亚洲—巴基斯坦地震救灾援助步伐加快

Pace of Massive Relief Effort in Pakistan Speeds Up

巴基斯坦地震救灾援助步伐加快

 

Another powerful aftershock rattled² northern Pakistan early Thursday , sending thousands of terrified residents of Islamabad back out onto the streets.

 

No damage was reported, but rescue workers say the tremor³ may have increased the odds⁴ of fresh landslides⁶ in the quake-affected⁷ mountainous areas northeast of the capital.

 

Relief efforts continued around the clock, as more and more aid began reaching the hardest-hit areas in Kashmir and the Northwest Frontier Province.

 

Several key roads leading to Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, have been cleared of debris⁸, and trucks carrying relief supplies are finally pour into the beleaguered⁹ city.

 

But aid workers say logistical challenges remain, and delivering urgently needed supplies such as food and shelter is still taking longer than they would like.

 

Dorothy Blaine, the country director for the Irish aid agency Concern Worldwide, says one of the main obstacles now is traffic.

 

Dorothy Blaine: There are hundreds and thousands of vehicles on the road, not just aid, not just trucks, there are journalists driving up there, relatives driving up, and it is very, very slow.

 

Throughout the day helicopters ferried supplies to the remote mountain areas and evacuated¹⁰ the wounded.

 

The official death toll¹¹ from Saturday's 7.6 magnitude earthquake was raised to 24,000, but rescue workers say that number could easily double in the next few days. Pakistani officials say billions of dollars may be needed to help the victims.

 

During a televised address to the nation late Wednesday night, President Pervez Musharraf said he was establishing a special trust for donations, and asked for international support.

 

Pervez Musharraf: I appeal to the international community to donate funds, to give financial assistance and donate to the president's relief fund.

 

Foreign governments continue to increase their initial contributions. The United States has already provided $50 million and says more is on the way.

 

The United Nations has issued an appeal for $272 million, saying more than four million people in Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan were affected by the earthquake.

 

Benjamin Sand, VOA news, Islamabad.

 

注释：

aftershock [5B:ftEFCk] n. 余震

rattle¹ [5rAtl] v. 使慌乱，使紊乱

Islamabad [is5lB:mEbB:d] n. 伊斯兰堡（巴基斯坦首都）

tremor [5tremE] n. 地震

odds [Rdz] n. 可能性

landslide⁵ [5lAndslaid] n. 山崩；塌方

mountainous [5mauntinEs] adj. 多山的

debris [5debri:] n. 碎片，废墟

beleaguered [bi5li:^Ed] adj. 围困的

ferry [5feri] vt. 运送

remote [ri5mEut] adj. 偏僻的，边远的

donate [dEu5neit] v. 捐赠，赠予

1 rattle   

v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓

参考例句：

• The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓，笑着叫着。
• She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。

2 rattled   

慌乱的，恼火的

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。

3 tremor   

n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震

参考例句：

• There was a slight tremor in his voice.他的声音有点颤抖。
• A slight earth tremor was felt in California.加利福尼亚发生了轻微的地震。

4 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

5 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

6 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

9 beleaguered   

adj.受到围困[围攻]的；包围的v.围攻( beleaguer的过去式和过去分词)；困扰；骚扰

参考例句：

• The beleaguered party leader was forced to resign. 那位饱受指责的政党领导人被迫辞职。
• We are beleaguered by problems. 我们被许多困难所困扰。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

11 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。