U.S. President George Bush is getting a first hand look at the damage inflicted on his home state of Texas by Hurricane Ike. The president traveled Tuesday to areas hardest hit by the storm.
美国总统布什正在亲自考察“艾克”飓风给他的家乡德克萨斯州造成的破坏。
First in Houston, and then in Galveston, the president sought to console storm victims.
布什总统首先到休斯敦，接着去了加尔维斯顿，希望抚慰当地飓风灾民。
He said they face tough challenges, but he vowed that America's Gulf Coast will rebound.
布什说，他们面临巨大的挑战，不过布什誓言美国的墨西哥湾沿岸将会复苏。
"It's a tough situation on the coast. I have been president long enough to see tough situations and the resilience of the people," Mr. Bush said.
布什说：“墨西哥湾沿岸地区局势严峻，我身为总统这么长时间，经历过艰难的局面，知道人民能够渡过难关。”
But the path to recovery could be long and hard. It may take weeks before electricity is fully restored. Removing the tons of debris and repairing extensive flood damage will likely take much longer.
不过，灾后恢复可能是一个长期和艰苦的过程。供电全面恢复可能需要几个星期。清除数吨的垃圾，修复洪水造成的各种各样的破坏可能需要更长时间。
Houston remains under a nighttime curfew. And in Galveston - which was in the eye of the storm - there is still no power, no operating sewage system and no functioning hospital.
休斯敦仍然实行夜间宵禁。而在地处“艾克”飓风中心的加尔维斯顿，至今没有恢复供电，污水排水系统瘫痪，医院也没有接收病患。
Most of the residents of the barrier island town heeded calls to evacuate before the storm. President Bush told them to stay away until it is safe to return.
加尔维斯顿市位于海岸线外的天然屏障岛屿上，该市绝大多数居民在飓风到来之前听从了撤离该岛的命令。布什总统告诉他们在安全之后，再返回家园。
"I know a lot of people are anxious to get back in. I urge you to listen to state and local authorities before you come back," he said.
布什说：“我知道许多人都非常想回家。我要求你们在返回家园之前，要听从州和当地官员的指示。”
Emergency officials briefed Mr. Bush on conditions immediately after his arrival in Texas, and he toured the disaster zones by helicopter.
紧急救援人员在布什总统到达德克萨斯后就立即向他通报了有关情况，布什总统还乘坐直升机巡视了灾区。
He was told about the thousands of storm victims who remain in shelters, and efforts to keep up with the demand for blankets, food, bottled water and other basic supplies.
布什总统了解到有大约数千名飓风灾民还住在临时住所里，以及救援人员为了满足灾民对毯子、食品、瓶装水等日用品的需求所做的努力。
The American Red Cross is working with authorities in the Gulf. But after back-to-back hurricanes, it is running short on funds.
美国红十字会正在跟墨西哥湾沿岸有关当局一起抗灾。但是接踵而至的飓风导致资金不足。
As he prepared to inspect the storm damage, the president made a direct appeal for contributions.
布什总统在准备视察飓风灾区时，也直接呼吁民众捐款捐物。
"I hope the country does not have disaster fatigue. The Red Cross is a vital part of helping people recover," Mr. Bush said.
布什说：“我希望我们国家不会出现灾难疲怠征候。红十字会是帮助人民渡过风灾的关键力量。”
The American Red Cross has taken the unusual step of asking Congress for millions of dollars to replenish its disaster relief fund following Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The Red Cross operates under a Congressional charter that requires it to respond to natural disasters. However, it is an independent charity and relies primarily on private donations.
美国红十字会采取了不同寻常的步骤，要求国会拨款数百万美元，以补充古斯塔夫和艾克飓风过后该机构的救灾基金。红十字会是根据一项国会宪章运作的，该宪章要求红十字会对各种自然灾害进行救助。然而，红十字会又是一个独立的慈善机构，基本依靠民间捐款运作。 |