2006年NPR美国国家公共电台九月-My Home Is New Orleans (2'48")

I believe in attachment¹ to place. I believe that watermarks fade, tears dry and lives mend.

A year after the flood, the nation is remembering Hurricane Katrina. And some of us, whether labeled "displaced," "evacuated²" or "back home," will wonder if we still believe. We will wonder -- sitting on our porches, in our bar rooms and in our gutted³ homes -- if we still should believe.

When I left New Orleans, I found myself, like thousands of displaced Gulf⁴ Coast residents, living on the generosity⁵ of others. People opened their homes to me. In some ways, life was easier. I'd almost forgotten how tough it is to live in New Orleans. In Chicago I was offered jobs that pay three times more than anything I could make in New Orleans. I thought about moving: Seattle, Anchorage, New York, Key West, Tucson and everywhere in between. But looking at a map spread on a kitchen table in Chicago I already knew. My home is New Orleans... still.

I moved back into an apartment uptown in the Twelfth Ward⁶ -- on the third floor this time. I'm a little paranoid about flooding. But now I can really hear the foghorns⁷ of the ships on the river.

Life in New Orleans is hard nowadays. I work for the Louisiana Family Recovery Corps⁸ and the mental health scene is not good: Depression is rampant⁹. Suicides and substance abuse have been on the rise since Katrina.

I'm also back bartending and, mixed in with the grief, I can still feel the pulse here. We live the best we can. It's like says, "Man, we just trying to get back to abnormal!"

I believe the soul of this place cannot easily be destroyed by wind and rain. I believe the music here will live and people will continue to dance. I believe in "Darlin'" and "Baby." I believe in "Where 'yat?" and "Makin' groceries." I believe in neighborhoods where Mardi Gras Indians sew beaded costumes, kids practice trumpet¹⁰ in the streets and recipes for okra provide conversation for an entire afternoon.

My family asked me why I wanted to return to New Orleans. "Why do you want to live somewhere where garbage is piled up, rents have doubled, there are no jobs and houses are filled with black mold? Is it safe? Is it healthy?" They ask if New Orleans is still worth it. I don't have an answer to satisfy them; I can't really even give myself an answer. I keep hearing Louis Armstrong saying, "Man, if ya gotta ask, you'll never know."

I'm just 26, my clothes can all fit in a backpack, social work and a 65-pound bulldog. I could move anywhere at all, but I believe in this place. I believe I belong here. As hard as it is to live in New Orleans now, it's even harder to imagine living in anywhere else.
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gutted
seriously damaged or completely destroyed
We drove slowly past the gutted buildings.
Anchorage
安克雷奇(美国阿拉斯加州南部的港口城市)
foghorn
a loud horn on a ship, used in fog to warn other ships of its position
okra
[植]黄秋葵, 秋葵荚
bulldog
a powerful dog with a large head, a short neck, and short thick legs
牛头犬

1 attachment   

n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附

参考例句：

• She has a great attachment to her sister.她十分依恋她的姐姐。
• She's on attachment to the Ministry of Defense.她现在隶属于国防部。

2 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

3 gutted   

adj.容易消化的v.毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的过去式和过去分词 )；取出…的内脏

参考例句：

• Disappointed? I was gutted! 失望？我是伤心透了！
• The invaders gutted the historic building. 侵略者们将那幢历史上有名的建筑洗劫一空。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

5 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

6 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

7 foghorns   

n.（大雾时发出响亮而低沉的声音以警告其他船只的）雾角，雾喇叭( foghorn的名词复数 )

参考例句：

8 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

9 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

10 trumpet   

n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘

参考例句：

• He plays the violin, but I play the trumpet.他拉提琴，我吹喇叭。
• The trumpet sounded for battle.战斗的号角吹响了。