Chinese street signs

正文

Manhattan's Chinese street signs are disappearing

曼哈顿的中文路牌正在消失

Bilingual street signs have hung over the bustling streets of Manhattan's oldest Chinatown for more than 50 years. They are the product of a program from the 1960s aimed at making navigating the neighborhood easier for those Chinese New Yorkers who might not read English.

50 多年来，在曼哈顿最古老的唐人街，那里熙熙攘攘的街道上一直悬挂着双语路牌。它们是上世纪 60 年代的一项计划的产物；该计划旨在让那些可能不懂英文的纽约华人更容易地在这一社区进行导航。

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These signs represented a formal recognition of the growing influence of a neighborhood. But as the prominence of Manhattan's Chinatown as the singular Chinese cultural center of the city has waned in the 21st century, this unique piece of infrastructure has begun to slowly disappear.***

这些路牌也是当局对这一社区日益提高的影响力的一种正式认证。曼哈顿唐人街是这座城市唯一的中国文化中心，不过随着这一地位的重要性 21 世纪逐步减弱，路牌这一独特的基础设施便开始慢慢消失。

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Chinatown is still a vibrant cultural center for Chinese and a landing pad for new Chinese immigrants, but the neighborhood is shrinking. Chinatown has experienced the largest exodus of Asian residents of any neighborhood in the city.

如今，唐人街仍是一个充满活力的华人文化中心和新华人移民的落脚点；然而，这一区域的人口数量却在萎缩。唐人街经历了曼哈顿所有社区中最严重的亚裔居民外流现象。

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The changes are a result of cumulative effects that go back to at least Sept. 11, 2001; the aftermath of the attacks dealt an immense blow to the Chinatown economy, especially the restaurant and garment industries.

这些变化由各种日积月累的因素造成，最早至少可以追溯到 2001 年的 9 月 11 日。911 恐袭的余波对唐人街的经济造成了极大的打击，尤其对餐饮和服装业。

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Meanwhile, real estate speculation has fueled rising rents, and most recently, the pandemic has led to a rise in racist rhetoric and violence, and a decrease in business at the area's shops.

与此同时，房地产投机行为让这里的房租涨得更厉害了。就在最近，新冠疫情的暴发让种族主义言论及暴力行为增加，让这一地区商店的生意锐减。

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In recent years, local efforts have been channeled toward community organizing and demonstrations like those against the closure of Jing Fong (the historic dim sum restaurant) and gentrification. Meanwhile, a host of new advocacy organizations have risen up with new priorities, focusing on issues like affordable housing, displacement, and COVID-19 relief.

近年来，当地社区的工作重心开始转向社区组织工作和像反对金丰大酒楼（一家历史悠久的广式早茶店）的关闭及社区中产阶级化这样的示威活动上。同时，许多新的倡议组织带着新的优先诉求不断增加，它们聚焦经济适用房、民众流离失所问题以及新冠疫情救济等事宜。

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In the face of these visceral struggles, issues like bilingual street signs seem to command little attention.

在这些牵动人心的斗争面前，双语路牌消失这样的问题似乎并未得到什么关注。

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主编：Felicity

品控：Felicity、Amber

审核：Jack

重点词汇

bustling

/ˈbʌs.lɪŋ/

adj. 繁忙的，热闹的，熙熙攘攘的

相关词汇：bustle（v. 忙碌，奔忙）

英文释义：to do something in a hurried and busy way

搭配短语：bustle around / about（某人四处忙活、忙得团团转）

例句：He was bustling around / about doing housework.（他正忙着做家务。）

词性拓展：bustle（n. 繁忙，喧闹）

近义词：hustle（n. 忙碌喧嚣）

例句：He is fed up with the hustle and bustle of big cities.

neighborhood

/ˈneɪbərˌhʊd/

n. 地区（尤指社区）；邻居

wane

/weɪn/

v. 逐渐减弱、减少、衰落

英文释义：to become gradually weaker

近义词：fade（v. 逐渐减弱、消失）

例句：By the late 90s, the band's popularity was beginning to wane.

vibrant

/ˈvaɪ.brənt/

adj. 充满活力的，充满生机的；（色彩）明亮的，鲜艳的；（声音）洪亮的

英文释义：full of life and energy

例句：Chengdu is a vibrant and fascinating city in my eyes.

landing pad

落脚点；直升机起降场、停机坪

相关词汇：land（v. 降落，着陆）

近义词：helipad（n. 直升机起降场、停机坪）

exodus

/ˈek.sə.dəs/

n.（尤指移民的）大批离开

词根词缀：exo-（表示 outside“外部地，从外部”）

相关词汇：exotic（adj. 异域风情的，异国情调的）

英文释义：a mass departure of people, especially emigrants

cumulative

/ˈkjuː.mjə.lə.t̬ɪv/

adj. 累积的，渐增的

相关词汇：accumulate（v. 积累）

搭配短语：the cumulative effect of sth.（……日积月累的影响）

例句：Depression is often caused by the cumulative effects of stress and overwork.

aftermath

/ˈæf.tɚ.mæθ/

n.（尤指不好的）后果，余波

例句：Mobile communications crashed in the aftermath of the explosions.

deal a blow to sb. / sth.

给……以打击，使……受到伤害

相关词汇：blow（n. 重击，打击）

例句：The pandemic has dealt a severe blow to the tourism industry around the world.

相关词组：to deal a heavy / serious / immense blow to sb. /sth.（对……造成严重、极大打击）

fuel

/ˈfjuː.əl/

v. 加剧，刺激；给……提供燃料

词性拓展：fuel（n. 燃料）

例句：The attacks fueled a feeling of patriotism across the country.

rhetoric

/ˈret̬.ɚ.ɪk/

n. 华而不实的语言，花言巧语；修辞，修辞学

搭配短语：rhetoric devices（修辞手法）

例句：The speech was dismissed by some people as merely political rhetoric.

channel

/ˈtʃæn.əl/

v. 传输，导向

词性拓展：channel（n. 管道，渠道）

搭配短语：to channel one's energy / emotions into sth.（将精力或情感聚焦在某事上）

例句：Most of her energy was channeled into painting.

gentrification

/ˌdʒen.trə.fəˈkeɪ.ʃən/

n. 中产阶级化，士绅化

相关词汇：gentrify（v. 使士绅化，使中产阶级化）

文化补充：gentrification，士绅化，也被译为“中产阶层化”；它是指一个旧社区从原本聚集低收入人士，到重建后地价上涨、租金上升，致使较高收入者迁入，并取代原有低收入者的过程。

原本居住在该社区的低收入者很可能受到新迁入者的歧视，或因生活成本提高而被迫迁往更偏远、条件更差的地区以维持生活。

affordable housing

经济适用房

相关词汇：affordable（adj. 负担得起的）

相关词汇：housing（n. 住房，住宅）

displacement

/dɪˈspleɪs.mənt/

n. 迫使背井离乡、流离失所

相关词汇：displace（v. 迫使某人离开家园、流离失所）

例句：Hundreds of people have been displaced by the hurricane.

搭配短语：the displaced people（无家可归、流离失所的人）

visceral

/ˈvɪs.ər.əl/

adj. 发自肺腑的，发自内心的

搭配短语：one's visceral hatred for sth.（对……恨之入骨）

command

/kəˈmænd/

v. 赢得，博得（尊重、关注等）；命令

搭配短语：to command attention（吸引注意，引起关注）

近义词组：to attract / capture one's attention

搭配短语：to command respect（赢得尊重）

例句：She is one of those teachers who just commanded respect.