在线英语听力室_免费在线英语听力学习网站

　　President Obama and his family are vacationing on the Gulf¹ coast to show support for businesses hurt by the BP oil leak since April. Many residents hope the visit sends a positive message that the beaches are open to tourists.
奥巴马及其全家正在墨西哥湾海岸渡假，以支持那些遭受今年4月以来英国石油公司漏油事故影响的企业。许多居民希望，奥巴马全家的这次访问会发出积极信息：说明当地海滨如今已对游客开放。
Whether or not President Obama jumps in the Gulf of Mexico, the coast is clear. Surfers enjoyed the waves off Panama City Beach this weekend, and families jumped in the water to take a break from the heat.
不论奥巴马是否跳进墨西哥湾的海水中去，当地沿海地带都已经清理干净。冲浪的人本周末在享受巴拿马城滨海的海浪，一些人家全家人都跳进海水里在暑热中清凉一下。
There are no signs of oil here, even though visitors like Brian Jacks² were not sure what they would find when they arrived.
这里没有漏油的迹象，尽管象像杰克这样的旅客在初来乍到时对此还不敢确定。
"You are expecting to see oil all over the place [but] it's actually pretty nice," said Jacks.
杰克说：“你原先以为在这里到处都会看到漏油，但是其实这儿情况很好。”
Jacks came from nearby Alabama to scuba³ dive at St. Andrews State Park. He is pleased to see clean waters. But he was surprised at the relatively⁴ low number of tourists.
杰克从附近的阿拉巴马来当地的圣安德鲁斯国家公园用水下呼吸器潜水。他很高兴看到海水相当清澈。但是让他觉得奇怪的是游客相对较少。
"Normally when we come down here it's just packed. You can't get into stores or restaurants. And now it is pretty free-flowing," he added. "You can tell the economy has slowed down a good bit."
杰克说：“通常我们来这里的时候，总是挤满了人。商店和饭馆都挤得走不进去。眼下这里的情况是来去自如、畅通无阻。你看得出来经济状况比过去差多了。”
Businesses across the Gulf coast say they are suffering because of the oil leak that started from the explosion on April 20. BP oil crews capped the leak last month, but tourist numbers are still down for many hotels, restaurants and other stores.
位于墨西哥湾的企业说，他们受到了从4月20号开始的漏油事件的打击。英国石油公司的工作人员上个月制止了漏油，但是许多旅馆、饭店和商店的游客人数仍然少了很多。
The trip by President Obama, his wife and younger daughter is intended as a show of support for the struggling region. White House officials hope it shows the rest of the country that the Gulf is safe and open for business.
奥巴马总统和夫人还有两个小女儿来访的目的是对这个陷于困境的地区表示支持。白宫官员希望这次旅行向全国表明，墨西哥湾是安全的，并且对外营业。
At Treasure Island marina, Bobby Robinette says his charter boat company and others could use some help to bring in more tourists.
在金银岛船坞的罗比内特说，他的租船公司和其他企业可能从中得到帮助，招徕更多顾客。
"We don't have a problem with oil, we have a problem with people thinking there is a problem," noted⁵ Robinette. "So if we get some good publicity⁶, maybe it will offset⁷ some of the bad publicity."
罗比内特说：“我们不存在漏油的问题，我们的问题是人们以为这里有麻烦。所以如果我们得到某种有力宣传的话，可能会抵消那些糟糕的公众影响。”
President Obama has made four other trips to the Gulf coast, to review clean-up efforts. First Lady Michele Obama also visited Panama City Beach last month.
奥巴马除了这次以外，已经四次访问墨西哥湾，视察清理漏油的工作。第一夫人米歇尔上个月也访问了巴拿马城海滨。
Republican critics says the latest trip is merely a photo opportunity that offers little help to the struggling economy.
共和党的批评人士说，奥巴马全家最近的这次旅行只是摄影亮相而已，对陷于困境的当地经济没什么帮助。
At Treasure Island seafood⁸ market, fishmonger Joe Brown says it may be too late for the president's trip to change anything. He says sales are way down, as there are fewer boats bringing in fresh seafood, and fewer tourists to buy it.
在金银岛海鲜市场，鱼贩布朗说，总统的这次旅行要改变现状可能为时已晚。他说，销售大幅下降，因为带来海鲜的船只少了许多，而且买海鲜的游客也少了很多。
"The damage is done. There is nothing he can do, unless he goes out there and puts a Tyvek suit on and starts cleaning up oil himself," said Brown.
布朗说：“破坏已经造成。总统也做不了什么。除非他穿上一身特卫强防水衣亲自出海去清理漏油。”
Too late or not, the President shouldn't leave without tasting local oysters¹⁰. Hunt's Oyster⁹ Bar has been serving oysters non-stop since the oil leak started. Robert Daffin stays busy prying¹¹ open the shellfish to serve customers.
不论是否太晚，总统总得尝尝当地的牡蛎才行。从漏油事件起始以来，亨特牡蛎酒吧的牡蛎买卖从来没有停过。达夫因一直忙于为顾客提供剖开牡蛎的服务。
"Our specialty¹² is fresh, cold Apalachicola oysters," said Daffin. "Right now they are very salty. You just get it open, make sure there is no shell in it. There you go, nice and salty. No oil there."
达夫因说：“ 我们的特色是新鲜冰凉的阿巴拉契科拉牡蛎，目前这些牡蛎很咸。你只要把它们剖开、确定里面没带壳，就可以吃了。尝一个吧，它只带可口的咸味。没有漏油味道。”
Daffin says he has seen the restaurant business go up this year,as more tourists came to Panama City Beach to avoid spots that were hit hard by oil. There is plenty left to share, however, including a dozen raw oysters he would offer the president if he came to the restaurant.
达夫因说，今年他眼见饭馆生意兴隆了起来， 因为有更多的游客来到巴拿马城海滨，而不去那些严重遭受漏油事件影响的地方。但是他那儿还有很多剩下的牡蛎，其中包括他专为总统保留的那些，准备在总统光顾他店铺时让总统享用。
"Then I would add to that probably a dozen fried shrimp¹³, some fresh gator tail. We do that blackened. And always grouper and snapper," he added.
达夫因说：“总统要是果真来了，我很可能会再给他加上一打炸虾、一些新鲜的鳄鱼尾，我们通常会把鱼尾熏黑。另外还有始终供应的石斑鱼与红鳍笛鲷鱼。”
Businesses like Hunt's are happy to have any visitors, not just the president.
像亨特那样的店铺欢迎任何顾客光临，不只是总统这样的人物。