VOA标准英语2010年-Detroit Auto Workers Anticipate Obama

President Obama visits two Michigan auto¹ plants on Friday. Over the last two years the administration has been instrumental in propping² up the U.S. car industry - by approving billions in government loans after bankruptcies³ and management changes.

Henry Torgl may be enjoying Detroit baseball and a beer, but questions about a special Friday visitor are on everyone's mind.

 

Torgl just finished a 13-hour shift at the Detroit Chrysler plant that President Obama will visit on Friday. "Everyone's excited, you know.  Meet the president, chance to see him. I mean, it's exciting," he said.

Torgl says some of his co-workers credit Mr. Obama with saving the auto industry. The President took a personal interest in restructuring Chrysler and General Motors, following two of the largest bankruptcies in U.S. history - less than a year after he had proposed billions of dollars in government loans.  "We are appreciative⁴, at least I am, that he gave us the loan.  Remember, it's a loan, we are paying it back, it's not like the banks. But if it wasn't for the taxpayers⁵, I mean, we wouldn't be here," he said.

Torgl's plant makes the Jeep Grand Cherokee, under the supervision⁶ of plant manager Pat Walsh.  It's the last urban car plant left in Detroit. 

Last September, this plant shut down for a month for a total transformation⁷.  The idea was to create a World Class Manufacturing facility, like in the 1990s, when car production was high. But no contractors⁸ were brought in; no one was laid off.  These workers stayed inside and did the conversion⁹ themselves, building loyalty¹⁰ and pride.

"We knew this was our plant.  We could change over our plant to something we could be proud of and really be the first steps to launch the new 2011 Grand Cherokee," said Walsh.

The president's second stop is at the General Motors plant that manufactures the Chevrolet Volt¹¹, an electric and gas-powered vehicle that some say might revolutionize the industry.

Ed LeBlanc has worked for GM for 13 years. Last year his wife returned to school to study nursing as a back-up to his salary.

In May, General Motors reported its first quarterly profit in three years, with $865 million in net income. LeBlanc thinks the President's visibility with the Volt will propel GM to more profitability. "I think the Volt is the most technically-advanced machine, car, on the road right now, I just hope the public jumps on the bandwagon," he said.

The public response could be known soon.  On Tuesday, dealers¹² in seven areas began taking orders for the Volt. 
 

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 propping   

支撑

参考例句：

• You can usually find Jack propping up the bar at his local. 你常常可以看见杰克频繁出没于他居住的那家酒店。
• The government was accused of propping up declining industries. 政府被指责支持日益衰败的产业。

3 bankruptcies   

n.破产( bankruptcy的名词复数 )；倒闭；彻底失败；（名誉等的）完全丧失

参考例句：

• It's a matter of record that there were ten bankruptcies in the town last year. 去年这个城市有十家破产是事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Business bankruptcies rose 50 percent over the previous year. 破产企业的数量比前一年增加５０％。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

4 appreciative   

adj.有鉴赏力的，有眼力的；感激的

参考例句：

• She was deeply appreciative of your help.她对你的帮助深表感激。
• We are very appreciative of their support in this respect.我们十分感谢他们在这方面的支持。

5 taxpayers   

纳税人，纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
• She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。

6 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

7 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

8 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 conversion   

n.转化，转换，转变

参考例句：

• He underwent quite a conversion.他彻底变了。
• Waste conversion is a part of the production process.废物处理是生产过程的一个组成部分。

10 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

11 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。

12 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。