2007年VOA标准英语-UN Warns North Korean Flooding May Make Dire Fo

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
15 August 2007

A team representing several U.N. humanitarian¹ agencies is in North Korea to investigate damage from heavy flooding. A U.N. spokesman says floodwaters may have done extensive damage to crops, further worsening the North's perennial² food shortages. Hundreds of thousands are said to have lost their homes, and Pyongyang says 11 percent of the country's cropland has been destroyed. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul.

A four-wheel-drive vehicle travels on a flooded street in Pyongyang, North Korea, 14 Aug 2007

U.N. investigators³ traveled to North Korea following reports of devastating⁴ flooding. Paul Risley, a spokesman for the U.N. World Food Program, says the situation is alarming.

"At this point we are treating this as a very significant and very serious humanitarian crisis," he said.

It has rained steadily⁵ on the Korean peninsula for several weeks. North Korean official media have broadcast images of flooded roads, collapsed⁶ bridges, and even residents of the capital, Pyongyang, wading⁷ waist-deep in water.

The official North Korean news agency reported 11 percent of the country's corn and rice fields has been submerged, buried or washed away.

Risley says the team saw serious damage to croplands in one province. He confirms that many growing areas are simply washed away.

"And if that is the case in the other three provinces, all of which are considered, generally speaking, the breadbasket of North Korea, then that indeed would have a very serious reduction on the overall amount of harvest," added Risley.

He says the flooding comes at a sensitive time in the growing season, compounding the damage.

North Korea has experienced dire⁸ food shortages since the mid-1990's, when hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have died of starvation. The World Food Program says the North produces a million tons below its minimum requirements every year - making it heavily dependent on outside donations.

Risley says North Korean officials report an alarming number of displaced citizens from the flooding.

"It would appear that anywhere between 200 and 300,000 persons are presently without proper shelter. These are people who will require immediate⁹ emergency food rations¹⁰ and food assistance," he continued.

Flooding hits North Korea so hard because its impoverished¹¹ residents have stripped the mountainsides bare of just about anything edible¹² or combustible¹³, leading to erosion. Risley says he witnessed that during a visit to the North this year.

"And you really can see, unfortunately, how dangerous the specter of flooding is. Very few of the hills or mountains nearby had any vegetation, any trees whatsoever¹⁴ on them," said Risley.

Experts say South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, due to visit Pyongyang in two weeks for a summit, is likely to unveil a generous aid package for the North. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a South Korean, says the world body will do all it can to help. U.S. State Department officials say Washington, too, may offer new aid.

1 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

2 perennial   

adj.终年的；长久的

参考例句：

• I wonder at her perennial youthfulness.我对她青春常驻感到惊讶。
• There's a perennial shortage of teachers with science qualifications.有理科教学资格的老师一直都很短缺。

3 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

6 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。

7 wading   

（从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The man tucked up his trousers for wading. 那人卷起裤子，准备涉水。
• The children were wading in the sea. 孩子们在海水中走着。

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 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

10 rations   

定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量

参考例句：

• They are provisioned with seven days' rations. 他们得到了7天的给养。
• The soldiers complained that they were getting short rations. 士兵们抱怨他们得到的配给不够数。

11 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 edible   

n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的

参考例句：

• Edible wild herbs kept us from dying of starvation.我们靠着野菜才没被饿死。
• This kind of mushroom is edible,but that kind is not.这种蘑菇吃得，那种吃不得。

13 combustible   

a. 易燃的,可燃的; n. 易燃物,可燃物

参考例句：

• Don't smoke near combustible materials. 别在易燃的材料附近吸烟。
• We mustn't take combustible goods aboard. 我们不可带易燃品上车。

14 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。