2006年VOA标准英语-Superdome Reopening Marks Major Milestone for N

By Mil Arcega
Washington, DC
27 September 2006
 
watch Superdome Reopen report

 
Fans listen to Goo Goo Dolls music at New Orleans Superdome, Monday
The New Orleans Saints football team won its home opening game 23 to 3 against the visiting Atlanta Falcons² on Monday night.  But for some, the game was more than just a sporting event.  For residents of the hurricane-ravaged city of New Orleans, it was a major turning point in the city's fortunes. 

ESPN Television sportscaster Jeremy Schaap predicted an emotionally-charged game. "It's going to be loud," he said.  "It's going to be emotional.  There will be many tears shed."

And Times Picayune Columnist³ Chris Rose said, win or lose, just having the game is already a big victory for the city of New Orleans. "It would be great if we win, but even if we get our asses⁴ kicked, in the morning everyone is going to wake up and say, we did it."

 
Photo by: Carol M. Highsmith::Thousands of people, evacuated⁵ to the giant Superdome, then under repair, found not comfort but squalor.
What the city did, was something many thought would never happen.  Once the symbol of a city's anguish⁶, the New Orleans Superdome became the rallying cry for the city's rebirth.

It was a very different picture just a little more than a year ago, after winds from Hurricane Katrina ripped away parts of the Superdome's roof.  Water leaked into the stadium.  The field, the seats, the concourse, were severely⁷ damaged as 30,000 people gathered inside the stadium to ride out the storm. Some believed there would never be another opening night.

But 13 months and $180 million later, the Superdome has become the centerpiece of the city's economic recovery.

Superdome manager Doug Thornton says at one point as many as 350 workers toiled⁸ 12 to 16 hour days to make sure the dome¹ was ready.

"The destruction was massive," says Thornton.  "I think the numbers are just staggering, 800,000 square feet (244,000 sq. meters) of sheet rock and ceiling tile had to be removed and replaced.  We had 1.6 million square feet (488,000 sq meters) of carpeting that had to be taken out and replaced.  All of the interior spaces, a lot of the electronic equipment in here had to be replaced.  But we used that as an opportunity to upgrade many of the systems."

For the 70,000 fans who came to see the opening night game, it was a timely investment in a city yearning⁹ for better days.  As one fan put it, the Saint's win over the Falcons was also a victory against Hurricane Katrina.

1 dome   

n.圆屋顶，拱顶

参考例句：

• The dome was supported by white marble columns.圆顶由白色大理石柱支撑着。
• They formed the dome with the tree's branches.他们用树枝搭成圆屋顶。

2 falcons   

n.猎鹰( falcon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Peregrine falcons usually pluck the feathers and strip the flesh off their bird prey. 游隼捕到鸟类猎物时，通常是先拔掉它们的羽毛，再把肉撕下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Though he doubted the wisdom of using falcons, Dr. de la Fuente undertook the project. 虽然德·拉·富恩特博士怀疑使用游隼是否明智，但他还是执行了这项计划。 来自辞典例句

3 columnist   

n.专栏作家

参考例句：

• The host was interviewing a local columnist.节目主持人正在同一位当地的专栏作家交谈。
• She's a columnist for USA Today.她是《今日美国报》的专栏作家。

4 asses   

n. 驴，愚蠢的人，臀部 adv. (常用作后置)用于贬损或骂人

参考例句：

• Sometimes I got to kick asses to make this place run right. 有时我为了把这个地方搞得像个样子，也不得不踢踢别人的屁股。 来自教父部分
• Those were wild asses maybe, or zebras flying around in herds. 那些也许是野驴或斑马在成群地奔跑。

5 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

6 anguish   

n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼

参考例句：

• She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时，她由于痛苦而失声大哭。
• The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。

7 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

8 toiled   

长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉

参考例句：

• They toiled up the hill in the blazing sun. 他们冒着炎炎烈日艰难地一步一步爬上山冈。
• He toiled all day long but earned very little. 他整天劳碌但挣得很少。

9 yearning   

a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的

参考例句：

• a yearning for a quiet life 对宁静生活的向往
• He felt a great yearning after his old job. 他对过去的工作有一种强烈的渴想。