VOA标准英语2010年-Group Provides Small Loans to Low Inco

Micro lending for small businesses is common in some countries, especially in the developing world.  But with the economic recession¹, micro lending is growing in the United States because it's difficult to get a bank loan to start a small business, especially for people with low incomes.  A private group is lending money to low income people in Washington so they can follow their dream. The loans range from $500 to $50,000. 

Fidel Garcia is the owner of Capital Pilates and Patrick Carl is co-owner of the Capital City Diner. Both were able to start businesses in Washington with a small loan from the Latino Economic Development Corporation.

Garcia is a Cuban immigrant who opened his pilates exercise studio in November in an upscale neighborhood after retiring as a professional ballet dancer.

He applied² for loans at many banks but was turned down. Then he went to LEDC and got $10,000. "It was a great help, because at that point, I really needed that money to help (buy) equipment, and with the rent.  And I am very thankful to them because I really needed that extra push that they gave me," he said.

Patrick Carl and his business partner say LEDC let them borrow $35,000.  "They walked you through the process like you were family.  It wasn't so business-like that it was uncomfortable or difficult or surprising. It was just helpful," he said.

The Latino Economic Development Corporation began the lending program more than 10 years ago to help Hispanics, but now provides loans to anyone with a low income.

"We look to see how much a client can afford to pay and that's how we determine how much they get -- how much a client has available after they've paid all of their expenses to be able to take on a new debt," said  Charlene Van Dijk, the lending manager.  

She says more than half the clients are Latino. "There's a huge immigrant population in Washington.  We have a bunch of Ethiopian clients.  We have clients from Southeast Asia."

LEDC is often the last stop for people with low incomes who want to set up small businesses. "We've worked with an accounting³ firm, an autopsy⁴ service, and a lot of on-line services, companies that are starting on-line businesses," she said.

Financing⁵ is also given to restaurants like the Capital City Diner, which was constructed in the 1940s.  The diner was moved by truck from a small town in New York to a low income neighborhood in Washington.

"We bought the entire restaurant, the entire building, plates, dishes.  We found the diner on E-bay.  We live in the neighborhood and there's no place for breakfast.  There's no sit-down restaurants and it seemed like a good opportunity for us," said Patrick Carl, co-owner, Capital City Diner. 

Capital City Diner opened two months ago, and like Garcia's pilates studio, business is booming⁶.  "On any given day, you can have a rich person next to a poor person.  It could be anybody who can walk in because everyone wants good food at good prices in a comfortable atmosphere," he said.

Garcia says after he pays off his loan, he plans to apply for another small loan from LEDC. "Because the studio has to grow.  And there are a lot of people who want to take classes," he said.

Last year, LEDC handed out $600,000 in small loans.  Only one client has not repaid⁷ a loan, after he lost a job that helped support his business.

 

1 recession   

n.（工商业的）衷退（期），萧条（期）

参考例句：

• Manufacturing fell sharply under the impact of the recession.受到经济萧条的影响，制造业急剧衰退。
• A rise in interest rates plunged Britain deeper into recession.利率的提高导致英国经济更加萧条。

2 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

3 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

4 autopsy   

n.尸体解剖；尸检

参考例句：

• They're carrying out an autopsy on the victim.他们正在给受害者验尸。
• A hemorrhagic gut was the predominant lesion at autopsy.尸检的主要发现是肠出血。

5 financing   

n.筹措资金

参考例句：

• The main source of our outside financing is bank loan. 我们向外筹措资金的主要渠道是银行贷款。
• They live in a symbiosis with governments that they are financing. 他们与他们服务的政府互利共存。

6 booming   

adj.急速发展的v.激增( boom的现在分词 )；猛涨；发出隆隆声；以低沉有力的声音说话

参考例句：

• The opera singer has a deep, booming, masculine voice. 这位歌剧演唱家有一副深沉而又浑厚有力的嗓音。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He is booming as a teacher. 作为一位教师，他日趋成功。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 repaid   

v. 偿还, 报答 vbl. 偿还, 报答

参考例句：

• The business quickly repaid the initial outlay on advertising. 这家公司很快偿付了初期的广告费。
• She doesn't intend to be repaid to her kindness. 她不图回报她的好心。