(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Most West Coast ports in the United States have been busy since Friday. That is when negotiators reached a tentative settlement in a nine-month labor dispute and work slowdown. Now that goods again are being unloaded the dockworkers and employers say they can talk about long-term problems.
Many ships have been docked or have been waiting offshore at 29 West Coast ports. Port officials say it will take months to process all the cargo. Most dockworkers have returned to work. But they still must vote on a tentative five-year contract.
U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez went to San Francisco to urge both sides to settle their differences quickly. Craig Merrilees is with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. He said the negotiations have been difficult.
"You know, there are a lot of tough issues in this process that lasted over nine months, and some of them are the kinds of issues that are affecting all workers. That includes the outsourcing of good jobs."
Workers say administrative jobs at the port have been moving to other states and other countries. Workers say they also worry about increasing automation of port operations, reducing the need for workers.
Those who move goods in and out of the country include the San Francisco coffee company, Ritual Coffee Roasters. Eileen Rinaldi is the owner.
"We are reliant on constant arrivals of coffee in order to have a fresh supply."
Many other businesses depend on goods passing through the ports, such as beer makers that use imported hops, farmers with crops to ship. One California children's clothing company has been waiting for its products trapped in ships near the Port of Oakland.
Tom O'Brien is a transportation expert at California State University, Long Beach. He says long-term problems at the ports must be addressed. Mr. O'Brien also says not only the port but roads, bridges and railways need to be upgraded.
"The fact that we have larger ships coming now, that is creating peak demand for labor and for equipment is putting a lot of pressure on our infrastructure, not only the ports, but the road network, rail capacity, distribution center and warehousing."
The labor dispute began in July when a labor agreement ended. The work stoppage has affected 29 West Coast ports for months and slowed U.S. trade with Asia. Those ports process more than 25 percent of all U.S. maritime trade and more than 70 percent of the nation's imports from Asia.
I'm Mario Ritter.
VOA英文文本来自51VOA，译文由可可原创，未经许可请勿转载。
词汇学习
1.tentative adj.试探性的；试验的
In consequence there were numerous tentative measures of codification.
其后果是产生了很多尝试性的编纂方法。
2.slowdown n.减速，减缓；怠工
It's impossible to assess how many officers are participating in the slowdown.
要估算出究竟多少高级职员参与了怠工是不可能的。
3.unload vt.卸货；去除负担
The stevedores'work is to load and unload ships.
装卸工人的工作是装卸船只。
4.process vt.加工；处理
The information gathered by the telescopes will be processed by computers.
通过望远镜获得的信息将由计算机进行处理。
5.outsource vt. 外购；外包（工程）
We outsource all our computing work.
我们把全部计算机技术工作包给外边去做。
6.upgrade v.升级;提升
You can upgrade from self-catering accommodation to a hotel.
您可以将自理膳食旅店升级为酒店。
7.stoppage n.停止，中止
Mineworkers in the Ukraine have voted for a one-day stoppage next month.
乌克兰矿工们已投票决定下个月罢工一天。
内容解析
1.Now that goods again are being unloaded the dockworkers and employers say they can talk about long-term problems.
Now that既然；既是
Now that she was retired she lived with her sister.
现在她已经退休了，和姐姐一起住。
2.Many other businesses depend on goods passing through the ports, such as beer makers that use imported hops, farmers with crops to ship.
depend on依赖；依靠
Many farmers have to depend on subsidies to make a living wage.
许多农民的基本生活工资要靠补贴来维持。
3.The fact that we have larger ships coming now, that is creating peak demand for labor and for equipment is putting a lot of pressure on our infrastructure, not only the ports, but the road network, rail capacity, distribution center and warehousing.
not only, but不仅，而且
Not only you but he has to leave as well.
不只是你，他也得离开。
参考翻译
美国西海岸大部分港口从周五开始一直非常繁忙。这是为期九个月的劳资争端和怠工后谈判人员达成的尝试性解决方案。现在，货物已经被卸下，码头工人和雇员表示，他们已经可以着手讨论长期问题。
许多船只已经进入码头，或者在29个西海岸港口近海等待。港口官员表示，处理所有货物将需要几个月的时间。大部分码头工人已经重返工作岗位。但是他们仍然必须就尝试性的五年合同进行投票。
美国劳工部长托马斯·佩雷斯(Thomas Perez)前往旧金山，敦促双方迅速解决分歧。Craig Merrilees在国际码头及仓库工会工作。他表示，谈判一度非常困难。
“你知道，持续了超过九个月的过程中出现了很多棘手的问题，其中一些问题影响到所有工人，包括将好的工作机会外包。”
工人们表示，港口的行政工作流向其他州和其他国家。工人们说，他们还担心港口操作工作越来越自动化，减少对工人的需求。
向国内外运输货物的公司包括旧金山咖啡公司Ritual Coffee Roasters。Eileen Rinaldi是这家公司的老板。
“为了保证新鲜咖啡的供应，我们非常依赖新鲜咖啡的频繁到来。”
还有许多其他企业依赖港口运输的货物，比如使用进口原材料的啤酒制造商，以及需要运输农作物的农场主。加利福尼亚一家童装公司一直等待被困在奥克兰港口船只上的货物。
Tom O'Brien是长滩市加利福尼亚州立大学一名交通运输专家。他说，港口面临的长期问题必须得到解决。他还表示，不仅港口，道路，桥梁和铁路都需要升级。
“到达港口的船只越来越大，对劳工和对设备的需求达到高峰，导致我们的基础设施面临很大压力，不仅仅是港口，还有公路网络，铁路运能，物流中心和仓库。”
当7月份劳工协议结束后，劳资纠纷开始凸显。停工斗争影响29个西海岸港口数月时间，阻滞了美国与亚洲的贸易。这些港口处理超过四分之一的美国海上贸易和来自亚洲的超过70%的进口货物。
我是Mario Ritter。
