2006年VOA标准英语-Hungary Declares a State of Emergency Due

By Stefan Bos
Budapest
03 April 2006

The Hungarian government announced a state of emergency Monday after rain and melting snow swelled¹ rivers and flooded towns across Central Europe. There were at least six reported deaths, and thousands of homes had to be evacuated².

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A scene in Kismaros, Hungary (50 km north of Budapest)
  

As in some neighboring countries, residents in Hungary's capital, Budapest, are working around the clock to fill sand bags in a desperate fight against the rising water of the Danube River.

Of particular concern to authorities is Budapest's Margaret Island, a popular tourist spot, famous for its thermal³ baths, medical treatment and luxury hotels.

Some low-lying places in downtown Budapest are already under water. Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurscany calls the situation in the capital and across the country serious, and says the government is monitoring the situation closely.

"We have set up a special government coordination⁴ committee to continuously monitor the water levels to see how high the river will rise." Mr. Gyurcsany said. On Monday, he declared a state of emergency.

The government's efforts to keep the rivers from spilling over came too late for dozens of flooded towns and villages, including Dunaszentpal, near the border with Slovakia. This elderly villager, Gyorgy Goldstein, says he fears his house will collapse⁵.

He says he is very nervous. He adds, "My house saw already three floods since the 1960s. So, it will be flood Number Four. I don't think my house is strong enough" to survive this flood"

In Romania, to the east, and Slovakia and the Czech Republic, to the north, populations in low-lying areas have been put on alert. In the Czech Republic, several people have died, and anti-flood barriers on the river Vltava have been raised.

Czech officials have declared a state of emergency in several areas, and in the historic city of Olomouc, 250 kilometers east of Prague, thousands of people had to be evacuated.

In nearby Austria, the Danube remained closed for shipping⁶ Sunday. In Hungary, the Danube is expected to crest⁷ at nine meters, breaking a record set in 2002. Heavy rains and melting snow are being blamed for the floods.

1 swelled   

增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情）

参考例句：

• The infection swelled his hand. 由于感染，他的手肿了起来。
• After the heavy rain the river swelled. 大雨过后，河水猛涨。

2 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。

3 thermal   

adj.热的，由热造成的；保暖的

参考例句：

• They will build another thermal power station.他们要另外建一座热能发电站。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

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 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

6 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

7 crest   

n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖

参考例句：

• The rooster bristled his crest.公鸡竖起了鸡冠。
• He reached the crest of the hill before dawn.他于黎明前到达山顶。