加拿大查找观鲸船沉没线索

AS IT IS 2015-10-30 Clues Sought in Whale Watch Boat Sinking 加拿大查找观鲸船沉没线索

It remains¹ unclear what caused a whale-watch boat to sink last weekend, killing² five Britons off the west coast of Canada.

UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond confirmed all five who died were British, Reuters reported.

The boat sank Sunday near Tofino, British Columbia, with 27 people on board. The accident sparked a rescue effort by the Canadian military, Coast Guard, and local fishermen.

The Joint³ Rescue Coordination⁴ Centre said 21 people were rescued and one Australian was missing. Most of those rescued were taken to hospitals. A spokeswoman for Island Health said one person was in serious condition, but stable.

The boat, or cruiser, was called Leviathan II. It was 65 feet long and had three decks. It was owned by Jamie’s Whaling Station and Adventure Centres.

Its website says the company takes tourists on boats for several hours around Vancouver Island to see Pacific Gray whales and humpback whales. These whale-watching trips usually last two to three hours. 

Corene Inouye is the company's spokesperson. She told the Guardian⁵ newspaper that the Leviathan II had been operating normally on a route it had followed for the past 20 years.   

She could not say what caused the boat to sink. It happened so fast that the crew members were unable to radio for help, she said.  

In 1998, a boat operated by the same company sank near Tofino, Reuters said. The ship’s captain and a German tourist died in that accident. 

The company owner, Jamie Bray⁶, said he is cooperating with investigators⁷ to figure out what happened.

After the Leviathan II sank, survivors⁸ and bodies were brought ashore⁹ to Tofino. It is a Canadian town of about 2,000 people. Tourists from around the world visit the town, hoping to see humpback and Pacific Gray whales.     

Words in This Story

whale - n. an often very large mammal that lives in the ocean

on board – expression. carried on a vehicle or on a boat, in this case

sparked – v.  to cause to start or happen

fishermen – n.  men who catch fish

spokeswoman – n. a woman who speaks for or represents someone or something

cruiser – n. a boat that has room to live on and that is used for pleasure

tourists – n. people who travel to a place for pleasure

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 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。

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

5 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

6 bray   

n.驴叫声, 喇叭声；v.驴叫

参考例句：

• She cut him off with a wild bray of laughter.她用刺耳的狂笑打断了他的讲话。
• The donkey brayed and tried to bolt.这头驴嘶叫着试图脱缰而逃。

7 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

9 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。