US City Wants Woman to Clean up Rock Art

US City Wants Woman to Clean up Rock Art

美国城市要求女士清理岩石艺术

【原文听力】

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　　By Gregory Stachel

　　02 December 2023

　　Iris Logan was having a hard time growing grass at her home in St. Paul, Minnesota. So, she covered the space with stones, statues, and other art.

　　More than 30 years later, it is something of a local landmark. But to a city inspector, it is a problem.

　　Logan, who is 70, has been told to clean up the different objects, like wood and large rocks, noted after a recent inspection, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, a local newspaper reported. The City Council will look at the issue on December 6.

　　Logan said the city's actions forced her to create the art in the first place. She said city workers who were fixing the road dug so deep around one of her trees that its roots were open to the air. So, she brought in dirt, planted flowers, and added stones – and just kept adding.

　　Logan said that if she likes a rock, she will try to bring it home. "I'm a rock lover," the former farmer from Mississippi added.

　　Logan recently received written notice that a city official will suggest to the City Council that she be given until December 22 to clean things up. She wrote six pages of note by hand to appeal the order. The stones do not enter the street or block city vehicles, Logan wrote to answer one of the inspector's concerns.

　　"I just want to make a stand for the next person," Logan said.

　　Casey Rodriguez is a spokeswoman for the St. Paul Department of Safety and Inspections. She said about 16 other properties on the same street also received letters advising them to remove objects blocking the street to agree with city laws.

　　She said in an email to the Pioneer Press that large roads, called boulevards, should be clear of objects that can block access to power and water lines. She added that it also keeps the tree roots clear and provides a place for snow in the winter.

　　Justin Lewandowski is a community organizer who lives near Logan. He said that 150 people signed their support on a petition "in just a few hours." He is hopeful that the city will soon clear up their rules.

　　"The quick support from our neighbors has been a clear signal of how much this art means to our community," Lewandowski said. He said it is not just about how it looks; it is about their identity and how they work with each other and with city policy.

　　I'm Gregory Stachel.

　　The Associated Press reported this story. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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　　作者：Gregory Stachel

　　2023年12月2日

　　Iris Logan在明尼苏达州圣保罗的家中种草遇到了困难。因此，她用石头、雕像和其他艺术品覆盖了这个空间。

　　30多年后，这里成为了当地的一个地标。但对于城市检查员来说，这是个问题。

　　据当地报纸《圣保罗先驱报》报道，70岁的Logan被告知要清理掉最近一次检查后发现的各种物品，如木头和大石头。市议会将在12月6日审议这个问题。

　　Logan表示，正是城市的行为迫使她开始创作这些艺术品。她说，城市工人在修路时挖得太深，以至于她的一棵树的根部暴露在空气中。于是，她带来了土壤，种植了花朵，添加了石头——并且一直在添加。

　　Logan说，如果她喜欢一块石头，她会试图把它带回家。这位来自密西西比的前农民补充说：“我是一个热爱岩石的人。”

　　Logan最近收到了书面通知，一位城市官员将建议市议会给她时间，直到12月22日才清理这些东西。她手写了六页的笔记来申诉这个命令。Logan写道，这些石头并没有进入街道或阻碍城市车辆，以此回应检查员的一项担忧。

　　Logan说：“我只是想为下一个人站出来。”

　　Casey Rodriguez是圣保罗安全和检查部门的发言人。她说，同一条街上的大约16个其他物业也收到了信件，建议他们移除阻碍街道的物体，以符合城市法规。

　　她在给《先驱报》的一封电子邮件中写道，大道路（称为林荫大道）应该清除可能阻碍电力和水线通道的物体。她补充说，这也保持了树根的清晰，并为冬天的雪提供了空间。

　　Justin Lewandowski是一位住在Logan附近的社区组织者。他说，150人在一份请愿书上签名表示支持，“仅仅几个小时”就做到了这一点。他希望城市能尽快明确他们的规定。

　　Lewandowski说：“邻居们的快速支持清楚地表明了这种艺术对我们社区的重要性。”他说，这不仅仅是关于它的外观；这是关于他们的身份，以及他们如何与彼此以及城市政策合作。

　　我是Gregory Stachel。

　　这个故事由美联社报道。Gregory Stachel为VOA学习英语改编了它。

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　　本文中的词汇

　　landmark – n. 地面上容易看到和识别的物体或结构，

　　notice – n. 告诉你或警告你即将发生的事情的信息，

　　access – n. 接近、到达或接触某物或某人的方式，

　　petition – n. 人们签名以表明他们希望某人或组织做某事或改变某事的书面文件，