VOA标准英语2008年-ICRC To Deliver Relief Supplies To Burmese Deta

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
11 May 2008

A Red Cross plane loaded with 35 tons of equipment and materials has landed in Burma. The International Committee of the Red Cross says most of the relief supplies are to assist thousands of people held in Burmese prisons. Meanwhile, a boat carrying Red Cross supplies to survivors¹ of Cyclone² Nargis has sunk in the Irrawaddy Delta³. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from ICRC headquarters in Geneva.

Red Cross Spokesman Marcel Izard tells VOA the plane, which landed early Sunday, is the first of what is expected to be many flights carrying relief goods for survivors of Cyclone Nargis.

"It is first and foremost intended to provide or to cater⁴ for detainees held in prisons or in other detention⁵ facilities that have also been hit by the Cyclone Nargis," said Marcel Izard. "This is because the Myanmar authorities had requested us immediately in the aftermath of the Cyclone to help them to cater in terms of medical supplies, food, water and temporary shelter for these detainees who are now also in dire⁶ conditions."

Izard says he does not know how many detainees there are. But, he estimates as many as 5,000 to 10,000 are being held in prisons and labor⁷ camps in four of the severely⁸ affected⁹ provinces.

Red Cross delegates had been visiting Burmese prisoners on a regular basis between 1999 and 2005, when the government stopped the program.

Izard says Red Cross delegates are looking forward to providing emergency assistance to those affected by the disaster.

"Even if we have not been allowed to go in during the last two years, we still were allowed to help families of those detainees to visit them on a regular basis," said Izard. "So, the ICRC was obviously still in contact with the prison authorities of Myanmar. So, they know us very well. They know the ICRC is worldwide catering¹⁰ for detainees and that is the reason when the cyclone struck they thought of us and said well let us call the ICRC to help us to help those in prison and in the labor camps affected by the cyclone."

Izard says the prison buildings have been hard hit by the storm. He says the roofs have fallen off and the water and sanitation¹¹ systems have been damaged or destroyed. He says the Red Cross will provide the prisoners with clean drinking water, shelter, food and health care.

He says the cargo¹² plane also brought relief supplies for the civil population. These include medical supplies to treat 250 trauma¹³ patients and a mobile water-treatment plant to provide drinking water for 10,000 people.

He says the plane also brought in 2,300 bags to help dispose of dead bodies in a dignified¹⁴ manner. He says there are not enough of them, but it is a start.

1 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

2 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。

3 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

4 cater   

vi.(for/to)满足，迎合；(for)提供饮食及服务

参考例句：

• I expect he will be able to cater for your particular needs.我预计他能满足你的特殊需要。
• Most schools cater for children of different abilities.大多数学校能够满足具有不同天资的儿童的需要。

5 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

6 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。

7 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

8 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

9 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。

10 catering   

n. 给养

参考例句：

• Most of our work now involves catering for weddings. 我们现在的工作多半是承办婚宴。
• Who did the catering for your son's wedding? 你儿子的婚宴是由谁承办的？

11 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

12 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

13 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

14 dignified   

a.可敬的，高贵的

参考例句：

• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
• He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。