VOA标准英语2013--Detroit Seeks Path to Solvency

 

Detroit Seeks Path to Solvency¹

As talks broke down with some of Detroit’s major creditors², Michigan Governor Rick Snyder told reporters the state of Michigan was out of options. “The city is basically broke,” he said.

Detroit’s bankruptcy³ petition, filed by state appointed Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr, lists the General Retirement⁴ System and the Police and Fire Retirement System of Detroit as two of the largest creditors, with a combined $2.5 billion in unfunded liabilities.  

Orr estimates the city’s annual budget deficit⁵ at more than $300 million, with it’s long-term debt close to $20 billion. It’s money the city simply doesn't have.

“What shocked me was the tolerance⁶ of this behavior for decades. This has been going on for a very long time, and to say the least, it is at best unorthodox in terms of how these things were going,” said Orr.

The bankruptcy is another blow to Detroit. Resident Everett Cottrell said the city has struggled to shed its image of urban blight⁷ and  perpetual decay.

"They [outsiders] think Detroit is a dump. No respect. It's a dump now. Big old Detroit can't even handle its own business? That's sad," said Cottrell.

Leland Harrison, another resident, blames Detroit’s fiscal⁸ mess on neglect by city leaders. He sees Emergency Manager Orr’s bankruptcy filing as a last resort.

"Well, they've had enough time to straighten it out. So I guess, as they say, 'if you can't handle it yourself, someone else will.' So I guess they did," said Harrison.

Some residents are concerned city assets could be liquidated⁹ to help pay the bills, including the large collection of paintings, sculptures and historic artifacts at the Detroit Institute of Arts. One piece is the puppet "Howdy Doody" from the iconic children’s TV show of the 1950s.  

Orr tried to allay¹⁰ concerns. “Right now there is nothing for sale, including Howdy Doody,” he said.

But no bets are off the table. The fate of the city’s assets rests with a federal bankruptcy judge, who has yet to be appointed.

1 solvency   

n.偿付能力，溶解力

参考例句：

• Fears about the solvency of the banks precipitated the great economic crash.对银行偿付能力出现恐慌更加速了经济的崩溃。
• Their targets,including profitability ratios,solvency ratios,asset management ratios.其指标包括盈利比率、偿债能力比率、资产管理比率。

2 creditors   

n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They agreed to repay their creditors over a period of three years. 他们同意3年内向债主还清欠款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

4 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

5 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

6 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

7 blight   

n.枯萎病；造成破坏的因素；vt.破坏，摧残

参考例句：

• The apple crop was wiped out by blight.枯萎病使苹果全无收成。
• There is a blight on all his efforts.他的一切努力都遭到挫折。

8 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

9 liquidated   

v.清算( liquidate的过去式和过去分词 )；清除（某人）；清偿；变卖

参考例句：

• All his supporters were expelled, exiled, or liquidated. 他的支持者全都被驱逐、流放或消灭了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• That can be liquidated at market value any time. 那可按市价随时得到偿付。 来自辞典例句

10 allay   

v.消除，减轻(恐惧、怀疑等)

参考例句：

• The police tried to allay her fears but failed.警察力图减轻她的恐惧，但是没有收到什么效果。
• They are trying to allay public fears about the spread of the disease.他们正竭力减轻公众对这种疾病传播的恐惧。