2007年VOA标准英语-Red Cross Appeals for Victims of Hurricane Dean

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
26 August 2007

debris1 at the beach of Tecolutla after the passing of Hurricane Dean in Veracruz, southern Mexico, 23 Aug 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070901/0816310.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Man walks past debris at the beach of Tecolutla after the passing of Hurricane Dean in Veracruz, southern Mexico, 23 Aug 2007

The International Federation² Of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is urgently appealing for $1.3 million to help 35,000 people affected³ by Hurricane Dean. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Red Cross headquarters in Geneva the Swiss agency says more appeals are likely as the hurricane season progresses.

Hurricane Dean is the first hurricane of this year's Atlantic storm season. It has left a trail of death and destruction in the Caribbean. Anna Nelson, a Red Cross spokeswoman, says this is creating a great deal of anxiety among the residents of these beautiful, but vulnerable islands.

"What must be most difficult is knowing that this is the first storm of the season. That there could and are likely to be others to come," she said. "I am sure that there is a sense of relief that they have weathered the worst of this storm and what was a very severe storm. But, I think in general knowing that this could happen again, certainly is not easy for people and, I know, creates a lot of anxiety."

Dean reached Category 5, the strongest type of hurricane. It whipped through six Caribbean islands in mid-August before tearing into Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, near the border with Belize. Eleven people were reportedly killed.

The fierce winds tore roofs off buildings and uprooted⁴ trees, flooded streets, damaged houses and destroyed agricultural crops. The full extent of the damage is not yet known. But, the United Nations estimates that the island of Martinique alone suffered losses of around $200 million.

Although the damage has been extensive, Anna Nelson says it could have been a lot worse had the volunteer Red Cross Societies not been well prepared for the disaster.

"We saw many thousands of people evacuated⁵. The Red Cross was involved in making sure that even radio messages were going out to warn people in indigenous⁶ languages so that the system really was in place to make sure people were in safe shelters when the storm struck," added Nelson.  "And, to provide them as well with food and blankets and the things they needed if they were not able to return to their homes. So, we need to make sure that that same level of preparedness is in place next time."

The Red Cross says farming and fishing communities are among the hardest hit and will need help to regain⁷ their livelihoods⁸. Other essential needs include water purification tablets to prevent sickness from contaminated water, blankets and sheets and mosquito repellent.

1 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

2 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

3 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。

4 uprooted   

v.把（某物）连根拔起( uproot的过去式和过去分词 )；根除；赶走；把…赶出家园

参考例句：

• Many people were uprooted from their homes by the flood. 水灾令许多人背井离乡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The hurricane blew with such force that trees were uprooted. 飓风强烈地刮着，树都被连根拔起了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

7 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

8 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。