2006年VOA标准英语-Gulf Coast Attempts to Recover from Hurric

By Greg Flakus
Gulfport, Mississippi
08 February 2006
 
watch Recovery report

The devastation¹ caused by flooding in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina continues to dominate headlines here and internationally. But Hurricane Katrina did not hit New Orleans directly; it did slam hard into the coast of nearby Mississippi and left a path of destruction still visible more than five months later. VOA's Greg Flakus went to Gulfport, Mississippi to check on recovery efforts there.

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Nothing remains² of this Gulfport house except the slab³ it once sat on and the address post   
  

The home that sat here once had a beautiful view of the water.  But it was the water, combined with Hurricane Katrina's powerful winds, that destroyed everything in this area on August 29th.

These damaged structures bear witness to the devastating⁴ power of Katrina.

No one lives at number 5200 anymore.  But the beaches here still look inviting⁵.

Workers are cleaning debris⁶ from the white sand to make the beaches safe for returning residents and the tourists local communities would like to lure⁷ back. 

 
Retired⁸ Colonel Raymond Whitmire
  
One of the first beachfront residents to return to Gulfport was retired U.S. Army Colonel Raymond Whitmire.  "Everything we had was lost. We found one golf club and that was it."

When he and his wife fled in one vehicle, they left behind another car, which ended up on a nearby neighbor's lot.

One of the people helping⁹ clear lots here is Rudolph Kehren, who left his job in Georgia to come over and help with the recovery on the Mississippi coast. He says what he found when he arrived was even worse than what he had seen in television reports.

Rudolph Kehren volunteered to help clean up neighborhoods in Gulfport  
  
"I call home and I call the organizations I volunteered with,” said Mr. Kehren, “and I tell them, ‘Until you come down here and see how much was destroyed you cannot imagine, you cannot comprehend, the destruction down here’."

Colonel Whitmire says his insurance company has paid for his loss and he is determined¹⁰ to rebuild here.  "Everybody on this block is committed to rebuilding, but it is going to take so long, it is quite a challenge."

Another challenge is the very real possibility that this area could be hit by future hurricanes. But Colonel Whitmire says the lure of life by the water is strong.

"There is something about the coast. It is being on the water. When you look at the map of American population areas, it is all on the coasts and the rivers. It is just a wonderful place to live, a great way of life, great people, great weather. It is just a great place to live. Look out there, isn't that beautiful?"

Sometimes heartbreakingly beautiful.

1 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。

3 slab   

n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上

参考例句：

• This heavy slab of oak now stood between the bomb and Hitler.这时笨重的橡木厚板就横在炸弹和希特勒之间了。
• The monument consists of two vertical pillars supporting a horizontal slab.这座纪念碑由两根垂直的柱体构成，它们共同支撑着一块平板。

4 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

5 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

6 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。

7 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

8 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

9 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。

10 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。