2月14日，电商巨头亚马逊与纽约市的“联姻”宣告失败——作为世界上市值最高的公司之一，亚马逊将不会继续在纽约市皇后区建造第二总部。这座新总部原本可以为当地创造超过2.5万个就业机会，未来25年将为纽约州带来近270亿美元的税收，同时亚马逊能得到价值近30亿美元的税务减免以及投资补贴。
调查显示，多数纽约州居民支持亚马逊的到来，但部分纽约人持续数月的抗议、当地政客的不配合以及本身准备不足最终令这家科技巨头放弃原本的计划。与此同时，亚马逊此次决定对纽约州长 Andrew M. Cuomo 和市长 Bill de Blasio 来说是一个重大打击，破坏了他们让纽约成为科技产业诱人之地、进而实现经济进一步多元化的努力。
众所周知，科技领域一直是纽约的薄弱环节。从政府宏观的角度来说，亚马逊落户纽约对双方是双赢，但站在纽约民众的角度，这也许并不是一件让所有人都开心的事情，例如亚马逊修建总部会推高当地本已高昂的房价，造成交通过载，增加流浪人员等。
本篇课程首发于2019年2月23日，选自 The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/14/nyregion/amazon-hq2-queens.html?module=inline
作者：J. David Goodman
文本难度：
话题难度：
Amazon Pulls Out of Planned New York City Headquarters
① Amazon canceled its plans to build an expansive corporate campus in New York City after facing an unexpectedly fierce backlash from lawmakers, progressive activists and union leaders, who contended that a tech giant did not deserve nearly $3 billion in government incentives.
② The decision was an abrupt turnabout by Amazon after a much-publicized search for a second headquarters, which had ended with its announcement in November that it would open two new sites — one in Queens, with more than 25,000 jobs, and another in Virginia.
③ Amazon's retreat was a blow to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio, damaging their effort to further diversify the city's economy by making it an inviting location for the technology industry.
④ The agreement to lure Amazon to Long Island City, Queens, had stirred intense debate in New York about the use of public subsidies to entice wealthy companies, the rising cost of living in gentrifying neighborhoods, and the city's very identity.
⑤ The company made its decision after growing increasingly concerned that the backlash in New York showed no sign of abating and was tarnishing its image beyond the city.
▍生词好句
pull out of: 脱离；退出
headquarters /ˈhedˌkwɔːtəz/: n. 总部；总公司
campus /ˈkæmpəs/: n. 校园；园区
industrial park/campus: 工业园区
face/meet a fierce backlash from sb.: 引起某人的强烈反弹
fierce /fɪəs, fɪrs/: adj. 强烈的；猛烈的
lawmaker /ˈlɔːmeɪkə(r)/: n. 立法者
progressive /prəˈɡresɪv/: adj. 进步的
activist /ˈæktɪvɪst/: n. 积极分子
union /ˈjuːnjən/: n. 工会
contend /kənˈtend/: vt. 声称；主张 (等同于 maintain/argue)
deserve /dɪˈzɜː(r)v/: vt. 值得；应得
sb. doesn't deserve sth.: 某人不配得到某物
government incentives: 政府激励 incentive /ɪnˈsentɪv/: n. 刺激；动机
abrupt /əˈbrʌpt/: adj. 突然的；唐突的
turnabout /ˈtɜːnəbaʊt/: n. 反转；转变
publicize /ˈpʌblɪsaɪz/: vt. 宣传；推广
publicist /ˈpʌblɪsɪst/: n. 宣传人员
a blow to sth.: 对……的打击
diversify /daɪˈvɜːsɪfaɪ/: vt. 使多样化
inviting /ɪnˈvaɪtɪŋ/: adj. 诱人的
lure /lʊə, ljʊə/: n./vt. 诱惑；引诱 (attract actively and strongly)
stir intense debate / stir an intense debate: 引起了很大的争议
subsidy /ˈsʌbsədi/: n. 补贴；津贴
entice /ɪnˈtaɪs/: vt. 诱使
gentrify /ˈdʒentrɪfaɪ/: vt. (上层社会的人移居过来) 使 (地区) 贵族化
gentrification /ˌdʒentrɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/: n. 士绅化
show no sign of abating: 没有衰退的迹象
abate /əˈbeɪt/: vi. 减轻；减弱
tarnish /ˈtɑːnɪʃ/: vt. 玷污
▍词汇拓展
1. pull out of: 脱离；退出
The train pulled out of the station slowly.
火车缓缓驶离车站。
The company pulled out of the Chinese mainland.
这家公司退出了中国大陆。
The US has pulled out of a number of international agreements in the past few years.
过去这几年，美国退出了多项国际协议。
2. headquarters: n. 总部；总公司
· Alibaba's Beijing/Hangzhou headquarters: 阿里巴巴北京/杭州总部
· headquarter: vi. 设立总部
Amazon headquarters in Seattle.
亚马逊的总部坐落于西雅图。
3. face/meet a fierce backlash from sb.: 引起某人的强烈反弹
The relocation plan has met a strong backlash from local residents.
搬迁计划引起了当地居民的强烈反弹。
4. a blow to sth.: 对……的打击
The breakup was a heavy blow to her.
这次分手对她来说是一个沉重的打击。
5. stir intense debate / stir an intense debate: 引起了很大的争议
The celebrity's remarks online have stirred an intense debate.
那个明星在网上的言论引起了很大的争议。
6. abate: vi. 减轻；减弱
The storm showed no sign of abating.
暴风雨没有减弱的迹象。
7. tarnish: vt. 玷污
· tarnish/taint one's image: 损害/玷污某人形象
The recent scandals of actor Zhai Tianlin have severely tarnished his image/reputation.
演员翟天临最近的丑闻严重损害了他的形象。
▍责任编辑
高晴、李秋健
▍内容校对
武志琳、章晓丹
pull out of
脱离；退出
The train pulled out of the station slowly.
火车缓缓驶离车站。
The company pulled out of the Chinese mainland.
这家公司退出了中国大陆。
The US has pulled out of a number of international agreements in the past few years.
过去这几年，美国退出了多项国际协议。
headquarters /ˈhedˌkwɔːtəz/
n. 总部；总公司
Alibaba's Beijing/Hangzhou headquarters: 阿里巴巴北京/杭州总部
headquarter: vi. 设立总部
Amazon headquarters in Seattle.
亚马逊的总部坐落于西雅图。
campus /ˈkæmpəs/
n. 校园；园区
face/meet a fierce backlash from sb.
意外引起某人的强烈反弹 (fierce /fɪəs, fɪrs/: adj. 强烈的；猛烈的)
The relocation plan has met a strong backlash from local residents.
搬迁计划引起了当地居民的强烈反弹。
lawmaker /ˈlɔːmeɪkə(r)/
n. 立法者
progressive /prəˈɡresɪv/
adj. 进步的
activist /ˈæktɪvɪst/
n. 积极分子
union /ˈjuːnjən/
n. 工会
contend /kənˈtend/
vt. 声称；主张 (等同于 maintain/argue)
deserve /dɪˈzɜː(r)v/
vt. 值得；应得
government incentives
政府激励 (incentive /ɪnˈsentɪv/: n. 刺激；动机)
abrupt /əˈbrʌpt/
adj. 突然的；唐突的
turnabout /ˈtɜːnəbaʊt/
n. 反转；转变
publicize /ˈpʌblɪsaɪz/
vt. 宣传；推广
a blow to sth.
对……的打击
The breakup was a heavy blow to her.
这次分手对她来说是一个沉重的打击。
diversify /daɪˈvɜːsɪfaɪ/
vt. 使多样化
inviting /ɪnˈvaɪtɪŋ/
adj. 诱人的
lure /lʊə, ljʊə/
n./vt. 诱惑；引诱 (attract actively and strongly)
subsidy /ˈsʌbsədi/
n. 补贴；津贴
entice /ɪnˈtaɪs/
vt. 诱使
gentrify /ˈdʒentrɪfaɪ/
vt. (上层社会的人移居过来) 使 (地区) 贵族化
stir intense debate / stir an intense debate about sth.
某事引起了很大的争议
The celebrity's remarks online have stirred an intense debate.
那个明星在网上的言论引起了很大的争议。
show no sign of abating
没有衰退的迹象
abate: vi. 减轻；减弱
The storm showed no sign of abating.
暴风雨没有减弱的迹象。
tarnish /ˈtɑːnɪʃ/
vt. 玷污
· tarnish/taint one's image: 损害/玷污某人形象
The recent scandals of actor Zhai Tianlin have severely tarnished his image/reputation.
演员翟天临最近的丑闻严重损害了他的形象。
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