2007年VOA标准英语-Bush To Tour Storm Damage

By Scott Stearns
White House
02 March 2007

 
George W. Bush, 2 Mar¹ 2007
U.S. President George Bush says federal officials are helping² states cope with the aftermath of violent storms that left at least 20 people dead across America's Midwest and Southeast. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story.

President Bush says he will travel Saturday to the states of Georgia and Alabama to inspect the damage.

"I go down with a heavy heart," he said. "I go down knowing full well that I will be seeing people whose lives were turned upside down by the tornadoes⁴. I will do my very best to comfort them."

 
Scene at school in Alabama after tornado³ struck, 1 Mar 2007
Eight teenagers died when their Alabama high school collapsed⁵. More than 50 people were injured.

Nine people are reported dead in Georgia following a tornado from the same storm system, which also claimed the life of a young girl in Missouri.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's regional coordination⁶ center in Atlanta is helping to assess the damage. That agency and President Bush were widely criticized for their poor response to Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005, which killed more than 1,800 people.

Asked if the president's decision to visit the tornado-stricken areas Saturday was influenced by the political fall-out from Hurricane Katrina, White House Spokeswoman Dana Perino said it was not part of the discussion.

She says it was an automatic response from the president to reach out to governors from states affected⁷ by this week's storms. While estimates of the total damage are still being tallied⁸, Perino said it is clearly extensive.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

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 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

4 tornadoes   

n.龙卷风，旋风( tornado的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Tornadoes, severe earthquakes, and plagues create wide spread havoc. 龙卷风、大地震和瘟疫成普遍的毁坏。 来自互联网
• Meteorologists are at odds over the working of tornadoes. 气象学者对龙卷风的运动方式看法不一。 来自互联网

5 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

6 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。

7 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。

8 tallied   

v.计算，清点( tally的过去式和过去分词 )；加标签（或标记）于；（使）符合；（使）吻合

参考例句：

• The girl tallied them with her eyes for a moment. 新娘用目光把这些化妆品清点了一下。 来自教父部分
• His account of the accident tallied with hers. 他对事故的陈述和她的相吻合。 来自辞典例句