2007年VOA标准英语-Heavy Rains Kill 99 People in Bangladesh

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
12 June 2007

In Bangladesh, rescue and relief operations are underway in the port city of Chittagong, where torrential rains have killed nearly 100 people. Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi on the havoc¹ caused by two days of heavy storms.

Bangladeshi villagers try to rescue a body in Chittagong, southeast of Dhaka, 11 June 2007

The heavy rains flooded large parts of Chittagong and triggered landslides² that crushed homes and killed dozens of people.

The worst damage occurred in a congested shantytown, where a hillside collapsed³, burying hundreds of bamboo and straw huts.

Government official Mokhlesur Rahman says army rescuers have pulled out many bodies from the rubble⁴.

 

"The people who have been killed, they were underground, under the sand [mud]," he said. "We have rescued 90 dead bodies…99."

The rains began Monday, when about 22 centimeters fell in just a few hours. The bad weather continued Tuesday.

 

The army and civil administration raced to provide relief to victims as the city ground to a virtual halt. Scores of injured people are being treated in hospitals. Many low-lying areas are cut off and roads inundated⁵. Trains and flights were also suspended. Several factories in the industrial belt shut down operations.

But administrator⁶ Rahman says he is confident that the situation is slowly being brought under control.

 

"Normal life is gradually improving," he said. "First of all they need moral support ... the people were sheltered in nearby schools."

 

Residents in Chittagong, Bangladesh's second biggest city, described the rains as the worst in recent memory. Officials say they were unusually heavy because of the influence of a storm in the Bay of Bengal.

Some experts blamed the landslides on large-scale clearing of land to build homes, which has resulted in extensive felling of trees.

 

Chittagong is not the only city affected⁷ by the rains. In other parts of the country, officials say rains and flash floods have killed nearly 15 people.

Flooding is common in Bangladesh during the annual monsoon⁸ season, which begins in June and lasts until September.

1 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

2 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

3 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。

4 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

5 inundated   

v.淹没( inundate的过去式和过去分词 )；（洪水般地）涌来；充满；给予或交予（太多事物）使难以应付

参考例句：

• We have been inundated with offers of help. 主动援助多得使我们应接不暇。
• We have been inundated with every bit of information imaginable. 凡是想得到的各种各样的信息潮水般地向我们涌来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

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 monsoon   

n.季雨，季风，大雨

参考例句：

• The monsoon rains started early this year.今年季雨降雨开始得早。
• The main climate type in that region is monsoon.那个地区主要以季风气候为主要气候类型。