VOA标准英语2010年-Lawmakers, Protesters, Media Converge

The 2010 North American International Auto¹ Show does not officially open until January 16, but the media got a sneak² peek³ at the latest offerings from U.S. and international automakers this week.  Members of the U.S. Congress, led by House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, also got an inside look at new and concept cars fueled by green technology.  The visit by lawmakers emphasizes the fact that the U.S. government is now a major investor⁴ in the American automobile⁵ industry.

Cobo Center is home to the 2010 North American Auto Show in downtown Detroit.  For the event, the Center has been transformed into an expanse of flashy displays and trendy marketing⁶ displays, featuring the latest in automotive engineering.

Known as the Detroit Auto Show, the annual event is one of the industry's biggest.  It helps generate publicity⁷ for some models, like the newly-redesigned Ford⁸ Focus, and it helps promote new technology, like the electric battery in the Chevrolet Volt⁹.

But in the wake of one of the worst years for U.S. automobile sales, this year's show has a different feel.

General Motors and Chrysler - two of the Detroit "Big Three" automakers, which also includes Ford - went bankrupt last year and received billions of dollars in federal aid.  Although some of that money has been paid back, the U.S. government is still a major shareholder¹⁰ in both companies.

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi does not call the assistance a bailout, but a loan she says was critical to the overall health of the U.S. economy.

"It wasn't about lending to automakers; it was about the survival of an industry," Pelosi said.  "The survival of the auto industry is essential to a strong industrial, technological¹¹ and manufacturing base in our country.  And that industrial base is essential to our national security."

Pelosi, along with about a dozen other U.S. lawmakers, toured the Auto Show during the first day of the media preview. 

"This is an important visit for us," she noted¹².

One of the priorities of their visit was to see how taxpayer¹³ money is being spent to develop new, environmentally-friendly technologies that will power cars of the future.

The Chevrolet Volt is leading the field in electric battery powered cars.  Pelosi inspected the four-seat vehicle that touts¹⁴ a 64-kilometer range without using its gasoline engine.

Officials at Chevrolet say the Volt should be in U.S. showrooms by the end of the year, and that it is only one of a number of similar vehicles under development by most major automobile companies.

House Speaker Pelosi seemed impressed.

"We consider it a major threshold.  We made the investments; we see the consequences of it; we report back to our colleagues and we look forward to seeing these cars in showrooms before the year is over," Pelosi said.

But protesters outside Cobo Center see government assistance to the U.S. auto industry differently.

"No amount of government stimulation¹⁵ is ever going get us back on our feet," said Jeff McQueen, one of a handful of people loosely affiliated¹⁶ with the Tea Party political movement who braved the cold weather to send a message to visiting lawmakers.

"The reason we're in the shape that we're in is because of government involvement," he noted.  "The government is trying to sit there and demand that we have more fuel-efficient vehicles - government involvement in international trade legislation and North American trade legislation that has really been to the determent of U.S. and Canadian workers."

Members of the media and the auto industry have access to the Auto Show this week.  The general public will get a chance to see the latest in green technology and automobile design when the event opens on January 16.
 

1 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

2 sneak   

vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行

参考例句：

• He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
• I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。

3 peek   

vi.偷看，窥视；n.偷偷的一看，一瞥

参考例句：

• Larry takes a peek out of the window.赖瑞往窗外偷看了一下。
• Cover your eyes and don't peek.捂上眼睛，别偷看。

4 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

5 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

6 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

7 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

8 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

9 volt   

n.伏特，伏

参考例句：

• You may use 100 and 110 volt appliances in your room.您可以在房间使用100及110伏特的电器。
• The common service voltage of electric power in our country is 220/380 volt.我国普通供电电压为220/380伏。

10 shareholder   

n.股东，股票持有人

参考例句：

• The account department have prepare a financial statement for the shareholder.财务部为股东准备了一份财务报表。
• A shareholder may transfer his shares in accordance with the law.股东持有的股份可以依法转让。

11 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

12 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

13 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。

14 touts   

n.招徕( tout的名词复数 )；（音乐会、体育比赛等的）卖高价票的人；侦查者；探听赛马的情报v.兜售( tout的第三人称单数 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• Many vouchers are returned for cash, allowing touts and middle men to make a healthy margin. 许多月饼券都被兑换成现金，这让券贩子和中间商赚取了不蜚的利润。 来自互联网
• Spotting prey, the customary crowd of hustlers and touts swarmed around, jostling for my business. 照例有大群的拉客黄牛在寻觅猎物，他们争相过来抢我的生意。 来自互联网

15 stimulation   

n.刺激，激励，鼓舞

参考例句：

• The playgroup provides plenty of stimulation for the children.幼儿游戏组给孩子很多启发。
• You don't get any intellectual stimulation in this job.你不能从这份工作中获得任何智力启发。

16 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。