#16. What's your opinion on a new restaurant built in your neighborhood?
Until recently our neighborhood hasn't had any restaurants. We have a local food market and several small convenience stores, and even several street side food stands, but no real restaurants. I'm personally in favor of opening a new restaurant in our neighborhood, and I believe it will make people's lives more convenient, support the local economy, and create a healthier community spirit.
Cooking at home every night is time-consuming and tiring for local families. After a long day at work, local people have to spend at least one hour to shop for groceries, and even more for cooking dinner, and cleaning up after the meal. By the time all is finished, they almost have no time to enjoy the company of their families. Eating out would save time if there were a restaurant nearby, but the closest restaurant is a 30-minute walk away. If a restaurant opened in our neighborhood it would allow local people to relax for a night or two every week and enjoy more time with their families.
A new restaurant would also help the local economy. Building the restaurant would require the labor of local carpenters, plumbers, and electricians. The new restaurant would need to buy a great deal of food and produce from local markets and supplies like furniture, cooking utensils, and everyday items from local merchants. It would also create jobs for waiters, managers, and chefs. Perhaps most importantly, a new restaurant could also potentially attract business from the surrounding neighborhoods, bringing more investment into our community.
Finally, a new restaurant would give local people a public space to gather and talk in. Our community has few suitable open spaces for people to meet and have conversations. The streets and markets are too noisy, and the shops have no place to sit down. People who were once strangers could meet in this restaurant and become better acquainted with one another; new friendships could be forged while old friendships could be strengthened. The benefits of a restaurant to community life are harder to measure than are its economic benefits, but in my opinion are sorely needed in our community.
16. 你对在社区新建一家餐馆有何看法？
到目前为止，我们社区附近还没有任何餐馆。我们有个当地的食品市场、几家便利店，甚至还有几个街边的食品摊，但是没有真正的餐馆。我个人赞成在附近开一家新餐馆，并且相信这会令人们的生活更方便，也会支持地方经济和创造更健康的社区精神。
对于本地的家庭来说，每天晚上在家做饭是既费时间又令人厌烦的。经过一天长时间的工作，本地人要花至少一个小时去购买食品杂货，甚至还要花更长的时间来做晚饭以及进行饭后的清理。所有这些都完成之后，他们就几乎没有时间去享受天伦之乐了。如果附近有餐馆的话，出去吃饭将会节省时间，但是去最近的餐馆也要走上30分钟。如果我们附近开一家餐馆的话就会让本地人每周放松一两个晚上，并有更多的时间与家人在一起。
一家新餐馆也会有助于本地的经济。建造餐馆会需要本地木工、管道工和电工的劳动。新餐馆会需要从本地的市场购买大量的食物和产品，也要向本地的商人购买家具、厨房用具及每天所需的杂项。它还会提供侍者、经理及厨师的工作职位。或许最重要的是，一家餐馆会潜在地吸引周边地区来做生意，为我们的社区带来更多的投资。
最后，一家新餐馆会为本地人提供一个聚会和谈天的公共场所。我们的社区几乎没有适合大家聚会和聊天的公共场所。大街上和市场里太吵了，商店里又没有地方可坐。曾经陌生的人们可以在这家餐馆里见面并彼此变得更加熟稔。新的友谊可以建立，旧的友谊可以巩固。一家餐馆为社区生活带来的好处与其经济收益相比更加难以衡量，但是我的观点是我们的社区急需这些好处。
- convenience store 便利店
- electrician [ilekˈtriʃən] n. 电工
- time-consuming [ˈtaimkənˌsu:miŋ] adj. 费时间的
- utensil [juˈtensəl] n. 器具
- potentially [pəˈtenʃəli] adv. 潜在地
- groceries [ˈgrəusəriz] n. 食品杂货
- investment [inˈvestmənt] n. 投资
- carpenter [ˈka:pəntə] n. 木匠
- acquainted with 与…熟悉
- plumber [plʌmə] n. 管道工
- sorely [ˈsɔ:li] adv. 强烈地，非常