Motor City Out of Gas 汽车之城底特律宣告破产
- 详细资料
- 创建于 2013年10月05日
- 最后更新于 2023年12月18日
- 发布于 2013年10月05日
- 作者：Mike Lee
- 点击数：372
课文朗读
Detroit filed for bankruptcy this summer, which makes it the largest American city to do so in history. The city, which has the highest population in the state of Michigan, is $18 billion in debt. Detroit lacks sufficient money to pay back all its debts, which prompted state Governor Rick Snyder to declare that bankruptcy “is the only alternative that is available.”
底特律今夏提出破产申请，使得该市成为美国历史上申请破产保护的最大城市。这座位于密执安州并拥有最多人口的城市欠债180亿美元。底特律缺乏足够资金来偿还所有债务，促使州长瑞克．斯奈德声明破产保护「是唯一可行的方案」。
The city has been suffering financially for several decades. Detroit’s population of roughly 700,000 is less than half of what it was 40 years ago. Fewer residents means fewer tax payers, which amounts to less money for city expenses. The obvious cause of Detroit’s downfall is the decline of the automotive giants that helped give Detroit the nickname “Motor City.” Local carmakers have struggled to compete with European and East Asian rivals, and have closed manufacturing plants throughout the years.
数十年来，这座城市一直为财政危机所苦。底特律目前的人口约70万人，不到40年前的一半。较少的居民意味着较少的税收，城市的经费亦因而短少。造成底特律没落的明显原因是汽车巨擘的衰退，这些大厂曾帮助底特律得到「汽车城」的称号。当地的汽车制造业者勉强与欧洲及东亚对手竞争，并在这些年来关闭了数家制造工厂。
Much of Detroit’s debt is owed to retired city workers, whose healthcare costs will rise as they get older. Through the bankruptcy process, Detroit’s financial managers hope to reduce these obligations, as well as debts to banks and other investors.
底特律的债务多数是由亏欠予该市的退休人员，他们的医疗保健费用会随着年纪增长。底特律的财务官希望能藉由破产保护减少这些债权、以及对于其他银行及投资者的债务。
－by Geoffrey Trager
Vocabulary
file for 申请…; 提起..诉讼
bankruptcy [ˋbæŋkrəptsɪ] n. 破产
alternative [ɔlˋtɝnətɪv] n. 可供选择的事物
resident [ˋrɛzədənt] n. 居民
downfall [ˋdaʊn͵fɔl] n. 没落
decline [dɪˋklaɪn] n. 衰退，衰落
automotive [͵ɔtəˋmotɪv] adj. 汽车的
manufacturing [͵mænjəˋfæktʃərɪŋ] adj. 制造业的；制造的
healthcare ['hɛlθkɛr] n. 卫生保健
obligation [͵ɑbləˋgeʃən] n.（道义上或法律上的）义务；责任
investor [ɪnˋvɛstɚ] n. 投资者
More Information
amount [əˋmaʊnt] v. 产生……结果
Reading Comprehension
1. What did the governor of Michigan say about filing for bankruptcy?
(A) It must be avoided.
(B) He will consider it.
(C) Detroit has no other choice.
(D) It will increase population.
2. Which of the following is NOT said about Detroit?
(A) Less people live in the city than before.
(B) The city hasn't collected taxes for decades.
(C) Car companies have had difficulty making money.
(D) It has more people than any other city in Michigan.
3. What could make Detroit's debt situation worse?
(A) Many of its retired city workers develop costly health problems.
(B) Automotive giants decide to open new plants in the city.
(C) The population of the city increases in the next few years.
(D) Banks and other investors decide to forgive some debts.
Answer
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1. ( C ) |
2. ( B ) |
3. ( A ) |
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