Schwarzenegger Promotes California

 

By Steve Herman
Governors of U.S. states frequently lead trade delegations² to Japan, but rarely do they get the sort of reception being given to California's governor this week. But Arnold Schwarzenegger, is going straight to the top.
Although they have difficulty pronouncing his family name, nearly everyone in Japan knows his face. Arnold Schwarzenegger's action movies and television commercials for noodles and beer have made him a celebrity³ here for years.
Now he is a hawking⁴ a new product - the state of California.
Mr. Schwarzenegger is leading a four-day, 57-member trade delegation¹ to Japan, which kicked off with a buffet⁵ of California food and wine at a posh Tokyo hotel on Thursday evening.
"Come to California. I invite all of you to California and I can guarantee you that you will fall in love with our great state. And before you go back home you will be saying 'I'll be back.'"
While Governor Schwarzenegger got the punch lines, his supporting cast of officials and business leaders mingled⁶ with hundreds of Japanese travel agents, food importers and other business people.
The California delegation sees increased tourism and exports as one way to help overcome the state's fiscal⁷ crisis. California's budget shortfall for next year is estimated to run as high as seven billion dollars.
Tourism from Japan has been declining since the 1990s. The development director for the California Travel and Tourism Commission, Terry Selk, hopes the former Mr. Universe can pump up those numbers.
"The fact that he has made a dedicated⁸ trip to Japan specifically to focus on supporting tourism and food and agriculture is more than we could have ever envisioned when he first came into office."
The actor turned Republican Party politician also is starring in a new T.V. commercial on market California to the Japanese.
For those who choose not to venture across the Pacific, the state is hoping they will get a taste of California, literally⁹.
California already sells annually¹⁰ about $1 billion worth of food products to Japan. The state's agriculture secretary, A.G. Kawamura, a descendant of Japanese immigrants, hopes to increase exports to his grandparents' homeland.
"This is our first chance to actually get on the road and sell California. We use this concept 'Buy California, California Grown.' This is, for us, an exciting chance to really get out, tell the story of the three hundred commodities that California grows."
Governor Schwarzenegger on Friday made his pitch to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
Following the meeting, the governor said they discussed such topics as environmental issues and increasing trade of Japanese high-technology goods and California farm products.
The Japanese media has speculated that on this trip the former actor is eager to flex¹¹ his diplomatic muscles and show he has what it takes to be president of the United States.
But for the Austrian-born politician to run for that office, the U.S. Constitution would need to be amended¹² to allow naturalized citizens to become president - a move he favors.
Steve Herman, VOA news, Tokyo.
注释：
television commercial 电视广告
posh 优雅的，极好的
pump up 提升
envision 想象，预想
literally 逐一地
commodity 日用品
naturalized 加入……国籍的

1 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

2 delegations   

n.代表团( delegation的名词复数 )；委托，委派

参考例句：

• In the past 15 years, China has sent 280 women delegations abroad. 十五年来，中国共派280批妇女代表团出访。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• The Sun Ray decision follows the federal pattern of tolerating broad delegations but insisting on safeguards. “阳光”案的判决仿效联邦容许广泛授权的做法，但又坚持保护措施。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

3 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。

4 hawking   

利用鹰行猎

参考例句：

• He is hawking his goods everywhere. 他在到处兜售他的货物。
• We obtain the event horizon and the Hawking spectrumformula. 得到了黑洞的局部事件视界位置和Hawking温度以及Klein—Gordon粒子的Hawking辐射谱。

5 buffet   

n.自助餐；饮食柜台；餐台

参考例句：

• Are you having a sit-down meal or a buffet at the wedding?你想在婚礼中摆桌宴还是搞自助餐？
• Could you tell me what specialties you have for the buffet?你能告诉我你们的自助餐有什么特色菜吗？

6 mingled   

混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]

参考例句：

• The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。
• The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。

7 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

8 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

9 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

10 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

11 flex   

n.皮线，花线；vt.弯曲或伸展

参考例句：

• We wound off a couple of yards of wire for a new lamp flex.我们解开几码电线作为新的电灯花线。
• He gave his biceps a flex to impress the ladies.他收缩他的肱二头肌以吸引那些女士们的目光。

12 Amended   

adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He asked to see the amended version. 他要求看修订本。
• He amended his speech by making some additions and deletions. 他对讲稿作了些增删修改。