国际交流英语视听说4第一单元听力原文及翻译(修正版).doc

1. Listening 1 OK, everyone, what I want to do today is continue our discussion about cities and the challenges they face, and, Id like to focus on the city of Venice, in Italy, which is an extraordinary example. So, to begin with, lets review a few of the points weve discussed so far. Remember that, for centuries, the city has been struggling with the problem of flooding. As you know, the regular floodwaterscalled the acqua altaare a big problem in the city. You may also recall（想起） that the government has started the innovative（创新的） MOSE project to build water barriers and stop flooding from the ocean. Now, flooding is an important issue, but many Venetians say that the city has more serious problems than the acqua alta or the MOSE project. And most of these problems have to do with tourism. Of course, tourism has both the positive and negative sidetourism is extremely profitable. But the problem in Venice is too many tourists.For example, in 2007 the number of Venetian residents was 60,000. And what do you think the number of visitors to Venice was in that year? Twenty-one million! Recently, on a single holiday weekend in May, 80,000 tourists visited the city. Public parking lots filled up and were closed. And tourists walked through the streets eating and drinking and leaving a lot of trash behind. The result is that Venices city services just cant handle（处理，应对) so many people. The city has to pay more and more money for garbage collection to clean up all of the trash. In addition, public transportation on the famous boats and gondolas(平底船) is so crowded that Venetian residents（居民） can barely find room to get on.Along with trash and crowded transportation, city residents also have to deal with higher prices for food and for housing. Food prices continue to rise around the city. Some cafs charge as much as 13 U.S. dollars for a soft drink! In the Rialto Marketan area with many shops and storessome of the grocery（食品，杂货） stores have been replaced by souvenir shops, which means that Venetians have fewer places to buy their groceries. In popular tourist areas, rent has almost tripled(三倍), and many small local businessesfor example, toy（玩具） stores and hardware（五金） storescant afford to pay.Let me add that there is a serious housing problem in Venice. At one time, there were regulations（规章） making it illegal to convert（改装） residential buildings into hotels. But a law in 1999 removed those regulations, and the housing problem got even worse. Since then, the number of hotels and guesthouses has increased by 600 percent, and the number of houses that are available for local residents has gone down.These days, housing is only affordable for the very rich or for people who already own houses because theyve been passed down by family. Young Venetians simply cant afford to buy any property（财产） in the city. This has forced a huge number of Venetian residents to move out of the city. Thirty years ago, the population of Venice was around 120,000. Now its less than 60,000. So, why does Venice continue to encourage tourism when it causes so many problems? Mainly its because tourism in Venice generates（产生） more than two billion U.S. dollars a year in revenue（税）and many think that the amount is much higher.Also, theres a lot of financial pressure on Venice. The cleaning of canals（水道）, restoration（恢复） of old structures, and the MOSE project are all very expensive. Tourism brings in money to help the city solve these problems. Another point I want to make is that many people in Venice have jobs related to tourism. As more tourists come to the city, hotels, restaurants, and museums need to hire more workers. In fact, the city of Venice has a lower unemployment rate than the rest of Italy, and its likely a result of the tourism industry. Some people think that Venice is to blame for its own problemsthat these problems are the result of greed for tourists money. Theres a lot of talk about limiting tourists, taxing tourists, and even asking tourists to avoid the busy seasons of Easter and Carnival. However, as you can see, maximizing the number of tourists in Venice is also necessary. So, there seem to be no simple solutions to Venices tourism problem.好,大家,我今天要做的就是继续讨论城市和他们面临的挑战,我想把重点放在意大利的威尼斯市,这是一个非常好的例子。所以,首先回顾一下我们迄今为止讨论过的几点。请记住,几个世纪以来,这座城市一直在为洪水问题而苦苦挣扎。正如你所知道的那样,定期的洪水称为“获得”- 在这个城市是个大问题。你也许还记得,政府已经启动了创新的MOSE项目来建造水屏障,并阻止海洋的洪水。现在,洪水是一个重要的问题,但是很多威尼斯人认为,这个城市比俄罗斯联邦和莫斯科项目有更严重的问题。而这些问题大部分都与旅游有关。当然,旅游既有正面的也有负面的,副旅游是非常有利可图的。但在威尼斯的问题是太多的游客。例如,2007年威尼斯居民的人数是6万人。你认为那年威尼斯的游客人数是多少二千一百万!最近在五月的一个假期周末,有8万游客参观了这座城市。公共停车场已满,关闭。游客在街上走着吃喝,留下了很多垃圾。结果是威尼斯的城市服务不能处理这么多人。这个城市不得不支付越来越多的垃圾回收资金来清理所有的垃圾。此外,着名的小船和吊船上的公共交通如此拥挤,威尼斯人居民几乎找不到空间。随着垃圾和交通挤塞,城市居民也不得不面对更高的食物和住房价格。全市食品价格继续上涨。一些咖啡馆收取高达13美元的软饮料!在里亚托市场这个拥有许多商店和商店的地区,一些杂货店已经被纪念品商店所取代,这意味着威尼斯人没有购买杂货的地方。在受欢迎的旅游地区,租金几乎增加了两倍,许多小型的当地企业(如玩具店和五金店)也无力支付。让我补充一点,威尼斯有一个严重的住房问题。有一段时间,有规定将住宅改建为宾馆是非法的。但1999年的法律删除了这些规定,住房问题变得更糟。从那以后,宾馆和宾馆的数量增加了600%,可供当地居民居住的房屋数量下降了。这些日子里,住房只有为富人或者已经拥有住房的人才买得起,因为他们是被家庭遗弃的。年轻的威尼斯人根本买不起这个城市的任何财产。这迫使很多威尼斯人居住在这个城市。三十年前,威尼斯人口约为十二万人。现在还不到6万。那么,为什么威尼斯在引发这么多问题的时候继续鼓励旅游呢主要是因为威尼斯的旅游业每年的收入超过20亿美元,而且很多人认为这个数字要高得多。而且,威尼斯有很大的经济压力。运河清理,旧建筑修复和MOSE项目都非常昂贵。旅游业带来资金帮助城市解决这些问题。我想说的另一点是,威尼斯的许多人都有旅游相关的工作。随着更多的游客来到这个城市,酒店,餐馆和博物馆需要雇用更多的工人。事实上,威尼斯市的失业率比意大利其他地区要低,这可能是旅游业的结果。有人认为威尼斯是自己的问题,这些问题是贪婪游客钱的结果。关于限制游客,征税游客,甚至要求游客避开复活节和嘉年华的繁忙季节,人们谈论很多。但是,正如你所看到的,最大化威尼斯游客的数量也是必要的。所以,威尼斯的旅游问题似乎没有简单的解决办法。Listening 2 A Conversation between ClassmatesM: Hi, Linda. Ive been looking for you. I wanted to return your notes from the lecture（讲义） on Singapore. Thanks for letting me borrow them.F: No problem. Sorry that you missed class. Are you feeling better？M: Yes, a lot better, thanks. Do you have time to answer a few questions for me? There were a few things in your notes that I didnt understand.F: Sure.M: OK. So first, you wrote here “Singapuralion”. What did you mean by that？F: Oh, thats an easy one. Singapura is the original name for Singapore. It means “lion city”. And the symbol of the country is the Merlionits a unique creature（生物） with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. The head of the lion relates to the name Singapura. And the body of the fish is because Singapore started off as a fishing village.M: Interesting. Do you remember when modern Singapore was founded？I couldnt really read your handwriting here.F: Um, I think it was 18 something . maybe 1819 So, you know, its still a young country.M: OK. I dont really understand the section（部分） of your notes about Singapores challenges. Could you explain that a bit more？F: Sure. For one thing, Singapore doesnt really have much land, oil, wood, or other natural resources. Oh, and another thing . um, theres also a mix of people from different ethnic（民族） groups and with different religions and languages. Theyre all trying to conform（遵循） to the laws and live together in a small space.M: I didnt know that.F: Its also a really small countryabout 270 square miles, which is the size of the state of Hawaii？M: Uh-huh.F: And its 100 percent urbanizedall the people live in built-up areas. You probably read in my notes that Singapore has a very powerful economy for such a small country.M: Yes, I remember that part. Your notes said that Singapore was ranked second in the world for having an innovative（创新的） economy. So, its economy is compatible（协调） with the economy of many larger countries.F: It definitely（的确） is. And a lot of people think that Singapore couldnt have achieved that kind of success without Lee Kuan Yew.M: He was the first prime minister, right？F: Right. He was prime minister for, uh, 30 years, or something. And he stayed active in politics until he retired. It was recently, maybe 2011 So, his ideas dominated Singapore politics for over 50 years.M: You know, the Singaporeans Ive met all work very hard. They seem to want to be number one in everything.F: I think youre right. Its probably got to do with the spirit of kiasu.M: Kiasu?F: Yes, it means “afraid to lose”. Its an idea that some people have internalized, and it makes them work hard to be the best. For example, Singapore has one of the worlds busiest shipping ports, and it has one of the worlds best health care systems.M: Thats impressive. What about the l aws in Singapore What did you write about chewing gum?F: Well, you cant sell chewing gum in Singapore. Its illegal, and the police enforce that law. Spitting on the street can also get you a huge fine. And then theres a fine for forgetting to flush the toilet in a public place.M: I think that the laws seem way too strict, dont youF: Actually, no. I dont think so. Those laws make Singapore one of the cleanest and safest places to live in the world. In my opinion, Id rather have strict laws and saf e streets than lenient laws and more crime.M: Hmmm. Im not so sure about that. I think its a debatable point. But I agree that Singapore is an interesting place.F: Definitely.M: OK, I think youve answered all my questions.F: Good.M: Thanks again for your notes. See you next class.F: Yes, see you then.男:嗨,琳达。我一直在找你。我想从新加坡的演讲回来你的笔记。谢谢你让我借。F:没问题。对不起,你错过了上课。你感觉好些了吗？M:好的,谢谢。你有时间为我回答几个问题吗？你的笔记里有一些我不明白的东西。F:好的。所以首先,你在这里写了“新加坡狮子”。你是什么意思？F:哦,这很简单。新加坡是新加坡的原名。意思是“狮城”。这个国家的象征是鱼尾狮- 它是一头独一无二的狮子头和鱼身。狮子的头与新加坡的名字有关。而鱼的身体是因为新加坡是作为一个渔村而开始的。M:有趣。你还记得现代新加坡何时成立？我在这里无法真正阅读你的笔迹。F:呃,我认为是18点,也许是1819点？所以,你知道,这还是一个年轻的国家。男:好的。我不太了解你们有关新加坡挑战的部分。你能解释一下吗F:好的。一方面,新加坡的土地,石油,木材和其他自然资源并不多。哦,还有另一件事呢,那里也有来自不同民族,不同宗教和语言的人。他们都试图遵守法律,在狭小的空间里共同生活。M:我不知道。F:这也是一个非常小的国家,约270平方英里,这是夏威夷州的规模。男:嗯。F:百分之百城市化- 所有的人都住在建筑区。你可能在我的笔记中读到,新加坡对于这样一个小国来说经济非常强大。M:是的,我记得那一部分。你的笔记说新加坡因创新型经济而位居世界第二位。所以它的经济和许多大国的经济是一致的。F:肯定是的。许多人认为没有李光耀,新加坡就不可能取得这样的成就。M:他是第一任总理,对吗F:对。他是30年的总理,还是什么的。他一直活跃在政坛,直到退休。最近,也许是2011年所以,他的观点在新加坡政治上统治了五十多年。M:你知道,我遇到的新加坡人都很努力。他们似乎想要成为所有的第一。F:我认为你是对的。这可能与kiasu的精神有关。M:Kiasu？F:是的,这意味着“害怕失去”。这是一些人内化的想法,使他们努力成为最好的。例如,新加坡是世界上最繁忙的航运港口之一,也是世界上最好的医疗保健系统之一。M:真令人印象深刻。新加坡的法律呢？你是怎么写口香糖的？F:那么你不能在新加坡卖口香糖。这是非法的,警方执行该法律。在街上随地吐痰也会给你带来巨大的罚款。然后忘记在公共场所冲洗厕所是可以的。M:我认为法律看起来太严格了,不是吗？F:其实没有。我不这么认为。这些法律使新加坡成为世界上最干净,最安全的地方之一。在我看来,宁愿有严格的法律和安全的街道,而不是宽松的法律和更多的罪行。M:嗯。我不太确定。我认为这是一个有争议的问题。但我同意新加坡是一个有趣的地方。F:肯定。M:好的,我想你已经回答了我所有的问题。F:好。M:再次感谢你的笔记。见下一堂课。F:是的,那就见。Further listeningListening 1Finding affordable land for housing is a challenge in many of the worlds largest cities. Some residents of Tokyo, Japan, have found a solution to this problem. They are building homes on pieces of land as small as 344 square feet (32 square meters). These “microhomes”allow people to live close to central Tokyo and cost much less than other homes in the city. Many micro-homes have several floors and big windows that maximize sunlight.Many cities have problems with air pollution and smog. What can big cities do to regulate the amount of air pollution and smog generated by cars and factories? An Italian company has come up with an innovative tool to reduce pollution: smog-eating cement. The cement contains a substance that converts pollution into harmless chemicals. The harmless chemicals wash off roadways when it rains. Smog-eating materials are also being used in roof tiles in Los Angeles, California, the smoggiest city in the United States. Cities must find creative ways to build public parks, gardens, and outdoor areas when space is limited. In New York City, the High Line was an unattractive black steel structure that once supported railroad tracks. Today, the High Line has been restored as an elevated urban park. The park was financed by donations, and now it is one of the most inviting public spaces in the city. Visitors can walk through the gardens, relax on the sun deck, and attend public art exhibits and special events. 在世界上许多大城市中，寻找负担得起的住房用地是一项挑战。日本东京的一些居民找到了解决这个问题的办法。他们在344平方英尺（32平方米）的土地上建造房屋。这些“微型家庭”允许人们住在靠近东京市中心的地方，而且比东京其他地方的房子便宜得多。许多微型住宅有几层楼和大窗户，可以最大限度地利用阳光。许多城市存在空气污染和烟雾问题。大城市能做些什么来控制汽车和工厂产生的空气污染和烟雾的数量？一家意大利公司已经想出了一种减少污染的创新工具：烟雾侵蚀水泥。水泥中含有一种能将污染转化为无害化学物质的物质。当下雨时，无害的化学物质会冲走道路。在美国烟雾最为严重的城市洛杉矶，以烟雾为食的屋顶瓦也在使用。当空间有限时，城市必须找到创造性的方式来建设公园、花园和户外区域。在纽约市，高铁是一个没有吸引力的黑色钢结构，曾经支持铁路轨道。今天，这条高架线已恢复为高架城市公园。这个公园是由捐款资助的，现在它是这个城市最吸引人的公共空间之一。游客可以穿过花园，在阳光甲板上放松，参加公共艺术展览和特殊活动。Listening 2Welcome to Venice, everybody! To start our tour today, I want to tell you about a challenge we face in our beautiful city: floods. You see, a large portion of Venice was built on a salt marsh. City planners had to find a way to maximize space and use every part of the marsh. Builders placed hundreds of wooden logs deep into the marsh. Then they placed building foundations on top of the logs. By doing this, they were able to convert the salt marsh into land for farming. But the salt marsh is like a giant sponge. The weight of the city pushes down on the salt marsh and buildings slowly sink into the water. High tides, called acqua alta, are also a problem. Now, Venice floods on a regular basis. Venetian residents are used to the floods, but our old and beautiful buildings suffer. Many structures are damaged by the water and the restoration of these buildings is very expensive.The city is now building water barriers that will stop seawater from flooding the city. This innovative project is called MOSE, and it will be completed soon. The cost of this project is already more than seven billion dollars. Some people argue that the project violates government regulations and is illegal. Others believe that the water barriers will interfere with the beauty of the city and will cause tourists to leave. Lets hope this does not happen, because tourism generates business for shops, restaurants, and hotels. Financial support is necessary to help pay for the MOSE project. So thank you for coming to Venice!欢迎来到威尼斯，各位！为了今天开始我们的旅行，我想告诉你在我们美丽的城市我们面临的一个挑战：洪水。你看，威尼斯很大一部分是建在盐沼上的。城市规划者必须找到一种最大化空间的方法，利用沼泽地的每一部分。建筑工人在沼泽深处放置了数百根木头。然后他们把建筑地基放在圆木上。这样，他们就可以把盐沼变成农田。但是盐沼就像一块巨大的海绵。城市的重量压在盐沼上，建筑物慢慢沉入水中。涨潮，也被称为阿尔塔海潮，也是一个问题。现在，威尼斯经常洪水泛滥。威尼斯居民已经习惯了洪水，但我们美丽的老建筑却遭受了损失。许多建筑物都被水损坏了，这些建筑物的修复费用很高。该市目前正在修建水屏障，以防止海水淹没该市。这个创新的项目被称为mose，它将很快完成。这个项目的成本已经超过70亿美元。有人认为该项目违反了政府规定，是违法的。另一些人认为，水障碍会干扰城市的美丽，并会导致游客离开。我们希望这不会发生，因为旅游业为商店、餐馆和酒店创造了商机。为帮助支付MoSE项目所需的资金支持是必要的。所以谢谢你来威尼斯！Listening 3Keeping rivers clean is a challenge for most large cities. In the 1900s, rivers in many cities were polluted by harmful chemicals and raw sewage from nearby industries. Fish were often missing from urban rivers completely. Today, some large European cities are successfully keeping their rivers clean. More and more, fishermen are catching fish in rivers flowing through cities such as London, Paris, and Stockholm. Even fish that require very clean water to live, such as salmon and trout, are being caught. Why are the fish returning? A couple of reasons have been suggested. One reason is the disappearance of industries that used to pollute the rivers. Tough new pollution laws and water rules ha