洛杉矶允许人们在人行道上出售货物

 

People sell goods and food on the streets of many American cities, often without permits. Many of these sellers are immigrants, and some are in the United States without government permission.

Street vending¹ is illegal in Los Angeles, California. People who do it anyway can be fined up to $1,000 and face six months in jail.

For years, activists² have asked Los Angeles officials to change the laws. Last week, the city council approved a plan to decriminalize street vending. Officials are worried that, under new national efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, arresting the sellers will result in some of them being deported³.

Thank you, Donald Trump⁴

Merced Sanchez sells goods on the city’s sidewalks.

“For what we couldn’t accomplish in three years, I thank Mr. Donald Trump. Thanks to him, the council mobilized. This means peace. It means being able to work without fearing that the police will show up.”

Sanchez says many people who are in the U.S. without government permission become street vendors⁶ because finding a job is difficult for them. She says the new city law legalizing street vending ends the threat of arrest. She says the change reduces vendors’ fears of being deported.

A first step to economic security

Doug Smith works for the Los Angeles Street Vendor⁵ Campaign. He says, for many people, selling goods on the street is the first step to becoming economically secure.

“It’s the first way to start to build a business, and that is why we really prioritize the entrepreneurship elements of it. It’s about more than just permitting something. We want to actively⁷ create technical assistance and support to help people build a business and achieve economic mobility⁸.”

The new law takes effect in a few weeks. Legalization means vendors will need to pay for permits and will have to obey other rules.

Guadalupe Santiago is a street vendor. She has two children. She says she will be happy to pay to get a permit and meet other requirements if following those rules means she does not need to be afraid of being arrested and deported.

“It’s good for them to give us a permit. If they ask me for a better cart, I will need to buy it because I know it will be for my own good and for the city’s.”

Who will pay for it?

Norm Lagner owns a popular Los Angeles restaurant. He wants street vendors to be able to make a living. But he worries whether the city has enough money to enforce any new rules.

“You can’t have any enforcement of the laws unless you have money to pay for it, and there is no money to pay for it. So I personally think it’s a bad idea at this time.”

Lagner, who supports President Trump, adds that he does not want to make things easier for people who are in the U.S. illegally.

“We have laws ...Laws aren’t written for each group, they’re written for people as a whole.”

Eric Garcetti is the mayor of Los Angeles. He says he will sign the legislation to decriminalize street vending as soon as possible. He says it will “protect hard-working Angelenos who are trying to make an honest living.”

Words in This Story

vendor – n. a person who sells things especially on the street?

accomplish – v. to succeed in doing something

cart – n. a wagon⁹ with two wheels that is pulled by an animal

economic mobility – the ability of an individual, family, or some other group to improve their income status

mobilize – v. to bring people together for action

permit –n. a document that allows someone to do something

prioritize – v. to organize (things) so that the most important thing is done or dealt with first

technical assistance – the providing of advice, assistance, and training relating to the installation, operation, and maintenance of equipment

entrepreneurship – n. the capacity and willingness to develop, organize and manage a business venture along with any of its risks in order to make a profit

Angelenos – n. a native or inhabitant of Los Angeles

an honest living – a good amount of money for one’s hard work

1 vending   

v.出售（尤指土地等财产）( vend的现在分词 )；（尤指在公共场所）贩卖；发表（意见，言论）；声明

参考例句：

• Why Are You Banging on the Vending Machine? 你为什么敲打这台自动售货机？ 来自朗文快捷英语教程 2
• Coca-Cola had to adapt almost 300,000 vending machines to accept the new coins. 可口可乐公司必须使将近三十万台自动贩卖机接受新货币。 来自超越目标英语 第5册

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

5 vendor   

n.卖主；小贩

参考例句：

• She looked at the vendor who cheated her the other day with distaste.她厌恶地望着那个前几天曾经欺骗过她的小贩。
• He must inform the vendor immediately.他必须立即通知卖方。

6 vendors   

n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方

参考例句：

• The vendors were gazundered at the last minute. 卖主在最后一刻被要求降低房价。
• At the same time, interface standards also benefIt'software vendors. 同时，界面标准也有利于软件开发商。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

7 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

8 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

9 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。