原版英语小短文 159. The Oil Spill

　　Millions of gallons of oil were pouring into the gulf¹. A pipeline² had broken. The drilling platform had burned and sunk. Workers had died. The oil flowed freely from the broken pipe. It was a mile beneath the ocean surface. The oil company tried to stop the flow. It poured golf balls into the pipe. It poured mud into the pipe. It put a steel cap on the pipe. Nothing worked. Oil was on the water. Oil was in the water. Oil was everywhere. It was on the beaches. It was in the marshes³. It was killing⁴ fish and birds. It was an environmental disaster. Fishermen stopped fishing. Nobody would buy their fish. Nobody would eat their fish. It was an economic disaster. In May, the oil company said it might be able to stop the flow by August. "August? There go our sandy white beaches," said Florida residents.

1 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

2 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

3 marshes   

n.沼泽，湿地( marsh的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Cows were grazing on the marshes. 牛群在湿地上吃草。
• We had to cross the marshes. 我们不得不穿过那片沼泽地。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。