2006年VOA标准英语-Indian State Hopes Rich History, Technology Sec

By Ron Corben
Hyderabad, India
21 November 2006

India's state of Andhra Pradesh hopes its rich history will lure¹ international tourists. For now, most of the hotels in the state capital, Hyderabad, are filled with business travelers visiting the city's high-technology companies. But accommodating more visitors will not be easy.

As the late afternoon sun passes over the tombs of the 16th century Qutub Shahis Tombs in Hyderabad, Mohammad Abzal sings the Muslim call to prayer inside the tomb of one of the city's seven hi 
Qutub shahi tombs, Hyderabad, India
storical kings.

The necropolis of the Qutub Shahis rulers is one of the world's largest such grave sites and is one of Andhra Pradesh's many historic and religious landmarks², which draw millions of Indian travelers a year.

The Shahi kings, whose roots lay in ancient Persia, built the nearby Golconda Fort complex, using the wealth from the region's legendary³ diamond mines.

The necropolis and the Golconda Fort are cornerstones in the city's tourist attractions. They lay in ruins until wealthy local aristocrats⁴ rebuilt the site in the 19th century. Now, however, the once beautiful gardens are in disrepair and the ruins again are neglected. But that is about change.

G. Vishnumurthy oversees⁵ the tombs site for the state's Department of Archeology and Museums. He says plans for a $1.1 million restoration are under way, financed by the governments of India and Iran.

"These people came from Persia - the present Iran," he said. "At present, we are getting funds from India only and we're expecting money from Iran also because these rulers belong to that area - they are also showing an interest."

The work is another part of the Andhra Pradesh government's effort to promote tourism, an industry that already accounts for about five percent of the state's economy.

Chitra Ramchandran, a senior state tourism official, says restoration, as well as the seeking of World Heritage listing, are key steps to attract more tourists to the city.

"We want to take our time but we consider this as one of the landmarks in Hyderabad and we want to get [World] Heritage status for the tombs and the Golconda Fort," said Ramchandran. "If we're able to do that it becomes a major draw for people to come and see."

Andhra Pradesh was also a vital cradle in the early development of the Buddhist⁶ faith, and there are about 150 structures in the state of historical importance. In addition, millions of Hindus make a pilgrimage to the Balaji or Lord Venkateswara Temples in Chittor District.

The state attracts about half a million overseas tourists each year. But the state's tourism minister, J. Geetha Reddy, thinks the travel trade could become a much bigger part of the economy.

"This state has so much diversity. We are very famous for our temples - spiritual tourism is very famous worldwide. Also very famous for our business tourism - we have become the convention capital of the country," said Reddy. "We're also known for our medical tourism, eco-tourism, adventure tourism, we have trekking⁷ and camping. We are now trying to promote beach tourism."

Growth requires investment. The state has announced an investment program of about $162 million, including hotels, parks and convention centers.

Reddy says the government is looking for joint⁸ ventures and partnerships⁹, and offers a range of tax and other incentives¹⁰ for tourism investments.

The boom in the information-technology industry in the region means Hyderabad already faces a shortage of four- and five-star hotels. City officials say the number of rooms is expected to double to 4,000 by 2008. The shortage makes hotels here among the most expensive in the world, often more than $250 a night.

International hotel brands such as Marriott and Novotel already have properties in Hyderabad. The Sarovar Hotels chain, based in New Delhi, sees Hyderabad as a key investment destination over the next five years. Another boon¹¹ for Hyderabad's tourism business is the construction of a new airport, due to open its first phase in 2008.

 
Charmina mosque¹², Hyderabad, India
But the expansion of the tourism industry presents challenges. Besides room shortages, traffic congestion¹³ in Hyderabad will place more pressure on the government to expand roads to accommodate the growing number of vehicles.

John Koldowski, a spokesman with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), says several issues need to be addressed to allow India's tourism industry to grow at a steady rate.

"Yes, air capacity is growing but the hotels are facing crowding - more rooms are required. There are some issues with some airports from airport to downtown," said Koldowski. "Elements like this. Bringing each of the elements of the tourism equation into some sort of sync, so we don't end up with boom-bust cycles."

Officials in Andhra Pradesh say they realize the problems that must be addressed as the tourism business expands. But, they say, their plans include ways to expand infrastructure¹⁴ and ease crowding. The state's goal, the tourism officials say, is to make the region an easy-to-reach tourist destination that offers visitors a memorable¹⁵ experience.

1 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

2 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

3 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

4 aristocrats   

n.贵族( aristocrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many aristocrats were killed in the French Revolution. 许多贵族在法国大革命中被处死。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• To the Guillotine all aristocrats! 把全部贵族都送上断头台！ 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

5 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

6 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

7 trekking   

v.艰苦跋涉，徒步旅行( trek的现在分词 )；（尤指在山中）远足，徒步旅行，游山玩水

参考例句：

• She can't come pony trekking after all because she's in a delicate condition. 她结果还是不能坐小马车旅行，因为她已怀孕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We spent the summer trekking in the foothills of the Himalayas. 我们整个夏天都在喜马拉雅山的山麓艰难跋涉。 来自互联网

8 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

9 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

10 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

11 boon   

n.恩赐，恩物，恩惠

参考例句：

• A car is a real boon when you live in the country.在郊外居住，有辆汽车确实极为方便。
• These machines have proved a real boon to disabled people.事实证明这些机器让残疾人受益匪浅。

12 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

13 congestion   

n.阻塞，消化不良

参考例句：

• The congestion in the city gets even worse during the summer.夏天城市交通阻塞尤为严重。
• Parking near the school causes severe traffic congestion.在学校附近泊车会引起严重的交通堵塞。

14 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

15 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。