VOA标准英语2011--Brothers Rediscover Community Living on

Brothers Rediscover Community Living on Recycled Bikes

Noah and Tim HussinTwo brothers are riding across the country on bicycles made of recycled parts, in search of Americans reviving¹ a lost sense of local community. One of them is a writer, the other, a photographer. They are discovering this phenomenon through their multimedia² project, AmericareCycled.
Noah and Tim Hussin began peddling³ away from their big city lives last November and into the homes of Americans who are trying to rebuild sustainable local communities and economies.
After three years of living abroad, Noah wanted to come home and explore parts of the United States most people don't know. Tim - an avid⁴ bike rider - has worked in multimedia journalism⁵ for years, and felt it was time to pursue a personal project with his brother.
They are now more than 1,600 kilometers from the east coast state of North Carolina, where they began their journey. Along the way, the brothers have met Americans who are living in eco-villages, on an urban farm and running sustainable businesses.
But photographer and filmmaker Tim Hussin says they are not just riding by. "You know, it's not like we are staying nearby in a hotel or something, and just, you know, visiting everyday or every other day. We are actually sleeping in their houses and eating breakfast with them. So, we have very much become a part of whatever we are documenting," Hussin said.
They are documenting their experience through film and photography, and a blog, which incorporates⁷ local music of the places they have visited.
Noah says their journey began at a member-owned bicycle shop in Asheville, North Carolina , where they made their bikes from recycled parts.
"We discovered this bicycle co-op, which they are all over the country, kinda popping up everywhere. You can come in there and just sort through a whole garage of old parts, and they will teach you how to basically build a bike from the scraps," Noah said.
The Hussin brothers made a video at the bicycle recyclery to show one way Americans are turning their backs on decades of globalization and relocalizing culture.
Noah says it's happening all over the United States.
"Small communities are falling apart, whether its towns that are losing their industry and all their jobs and people are having to move out. Or whether it's just people choosing the life in suburbs where there are not really public spaces and there really isn't the cultural infrastructure⁸ to bring people together. I mean, we sense that a lot of people are kinda starting to lament⁹ that loss of community in this country and this loss of kinda local culture," Noah said.
Their first stop was at an urban homestead, a city or suburban¹⁰ home where residents produce all their basic needs. In one of the Hussin's short films, the homesteaders explain how this type of sustainable living allows them to abandon their 9 to 5 jobs to pursue their creative interests, like building, sewing, cooking and playing music.
"Small community living has been lost in America. Families are much more isolated¹¹, individuals are much more isolated. And I do think a lot is lost,"
"People are living sad lonely existences. Why do we have to do that to ourselves? We don't."
Tim says this North Carolina community is not alone.
"We have found there are lot of people creating spaces for to bring people to live the lives they want to lead and not to live they have been taught they should lead," Tim said.
The brothers are trying to live sustainably each step of the way, and are learning how from the people they meet. Noah says the residents of the urban homestead taught them how to find, rather than buy, their food while on the road.
"That was the beginning of us kinda realizing how much free food was out there, which has become a big part of our lifestyle on the road. Dumpster diving and road kill, which we never expected," Noah said.
Tim says there is plenty of food for the taking...if you know where to look. "It like blows my mind how much food, grocery stores throw away. If you start looking in the dumpsters, especially in America, and see how much they throw away because, you know, it expires¹² in one day or a vegetable has like a tiny rotten spot on it," Tim said.
He says they are discovering ways of living very different from their suburban up-bringing in the southeastern state of Florida.
"There are lot of interesting communities that I had no idea existed. And a lot of people that are really passionate¹³ about changing the way we live. It's really exciting and inspiring to see all these communities working individually but also together as sort of part of a larger movement," Tim said.
Noah says he and his brother have been inspired to change the way they live, and they hope their blog about their journey inspires others to consider it as well.
"Something about constructing a lot of things in your life with your hands and with your own friends...something about the process, the intimacy¹⁴ of living through people you are close seems to be feel a lot more authentic¹⁵ and a lot more human and I would much rather incorporate⁶ into my life going forward than I have in the past," Noah said.
Noah and Tim Hussin are now peddling through the culture-rich city of New Orleans, Louisiana, looking out for stories the city might turn up.

1 reviving   

v.恢复( revive的现在分词 )；苏醒；使再生效；回忆起

参考例句：

• There was a reviving pleasure in this intercourse. 交谈中，有一种令人振奋的乐趣。 来自辞典例句
• He had accused them of deliberately reviving militarism. 他曾指控他们蓄意复活军国主义。 来自辞典例句

2 multimedia   

adj.多种手段的，多媒体的；n.多媒体

参考例句：

• Multimedia is the combination of computer and video technology.多媒体是计算机和视频技术的结合。
• Adam raised the issue of multimedia applications and much useful discussion ensued.亚当提出了多媒体应用的问题，从而引发了许多有益的讨论。

3 peddling   

忙于琐事的，无关紧要的

参考例句：

• He worked as a door-to-door salesman peddling cloths and brushes. 他的工作是上门推销抹布和刷子。
• "If he doesn't like peddling, why doesn't he practice law? "要是他不高兴卖柴火，干吗不当律师呢？

4 avid   

adj.热心的；贪婪的；渴望的；劲头十足的

参考例句：

• He is rich,but he is still avid of more money.他很富有,但他还想贪图更多的钱。
• She was avid for praise from her coach.那女孩渴望得到教练的称赞。

5 journalism   

n.新闻工作，报业

参考例句：

• He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师，可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
• He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。

6 incorporate   

vt.包含，加上，吸收；把…合并，使并入

参考例句：

• Paints incorporate with oil.颜料与油混合在一起。
• We had to incorporate the company for tax reasons.由于纳税的原因，我们不得不把那家公司合并了。

7 incorporates   

组成公司( incorporate的第三人称单数 )； 包含； 使混合； 使具体化

参考例句：

• The shopping centre also incorporates a library and a bank. 商业中心还包括一家银行和一家图书馆。
• The factory incorporates with others. 这家工厂与别家合并了。

8 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

9 lament   

n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹

参考例句：

• Her face showed lament.她的脸上露出悲伤的样子。
• We lament the dead.我们哀悼死者。

10 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

11 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

12 expires   

期满( expire的第三人称单数 )； 文件、协议等（因到期而）失效； 断气； 逝世

参考例句：

• Copyright expires 50 years after the death of the author. 版权在作者死后50年即行终止。
• You must obtain a new automobile license when your old one expires. 当旧的汽车牌照满期，你得领取新的。

13 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

14 intimacy   

n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行

参考例句：

• His claims to an intimacy with the President are somewhat exaggerated.他声称自己与总统关系密切，这有点言过其实。
• I wish there were a rule book for intimacy.我希望能有个关于亲密的规则。

15 authentic   

a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的

参考例句：

• This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
• Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。