美国国家公共电台 NPR New York City And The Strand Bookstore Are Not On The Same Page

 

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Bookstores in Manhattan are becoming as scarce as newsstands and neighborhood diners. So many thought it sounded like good news this week when the Strand¹ Bookstore on Broadway in lower Manhattan was designated to be a city landmark². Nancy Bass³ Wyden, whose family opened the store 92 years ago, isn't celebrating.

NANCY BASS WYDEN: We consider that we're already a landmark, that we don't need the city to come in and put red tape and bureaucracy. And they just add needless expenses to us. It's really no honor.

SIMON: Strand is a kind of Yankee Stadium of bookstores - huge, historic and the setting for rom-coms and New York memories. It sells new and used books. Some are bestsellers and small-press academic tomes, esoterica and erotica - all on four floors in New York's East Village neighborhood. We spoke⁴ with Nancy Bass Wyden in one of the aisles⁵ in which her store shelves what their slogan proclaims to be 18 miles of books. She says landmark status will just drive up the cost of their store staying in business. For example, if they need to replace the Strand's signature red awnings⁶, they'll have to work through the Landmarks⁷ Preservation⁸ Commission.

BASS WYDEN: I would have to bring samples of the material that I want to use. I'd have to have schematics of it. I'd have to get their approval on the color sample. They said to me, everything but the lettering is up to them.

SIMON: And this would be not just an imposition, but you feel it would be an added cost.

BASS WYDEN: It is added costs. Everybody we talked to said it's two to three times the amount of cost.

SIMON: Nancy Bass Wyden and her supporters have circulated petitions to oppose landmark status for the Strand. They got 11,000 signatures. The Landmarks Commission still voted 8-0 to make a change the owner and much of the neighborhood does not want. She considers this act an effective takeover of a private business.

BASS WYDEN: And I just think it's unfair that a government agency just comes in and takes over ownership in it.

SIMON: So you're concerned that the added costs might make it more difficult for you to actually continue to run a bookstore here.

BASS WYDEN: Well, look around you. I mean, how many bookstores are there? You know, we run on fragile margins⁹. And we employ a lot of people. We have 288 employees, most of which are unionized. There's so many vacancies¹⁰ in retail¹¹. Amazon's been a huge disruptor. And it's not easy.

SIMON: Yeah. And we've seen that in Manhattan a lot, haven't we?

BASS WYDEN: Yes, we have. Yeah. I mean, we're - you know, we have our challenges. But we're so grateful for all the - our customers - so loyal and such smart people that come in and buy from us. But every year, you know, our expenses keep increasing.

SIMON: I got to tell you, to a lot of people on the outside, particularly outside of New York City, having your place designated as civic¹² landmark sounds like such a complement¹³ and such a wonderful way of guaranteeing your future.

BASS WYDEN: I mean, some people have congratulated me. And I said, no, this is no congratulations; this is a punishment.

SIMON: Can the Strand Bookstore continue to be in business here if it's a city landmark? I'll put it to you in the most blunt possible terms.

BASS WYDEN: It's going to be more difficult but we're - you know, we've adapted for 92 years. So we're figuring it out. It's my family's labor¹⁴ of love.

SIMON: Nancy Bass Wyden, owner of the Strand bookstore in Lower Manhattan, now a city landmark whether they like it or not.

And this note - in a blog post, Sara Carroll, who is chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission wrote, the commission recognizes that, in this retail environment, businesses need the flexibility¹⁵ to adapt quickly. She also said the commission released guidelines to help owners get faster approval.

1 strand   

vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地）

参考例句：

• She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。
• The climbers had been stranded by a storm.登山者被暴风雨困住了。

2 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

3 bass   

n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴

参考例句：

• He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
• The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 aisles   

n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊

参考例句：

• Aisles were added to the original Saxon building in the Norman period. 在诺曼时期，原来的萨克森风格的建筑物都增添了走廊。
• They walked about the Abbey aisles, and presently sat down. 他们走到大教堂的走廊附近，并且很快就坐了下来。

6 awnings   

篷帐布

参考例句：

• Striped awnings had been stretched across the courtyard. 一些条纹雨篷撑开架在院子上方。
• The room, shadowed well with awnings, was dark and cool. 这间屋子外面有这篷挡着，又阴暗又凉快。

7 landmarks   

n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址）

参考例句：

• The book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of modern science. 这部著作是现代科学发展史上著名的里程碑之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship. 孩子的出世是我们俩关系中的一个重要转折点。 来自辞典例句

8 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。

9 margins   

边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数

参考例句：

• They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。
• To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。

10 vacancies   

n.空房间( vacancy的名词复数 )；空虚；空白；空缺

参考例句：

• job vacancies 职位空缺
• The sign outside the motel said \"No Vacancies\". 汽车旅馆外的招牌显示“客满”。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

12 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

13 complement   

n.补足物，船上的定员；补语；vt.补充，补足

参考例句：

• The two suggestions complement each other.这两条建议相互补充。
• They oppose each other also complement each other.它们相辅相成。

14 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

15 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。