2006年VOA标准英语-Red Cross Says Work On Tsunami Recovery Progres

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
18 December 2006

The International Federation¹ of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says great progress has been made in helping² hundreds of thousands of Indian Ocean tsunami³ victims recover from the disaster two years ago. But the Red Cross says recovery will not be complete for several years and is urging the international community to remain engaged. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Red Cross headquarters in Geneva.

 
Baan Nam Khem, Khao Lak Phang Nga Province, Southern Thailand - hardest hit from Dec 26 tsunami 
On December 26, 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami killed an estimated quarter of a million people. It devastated⁴ the lives and livelihoods⁵ of millions of people in five countries. The cost in property and infrastructure⁶ ran into the billions.

There was an outpouring of generosity⁷ from the international community never before seen. Billions of dollars were contributed to the aid effort and aid agencies responded with vigor⁸.

Johan Schaar is Special Representative for the tsunami for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. He says there has been a lot of intensive reconstruction⁹ activity during the past two years. And, the effort is paying off.

He said, "When you travel to the affected¹⁰ countries, it is very encouraging to see how people are now moving back into their homes and how economic life is returning to the affected countries."

 
Johan Schaar (18 Dec 2006)
"Reconstruction which was pretty slow during the first year, for good reasons, is now really picking up pace and it is visible when you visit the affected countries," he added.

The Red Cross received about $2 billion for tsunami aid. It has spent about 40 percent of that on shelter, infrastructure, health, education and other services in Indonesia, the Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Schaar says some of the obstacles encountered by aid agencies relate to the remoteness of the affected region.

He said, "Logistical challenges. The still partly unresolved issues around land titling and land ownership in Aceh in particular. And, of course also, the conflict in Sri Lanka which has escalated¹¹ exactly in the parts of the island where the tsunami hit the hardest."

The Indonesian province of Aceh bore the brunt of the tsunami. Aceh had been involved in a 10-year conflict with the government. Because of this, Schaar says aid workers initially¹² had little access to the region.

This, he says, slowed down reconstruction activities. But, peace has come to Aceh and the task of rebuilding is moving along more quickly.

He says the situation in Sri Lanka has evolved in a less fortunate manner. Since the tsunami, he says the fighting between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels has made it impossible for aid workers to help the victims recover.

"Some of the people that were displaced by the tsunami have been displaced a second time by the conflict," he said. "And, of course, this is of very great concern to us."

The Maldives is a small country with many islands spread over a large area. Although the death toll¹³ from the tsunami was relatively¹⁴ low, the Maldives infrastructure, tourism and fisheries industries were devastated.

Schaar notes construction material and labor¹⁵ have to be imported. This has made the recovery expensive and slow. But, he says, good progress now is being made.

1 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

4 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

5 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

6 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

7 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

8 vigor   

n.活力，精力，元气

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在，她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。

9 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

10 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。

11 escalated   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
• The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级，演变成了一场同警察的混战。

12 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

13 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。

14 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

15 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。