VOA常速英语2007-Fires Rage in Southern California, 250,000 Evacu

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
22 October 2007

At least one person is dead and tens of thousands have been evacuated² from their homes in Southern California, where fires have scorched³ 40,000 hectares and firefighters are battling at least 12 major blazes. Mike O'Sullivan reports, high winds and low humidity are hampering⁴ the effort.

With fires raging from the Mexico border through Los Angeles and northward⁵ to Santa Barbara, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in seven counties Sunday night. Monday, he called this a tragic⁶ time for the state.

The fires, fanned by desert winds called Santa Anas, are being fueled by tinder-dry brush following a hot summer and record drought.

A number of homes were burning Monday near Lake Arrowhead, in a mountain resort area.

Some of the worst damage was in the seaside community of Malibu, west of Los Angeles, where 1,500 people were evacuated. Fires swept through more than 900 hectares and destroyed at least five homes and a church.

Governor Schwarzenegger spoke⁷ with reporters after touring Malibu Monday, and said he hoped for a change in the weather.

"We have to just pray that the wind slows down because the wind is our number one enemy right now, and the dry weather," said Schwarzenegger. "So we hope that these weather conditions change as quickly as possible."

Near San Diego, 250,000 people were being evacuated from their homes, and San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders issued an appeal to residents.

"We are asking people to stay off the roads, to stay at home," said Mayor Sanders. "If you are in an area that could be affected⁸, please pack your car and be ready to evacuate¹ on a moment's notice. If you are nervous at all, please evacuate and go to one of the evacuation centers."

Fierce Santa Ana winds, which can gust⁹ higher than 100 kilometers per hour, are not expected to die down for several days, and California officials are requesting aid from neighboring states.

1 evacuate   

v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便

参考例句：

• We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵！
• They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。

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 scorched   

烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦

参考例句：

• I scorched my dress when I was ironing it. 我把自己的连衣裙熨焦了。
• The hot iron scorched the tablecloth. 热熨斗把桌布烫焦了。

4 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。

5 northward   

adv.向北；n.北方的地区

参考例句：

• He pointed his boat northward.他将船驶向北方。
• I would have a chance to head northward quickly.我就很快有机会去北方了。

6 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 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。

9 gust   

n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发

参考例句：

• A gust of wind blew the front door shut.一阵大风吹来，把前门关上了。
• A gust of happiness swept through her.一股幸福的暖流流遍她的全身。