2006年VOA标准英语-Devastating Floods in Ethiopia Far from Over

By Lisa Schlein
Genava
23 August 2006

The World Food Program says devastating¹ floods that hit Ethiopia earlier this month are continuing to cause problems.  The United Nations reports that an estimated 48,000 people have been made homeless and hundreds of people have been killed or are missing.

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		Abdi Omar Elmi, left, who lost a son and two nephews in the floods, helps lead a donkey across a submerged bridge after severe floods hit the Somali Region of Eastern Ethiopia

The World Food Program says the number of displaced and homeless people could rise further as the rains show no sign of abating².  Rain is normal at this time in Ethiopia, but this year the country has experienced some of the heaviest and most intense rainfalls on record. 

WFP spokeswoman Christiane Berthiaume says water is rising to critical levels at three dams in the west, south and north. 

"The government will probably have to open the dams to release the water," she noted³.  "But, that means there will be some flooding around those dams if they have to do that.  So, they have been telling people on and on to leave the area, that there is a danger of flooding, to leave to higher places." 

The first big flood hit Ethiopia August 6.  Heavy rains in mid-August caused the Omo River to burst its banks, flooding large areas of land in the south and west, some 800 kilometers south of the capital, Addis Ababa. 

Berthiaume says thousands of people are marooned⁴ and encircled by floodwaters in isolated⁵ areas of the Omo River valley.  She says the flooding killed more than 300 people, washed away almost three thousand livestock⁶ and destroyed 760 grain reserves.

"People are still stranded⁷ in the waters right now," she added.  "Our colleague from WFP is there, has been there.  He is traveling by boat.  He says a lot of people do not want to go.  They want to stay even if they are surrounded by water because they do not want to leave their animals.  This is their only source of revenue.  So, they do not want to go.  But, the government is doing its utmost.  It has sent boats, helicopters." 

Earlier, flash floods in the badly hit town of Dire⁸ Dawa killed more than 250 people.  Many are still missing and it is feared the national death toll⁹ is likely to rise.

The World Food Program says the lashing¹⁰ rain and devastated¹¹ infrastructure¹² are hampering¹³ relief efforts.  American soldiers from a U.S. military base in neighboring Djibouti arrived in Dire Dawa at the weekend to assist the emergency services in the post-flood operations.  The government is appealing to the international community to provide urgent search and rescue assistance in the form of helicopters and motor boats.

The United Nations says many flood victims are at risk from water-borne diseases, including acute diarrhea and cholera¹⁴.  It says funds are urgently needed so WFP and other aid organizations can expand their operations.

1 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。

2 abating   

减少( abate的现在分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼）

参考例句：

• The storm showed no signs of abating. 暴风雨没有减弱的迹象。
• The recent public anxiety about this issue may now be abating. 近来公众对这个问题的焦虑心情现在也许正在缓和下来。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 marooned   

adj.被围困的；孤立无援的；无法脱身的

参考例句：

• During the storm we were marooned in a cabin miles from town. 在风暴中我们被围困在离城数英里的小屋内。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Five couples were marooned in their caravans when the River Avon broke its banks. 埃文河决堤的时候，有5对夫妇被困在了他们的房车里。 来自辞典例句

5 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

6 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

7 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

8 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

9 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。

10 lashing   

n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• The speaker was lashing the crowd. 演讲人正在煽动人群。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The rain was lashing the windows. 雨急打着窗子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 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。

12 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。

13 hampering   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• So fraud on cows and development aid is seriously hampering growth. 因此在牛问题上和发展补助上的诈骗严重阻碍了发展。
• Short-termism, carbon-trading, disputing the science-are hampering the implementation of direct economically-led objectives. 短效主义，出售二氧化碳，进行科学辩论，这些都不利于实现以经济为主导的直接目标。

14 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。