美国国家公共电台 NPR--The USO is making some changes to its hospitality centers

The USO is making some changes to its hospitality centers

Transcript¹

The USO, the iconic organization that supports service members and their families, has been quietly closing its hospitality centers. But it's opening others in the military's most remote locations.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

The USO, that iconic support organization for service members and their families, has quietly been closing dozens of its hospitality centers. But it's also opening others, including some in the military's most remote locations. Jay Price of member station WUNC reports.

JAY PRICE, BYLINE²: The 81-year-old USO is known for traditions like care packages, airport lounges for transiting³ troops and celebrity⁴ entertainment tours. But it has modern challenges. Its budget is down, in part because the number of Americans and potential donors⁵ with ties to the military has been shrinking. And it's dealing⁶ with shifts in where troops are deployed⁷ and what they need in the digital age.

ALAN REYES: We're trying to provide an impact in the places and for those service members that need us the most.

PRICE: USO Chief Operating Officer Alan Reyes says the changes are part of a long-range strategic plan. This year, it will close about 40 of those centers where troops can rest, grab a cold soda⁸, play games and watch TV, many of them at smaller domestic airports. But its opening 28 new centers, several in places where stress is especially high.

REYES: We do pride ourselves with the fact that we have, as a global organization, the opportunity to reach millions and millions of service members and families. But we want to make sure that we are reaching those that need us the most. And oftentimes, they are in more remote locations.

PRICE: Many of the new centers are in Eastern Europe, where troops are deployed in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Other new sites include Fort Irwin in the Mojave Desert and the military's most isolated⁹ installation, Thule Air Base in northern Greenland.

REYES: So one that is fairly remote, away from a lot of creature comforts.

PRICE: And where temperatures can drop under 20 below. And there's total darkness for months each winter. The USO's mission is to boost morale¹⁰ by keeping service members connected with their families, home and country. In short, it's a mental health organization.

DARIEN WOLF: And I can attest¹¹ to that because I was dealing with depression.

PRICE: Sergeant¹² Darien Wolf visits the bustling¹³ Fort Bragg USO almost daily. He was hanging out in a lounge area one recent day, sipping¹⁴ a Sprite as other soldiers used computers, played video games or just sprawled¹⁵ on a couch watching TV.

WOLF: Just coming here gave me a chance to kind of get out of that mode, you know, kind of relax. It definitely feels like home, so that's why I kept coming back.

PRICE: He found the same comfort in Poland on a recent deployment¹⁶. The 82nd Airborne Division soldiers had been ordered to leave their phones at home. But the USO provided secure call centers, as well as its usual array of couches, games and snacks.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BOB HOPE: Anyway, ladies and gentlemen, today we're at Long Binh, 17 miles northeast of Saigon. I don't care if Charlie is watching or I'm giving away military secrets. We're on live TV today and we need the rating.

(LAUGHTER)

PRICE: Bob Hope. You can't mention the USO without at least a nod to its most famous touring act. That was 1969. And Hope, who did USO shows for half a century, was performing for a crowd of thousands. The USO is still sending celebrities¹⁷ out on tour. But it's added another approach.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: And if you're a soccer fan - or football, as they say in Europe - you're going to enjoy our guest today.

PRICE: That recent guest was U.S. soccer star Christian¹⁸ Pulisic. Instead of putting him on tour, the USO set up a live video appearance.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

CHRISTIAN PULISIC: We have two friendly matches coming up here in the next week. We got to prepare for the World Cup.

PRICE: Pulisic in Germany chatted with soldiers in Turkey, Kuwait and Qatar online, where, Reyes says, young troops are used to spending time.

REYES: That does not mean we're going to stop sending tours to bases and places as well. But we now have a way to serve in both capacities.

PRICE: The video meetups aren't the same as joining the crowd at a live USO show. But Reyes says they can be more intimate, allowing personal connections with the celebrities. And they still serve that USO mission, cheering up troops who are far from home.

For NPR News, I'm Jay Price at Fort Bragg, N.C.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 transiting   

通过（transit的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• The effect of the transiting mechanic required reserve system vehicle is low. 准备金制度的传导机制的作用是很低的。
• I was busy transiting to the telescope. 我正忙着旋转望远镜。

4 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

5 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

7 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

8 soda   

n.苏打水；汽水

参考例句：

• She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。
• I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。

9 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

10 morale   

n.道德准则，士气，斗志

参考例句：

• The morale of the enemy troops is sinking lower every day.敌军的士气日益低落。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

11 attest   

vt.证明，证实；表明

参考例句：

• I can attest to the absolute truth of his statement. 我可以证实他的话是千真万确的。
• These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place. 这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。

12 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

13 bustling   

adj.喧闹的

参考例句：

• The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。
• This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。

14 sipping   

v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She sat in the sun, idly sipping a cool drink. 她坐在阳光下懒洋洋地抿着冷饮。
• She sat there, sipping at her tea. 她坐在那儿抿着茶。

15 sprawled   

v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawled full-length across the bed. 他手脚摊开横躺在床上。
• He was lying sprawled in an armchair, watching TV. 他四肢伸开正懒散地靠在扶手椅上看电视。

16 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

17 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

18 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。