VOA慢速英语2016--海洋吞没西非海岸线

AS IT IS 2016-07-15 Ocean Swallowing West African Coastline 海洋吞没西非海岸线

Water, the saying goes, will find its way.

And so it seems to be the case in West Africa. Rising sea levels and erosion along the coast are threatening the homes and jobs of hundreds of thousands of people across West Africa.

Grand-Lahou is one example. The Ivory Coast tourist town is about 100 kilometers west of Abidjan. The waves are swallowing the coastline of Grand-Lahou’s old town at a rate of one to two meters a year.

It is a problem along much of West Africa’s coast. The effects could be serious. One-third of the area’s people live by the sea. The coastal¹ areas contribute about half of the area’s GDP, or gross domestic product.

Eugene Koffi has spent all his life on a shrinking patch of land between the sea and lagoon². It is called Lahou-Kpanda.

Pointing out across the water, Koffi says the sea used to be back there, two kilometers away. But now, it comes up to just a few meters away from where he stands. He says there used to be people living there, and coconut³ trees.

But now, many houses have been abandoned along the coast. Residents moved inland.

Coastal erosion is not new. It is a natural event. But experts say human activity is speeding up the process. With global warming, the sea levels are rising around the world.

Grand-Lahou has been hurt by nearby government dams and the practice of taking sand to build houses. Many buildings from the early 20th century have washed away.

Water has eroded⁵ the fence around the church. It regularly fills the courtyard. And at the cemetery⁶, the tombstones are slowly being covered by sand.

For the few thousand fishermen there, making a living has become harder. One says the mouth of the river is stuck in the sand, and they cannot cross with their boats.

Barthelemy Bamba is the director of the Center for Ocean Research in Abidjan. They work on prevention and awareness⁷ issues. They also advise the Ivorian government on developing future structures like coastal roads.

He says there were mangroves—a kind of tree—that grow in the salt water of the lagoon. The problem starts when the river mouth is closed, blocking the salt water. The lagoon becomes fresh water and the mangroves die. But the mangroves are very important for biodiversity—keeping different kinds of life in the area.

If the mangroves die, Bamba says, it basically ends fishing there. The fishermen say the government could help by removing the sand from the mouth of the river.

But experts say the rising sea level is irreversible—there is no way to turn it back. In the end, the people will be pushed inland, too.

Words in This Story

lagoon – n. an area of sea water that is separated from the ocean by a reef or sandbar

erode⁴ – v. to gradually destroy something by natural forces

cemetery – n. a place where dead people are buried

tombstone – n. a marker for where a person is buried, usually made of stone

1 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

2 lagoon   

n.泻湖，咸水湖

参考例句：

• The lagoon was pullulated with tropical fish.那个咸水湖聚满了热带鱼。
• This area isolates a restricted lagoon environment.将这一地区隔离起来使形成一个封闭的泻湖环境。

3 coconut   

n.椰子

参考例句：

• The husk of this coconut is particularly strong.椰子的外壳很明显非常坚固。
• The falling coconut gave him a terrific bang on the head.那只掉下的椰子砰地击中他的脑袋。

4 erode   

v.侵蚀，腐蚀，使...减少、减弱或消失

参考例句：

• Once exposed,soil is quickly eroded by wind and rain.一旦暴露在外，土壤很快就会被风雨侵蚀。
• Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.金融市场的竞争降低了利润。

5 eroded   

adj. 被侵蚀的，有蚀痕的 动词erode的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The cliff face has been steadily eroded by the sea. 峭壁表面逐渐被海水侵蚀。
• The stream eroded a channel in the solid rock. 小溪在硬石中侵蚀成一条水道。

6 cemetery   

n.坟墓，墓地，坟场

参考例句：

• He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
• His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。

7 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。