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  3. The Slow City Movement, which is initiated in Italy and advocates slowin

The Slow City Movement, which is initiated in Italy and advocates slowin

游客2024-11-05  1
问题         The Slow City Movement, which is initiated in Italy and advocates slowing down the rhythm of life and tuning in to a green and sustainable lifestyle, has recently awarded Gaochun, a little village in Jiangsu the title of "Slow City" for its laid-back lifestyle and sustainability. The following article provides detailed information about this movement.
        Write an article of NO LESS THAN 300 words, in which you should:
        1. summarize briefly the article;
        2. give your comment on this movement.
        Sleepy Organic Town Wins First "Slow City" Prize
        A quiet village within Gaochun county, Jiangsu province of East China, has recently come under the media spotlight.
        Yaxi village, with a population of 20,000, has been designated China’s first "slow city" by Cittaslow, the sustainable lifestyle movement that first surfaced in Italy 11 years ago.
        At home, the residents at Yaxi are unfazed and pretty much unimpressed by the honor. To them, life has been like this for as long as they can remember. "Slow city? That sounds like us," said 81-year-old Mei Weibing, whose shoe shop in Gaochun’s Old Street has been around for more than 50 years. Every cloth shoe is painstakingly hand-stitched and Mei proudly declares: "I spend three days making one perfect pair of shoes."
        It is this pride and spirit that first impressed Cittaslow, and the award is only a confirmation of the concerted efforts to preserve an old-country, small-village atmosphere where growth is limited, chain stores are discouraged and civic life revolves around a close-knit society.
        Nobody living in this little county had heard of Cittaslow or the words "slow city" before this. "The first time I heard the term was last July, when the vice-president of Cittaslow, Angelo Vassallo, visited Yaxi village," said Zuo Niansheng, the chief editor of local newspaper Gaochun Today. "Vassallo was deeply impressed by this village’s natural and cultural resources and said it perfectly fitted the requirements for a slow city," Zuo said.
        Cittaslow was founded in Tuscany, Italy, in 1999, and it actively advocates a lifestyle that is sustainable, that will improve quality of life, and will preserve cultural and culinary heritage. There are now 135 accredited slow cities in 24 countries across the world.
        "In China, we will start with Gaochun," said Cittaslow chairman Pier Giorgio Oliveti. "Slow city is not a Europe-centered project, it is for the planet."
        But the Slow City label has drawn criticism from some people who see it as further proof that Gaochun has walled itself off as an isolated enclave.
        Wang Hongtao, who comes from a farming family in Yaxi village, has another take on the laidback life. He said he probably has a higher happiness index than those living in big cities like Bering or Shanghai. "We are homebodies. We love our hometown and we are not interested in moving to big cities in pursuit of the so-called ’better life’. I guess there are two sides to the coin."
        Being awarded the Slow City tag may also have its flip-side, if things are not carefully managed. Tourism is set to boom. Already, a new resort villa has opened and a new tour route to Yaxi is already in operation—all prepared for the potential rise in visitors.
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答案                                                                                 Slow City, Simple Return
        The Slow City Movement, initiated by small Italian cities, advocates slowing down the rhythm of life and tuning in to a green and sustainable lifestyle. It’s a concept that Chinese people are rarely acquainted with. Least known is the fact that Gaochun in Jiangsu Province has become the first "slow city" in China. However, on the other hand, the relaxed manner of living may not equal to a better life as it tends to keep people away from the real society. Worries that the booming tourism may destroy the unspoiled local cultural and natural heritage of Gaochun also came after the honor. As for me, the Slow City Movement is a hopeful return to self, nature and tradition.
        To begin with, for residents of a slow city, they are blessed with a calming and healthy way of life. The movement encourages people to take an afternoon nap every day and eat only naturally-grown food. Apart from better health, peace of mind is easily sought, thanks to an anti-pollution and anti-noise proposition limiting the number of industrial establishments and the use of cars. The Slow City Movement has turned down the volume in people’s busy, noisy and complicated modern life.
        Moreover, slow cities are granted with a green and beautiful environment. All slow cities are equipped with a noise control system and a sewage treatment mechanism. Besides, the number of billboards and neon signs is kept to a minimum. Sustainability comes first in filtering potential business investors and eliminating those with environmental hazards and high energy consumption. Following a path of ecological conservation and development, the once-barren hillside of Gaochun City was transformed into a green gem. With the interest of future generations in mind, people there strive to strike a balance between nature and economic progress.
        Last and most importantly, the Slow City Movement helps to preserve a unique local culture. It underlines keeping the cultural and natural personalities of a city, especially saving products or customs signifying a local taste. In Gaochun, for instance, the handicraft industry is rescued from the danger of extinction, saving not only the livelihood of local craftsmen but also an invaluable cultural heritage.
        Nightlife and urban excitement fashion a city coated with sleepless youth and vitality. But what we eventually need is a final home of peace and tranquility, a shelter for our souls, which is what slow city is all about.
解析         材料报道了江苏省高淳县桠溪镇成为了中国首个“国际慢城”。全文可分为三部分。
        前五段报道了桠溪镇居民的反应和获选的原因。当地居民对于获选没有太大反应（unfazed and pretty much unimpressed by the honor）。当地自然和文化资源是其获选的原因。这也证实了当地人齐心保护这座古老小城的原始风貌（a confirmation of…a close-knit society）。
        第六、七段指出“慢城运动”的来源和目的。它源于意大利，积极倡导提高生活质量、保护文化遗产和烹任文化的可持续的生活模式（a lifestyle that… and culinary heritage）。
        第八段到最后一段是人们对此次获选的不同看法。有人认为，“慢城”的称号证明了高淳筑起了让自己孤立的围墙（walled itself off as an isolated enclave）。也有居民认为，这种悠闲的生活（laid-back life）有两面性（two sides to the coin）。而且，事情若不能小心控制，这个荣誉有副作用（flipside），当地兴旺起来的旅游业对其原始风貌多有影响。
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