作。该厂每周印染11多万公斤各种颜色的纱线，这些纱线被送往美国和世界其他地方的服装和家具制造厂。
迈克尔·汉肯森该厂两名印染机器维护工人之一。
“看吧，大多数东西都很笨重，要像机器人那样将东西摆放整齐，工人来做的话会累坏的。”
科技帮助这家公司与其他国家那些每天给工人几美元薪水的国家竞争，全美纺纱公司工厂给100名员工每小时支付10到20美元。
埃德·阿特金管理这家工厂，他说重要的是公司要限制劳工成本，但他说必须制造高质量的产品，他说公司必须提供良好的客户服务才能在国际市场上竞争。
“公司已经实现多元化，寻找依赖快速反应的市场，为利基市场提供美国造的产品。我是说我们不准备在一般棉花市场等行业竞争，因为这不是我们的强项所在。”
德博拉·文斯-史密斯是竞争力委员会主席，她说纺织业必须继续开发科技。
“公司和企业的核心业务是培训熟练工人、创新人才，并开发推动制造业发展的新一代创新技术。”
过去三年纺织业新增了23家工厂，其出口量增加30%。令大多数人吃惊的是，美国的纺织业正焕发新的生机。
这里是美国之音慢速英语科技报道，想对我们的节目进行评论吗？发电子邮件到learningenglish@voanews.com，登录learningenglish.voanews.com获取更多节目，我是琼·西姆斯。
