VOA标准英语2010年-US Teachers Await Fate After Jobs Bill

New congressional funding will help states keep close to 140,000 teachers and thousands more police and public service employees in their jobs. The economic downturn in the United States had forced authorities to lay off many educators at the end of the school year. But now, with federal funding, many hope to be rehired within the next couple of weeks.

Carolyn Presutti | Yonkers, New York 11 August 2010
 

Aaron Harper

 

Aaron Harper is hitting it off with a few summer campers, playing ball with bright blue, orange and green whiffle balls.  
But, he'd rather be coaching them on chords and tempos¹.

 

In June, Harper taught his last class in instrumental music in the school district of Yonkers, a suburb north of New York City.

He and nearly 200 other teachers in Yonkers were laid off in June  That's before the House of Representatives passed a bill to provide $10 billion so states can avoid teacher cutbacks.  Harper isn't bitter.

"When they don't fund education, the district does what is has to do," he said. "I understand that. No hard feelings.  I can't get angry about that.  But still, at the same time, they have to support children."

The jobs bill allocates² money to the states.  From New York State, Yonkers will receive $6.5 million, which will save 90 teachers.  School officials, like Superintendent³ Bernard Pierorazio, decide who is called back and who remains⁴ unemployed⁵.

Will Aaron Harper be hired back?

"He's a tough one, he's one we really cherish here," said Pierorazio. "To get to a bare bones budget unfortunately, we had to cut what makes school special, like art, music and library."

The vote in the U.S. House of Representatives was largely along party lines, with Republicans saying the bill amounts to excessive government spending.

"A federal bailout is not the answer," said Representative John Kline, a Republican from Minnesota. "Spending another $10 billion we do not have will not improve public education or protect the very best teachers."

The school superintendent Pierorazio's eyes narrow when he hears arguments like that one.

"I look at the bailout of the auto⁶ industry and the banking⁷ industry," he said. "Those are short-term fixes, but long-term fixes are investing in the richest natural resource this country has and that's its children."

In his old music room, crisp, new uniforms await Aaron Harper's marching orders. Two instruments, a tuba and a baritone, sit discarded in a dusty crate⁸.  The paper sign says "garbage".  Harper started the school band four years ago.  Now, he entertains the summer campers, tapping his drumsticks on a weathered grey wooden handrail.

"God knows that I love to teach," said Harper. "I love kids.  That I love to work with kids.  I work with kids 365 days a year.  The paycheck -yes, I was concerned about how to support my family.  But importantly I worry how the kids are going to take it."

Janitors⁹ in Yonkers are preparing for students to return in September,  But no one knows yet how many teachers will be here to greet them.

1 tempos   

乐曲的速度或拍子( tempo的名词复数 )； （运动或活动的）速度，进度

参考例句：

• The tempos of income refer to real tempo, The price factor is taken out. 收入发展速度为扣除物价因素后的实际发展速度。
• Contrasting tempos and the restraining influence of synchronism serve to produce effects of scattering and tightening. 不尽相同的曲调形成调式、速度上的对比，它们由“合头”拉扯着，形成分散、聚合的效果。

2 allocates   

分配，分派( allocate的第三人称单数 )； 把…拨给

参考例句：

• The state allocates huge funds for the development of aid-agriculture industries. 国家拨出大批资金，发展支农工业。
• The value that then I create value allocates part to discuss. 于是我把价值创造的价值分配分别开来论述。

3 superintendent   

n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长

参考例句：

• He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
• He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。

4 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

5 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

6 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。

7 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

8 crate   

vt.(up)把…装入箱中；n.板条箱，装货箱

参考例句：

• We broke open the crate with a blow from the chopper.我们用斧头一敲就打开了板条箱。
• The workers tightly packed the goods in the crate.工人们把货物严紧地包装在箱子里。

9 janitors   

n.看门人( janitor的名词复数 )；看管房屋的人；锅炉工

参考例句：

• The janitors were always kicking us out. 守卫总是将～踢出去。 来自互联网
• My aim is to be one of the best janitors in the world. 我的目标是要成为全世界最好的守门人。 来自互联网