有一个村庄，在经济发展的大潮中掉队了。后来村民救助了很多流浪猫。让人想不到的是，这个村子也被这些猫救活了。
Saving and saved by stray cats
by Maggie Hiufu Wong
From the moment you arrive at Houtong Village in northern Taiwan, you'll have no trouble knowing who the real stars are. There's a cat-shaped bridge, pet food bowls on the side of the walkways, street signs with cat motifs, cat-themed cafes and, of course, furry feline friends roaming freely everywhere.
-shaped /ʃeɪpt/ 后缀，表示“具有某种形状”
walkway /ˈwɔːkweɪ/ n. 步行道（由walk和way组成）
motif /məʊˈtiːf/ n. 装饰图案
theme /θiːm/ v. 以…为主题
furry /ˈfɜːri/ adj. 毛茸茸的
feline /ˈfiːlaɪn/ adj. 猫的
roam /rəʊm/ v. 游荡
freely /ˈfriːli/ adv. 自由地（由free加后缀-ly变成副词）
In the early 1900s, Houtong, in New Taipei City, was the biggest and most technologically advanced coal-mining site in Taiwan. It was a prosperous town with about 6,000 residents and workers, before the mine fell into disuse in 1990.
technologically /ˌteknəˈlɒdʒɪkli/ adv. 技术上（由technological加后缀-ly变成副词）
advanced /ədˈvɑːnst/ adj. 先进的
coal /kəʊl/ n. 煤炭
mining /ˈmaɪnɪŋ/ n. 采矿
prosperous /ˈprɒsp(ə)rəs/ adj. 繁荣的、兴盛的
resident /ˈrezɪd(ə)nt/ n. 居民
mine /maɪn/ n. 矿
disuse /dɪsˈjuːs/ n. 不再使用、废弃（由use加上表示否定的前缀dis-）
As most young residents moved away for better opportunities, Houtong became a sleepy village with about 100 residents. But in 2010, Houtong's fame surged after a cat-lover and photographer started blogging about the village's growing stray cat population.
opportunity /ˌɒpəˈtjuːnəti/ n. 机会
sleepy /ˈsliːpi/ adj. 沉睡的、寂静的（由sleep加后缀-y变成形容词）
fame /feɪm/ n. 名气
surge /sɜːdʒ/ v. 激增
photographer /fəˈtɒɡrəfə(r)/ n. 摄影师、摄像师
blog /blɒɡ/ v. 写博客
stray /streɪ/ adj. 走失的（stray cat就是流浪猫）
Houtong was transformed into a cat-lover mecca while also providing a source of income for local villagers. Many of the stray cats, now given affectionate nicknames, are taken care of by local villagers as well as a troop of volunteers.
transform /trænsˈfɔːm/ v. 彻底改变
mecca /ˈmekə/ n. 吸引很多人的地方
source /sɔːs/ n. 来源
income /ˈɪnkʌm/ n. 收入
villager /ˈvɪlɪdʒə(r)/ n. 村民（由village加上表示人的后缀-er）
affectionate /əˈfekʃ(ə)nət/ adj. 充满爱意的（由affection加后缀-ate变成形容词）
nickname /ˈnɪkneɪm/ n. 昵称
as well as = and also
troop /truːp/ n. 一群
volunteer /ˌvɒlənˈtɪə(r)/ n. 志愿者
In addition to the village's many cute kitty-themed shops and cafes, the local government has also seized the opportunity to revamp Houtong and highlight its long history.
in addition to 除了…之外
kitty /ˈkɪti/ n. 幼猫、小猫
seize /siːz/ v. 抓住
revamp /riːˈvæmp/ v. 升级改造
highlight /ˈhaɪlaɪt/ v. 突出、强调
An award-winning pedestrian cat bridge was built. Metal plates featuring tiny paw designs were embedded into streets. A cat information and education center opened in 2014, featuring elevated cat walkways on the facade of the building. A museum park dedicated to the town's former mining life opened in 2010, later hosting a cat lantern festival in 2012.
pedestrian /pəˈdestriən/ n. 行人、步行者
feature /ˈfiːtʃə(r)/ v. 以…为特色
paw /pɔː/ n. （动物的）脚爪
embed /ɪmˈbed/ v. 嵌入、镶嵌
elevate /ˈelɪveɪt/ v. 升高
facade /fəˈsɑːd/ n. （建筑物的）正面
dedicate /ˈdedɪkeɪt/ v. 奉献
host /həʊst/ v. 主办
lantern /ˈlæntən/ n. 灯笼（lantern festival就是元宵节）
It all appears to be paying off. The town now draws an estimated one million visitors every year.
pay off 取得成功
estimate /ˈestɪmeɪt/ v. 估计
But Houtong, now under the spotlight, isn't completely perfect. According to local reports, the town has become a magnet for those looking for a place to abandon their unwanted pets. During the most recent survey, the New Taipei City Government Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office estimated that the village is now home to about 286 cats – 50 heads more than two years ago.
spotlight /ˈspɒtlaɪt/ n. （舞台上的）聚光灯（under the spotlight指受到很多关注）
magnet /ˈmæɡnət/ n. 磁铁
abandon /əˈbændən/ v. 抛弃、遗弃
unwanted /ʌnˈwɒntɪd/ adj. 不想要的（由want的过去分词加上表示否定的前缀un-）
survey /ˈsɜːveɪ/ n. 全面考察
head /hed/ n. 一头（动物）
With the constant patting and feeding from visitors, some also flagged concerns about the health of the furry residents. The department works with local residents and volunteers to vaccinate the cats and provide regular medical treatment.★ Signs have been erected around town advising visitors how to behave while also pleading pet owners to be responsible.
constant /ˈkɒnst(ə)nt/ adj. 经常的、不断的
pat /pæt/ v. 轻抚、轻拍
flag /flæɡ/ v. 标出某事以引起注意
concern /kənˈsɜːn/ n. 担心、担忧
vaccinate /ˈvæksɪneɪt/ v. 免疫接种、打疫苗
medical /ˈmedɪk(ə)l/ adj. 医疗的
treatment /ˈtriːtmənt/ n. 治疗（由treat加后缀-ment变成名词）
★ 这句话一开始的the department指前面提到的政府部门New Taipei City Government Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office（新北市政府动物保护和健康检查办公室）
erect /ɪˈrekt/ v. 竖立
advise /ədˈvaɪz/ v. 正式告知
plead /pliːd/ v. 恳求
responsible /rɪˈspɒnsəb(ə)l/ adj. 负责任的
（如果您发现某些行的最后一个单词被分成两半了，请把您使用的浏览器升级到最新版本就能正常显示了。）
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