VOA标准英语2008年-Officials Struggle to Provide Relief to Hurrica

More than a million people remain without electrical power and other normal services nearly five days after Hurricane Ike passed over the Houston-Galveston area. As VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Houston, tensions are growing between various government entities¹ over problems in providing needed relief.
　
Michael Chertoff makes a point at a press conference about recovery efforts from Hurricane Ike in Houston, Texas, 17 Sep 2008

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff says he may have to, as he puts it, "kick someone in the rear" over reported failures in the federal effort to provide disaster victims with food, water, ice and material to cover damaged roofs.

Callers to local radio stations are complaining about lack of electrical power and fuel, and blaming government officials for the delays in providing relief. Lack of coordination² has been a problem in some cases.

There was one report of food donations from a large grocery store chain being turned away by federal officials at a point of distribution in Houston.

On Tuesday, Houston officials took control of supply distributions after they learned of people standing³ in line for hours only to be turned away empty handed. Chertoff says some of the problem may result from the Houston metropolitan⁴ area's sprawl⁵, which he says makes it a logistical challenge to get supplies to the right places.

He is to meet with Houston Mayor Bill White and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett in the coming hours to work out problems and foster better cooperation.

Meantime, in Galveston, officials have had to suspend a program started Tuesday that would allow residents to return to the stricken island to check their property and then leave before sunset. A massive line of vehicles formed after the announcement was made and the traffic was slowed further by officials checking every person's identification before letting them proceed.

After a heated city council meeting, Galveston city Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas won extension of her emergency powers for another week, but complaints from displaced citizens are growing.

Most of the beachfront area on the island was devastated⁶, but houses and business buildings farther in withstood the storm even though many of them are in dire⁷ need of repairs and cleaning because of the storm surge from Hurricane Ike.

Many buildings downtown show a high water mark, left by the flood, more than two meters high. Merchandise, furniture and equipment inside many businesses were soaked and, in many cases, ruined by the water.
　
Kevi Perez of Statewide Traffic Signal Co. replaces traffic lights that were knocked down due to Hurricane Ike across route 146 in Shoreacres, Texas, 17 Sep 2008

The biggest problem for most of the Houston area is lack of energy - a matter viewed with some chagrin⁸ by residents of the city that touts⁹ itself as the "energy capital of the world."

Refineries¹⁰ came through the hurricane with little damage, but they are struggling to resume full operations, partly because they are operating on emergency generators¹¹.

People are still waiting in long lines for gasoline at the few stations that have fuel and more than a million people remain without electricity.

Texas Governor Rick Perry says private companies that supply power to the Houston area are making progress in restoring electric lines.

"There are more than 7,500 personnel working around the clock to restore power, you see trucks from Minnesota and Florida, they are here and they are doing work to get this power back on," he said.

Perry says close to three million people were without power after the storm.

Each day that goes by without full electrical service represents a huge financial loss, not only for the businesses and corporate¹² operations based in Houston, but for the entire country. Refineries in the area produce almost a quarter of the transportation fuel used in the United States and Houston's port is the second busiest in the nation, when operating normally.

Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States and the metropolitan area is the sixth largest. Having this area shut down for more than a week represents a hard blow to the U.S. economy at a time when the housing finance crisis and Wall Street failures are hammering the markets.

1 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

2 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。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

5 sprawl   

vi.躺卧，扩张，蔓延；vt.使蔓延；n.躺卧，蔓延

参考例句：

• In our garden,bushes are allowed to sprawl as they will.在我们园子里，灌木丛爱怎么蔓延就怎么蔓延。
• He is lying in a sprawl on the bed.他伸开四肢躺在床上。

6 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

7 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。

8 chagrin   

n.懊恼；气愤；委屈

参考例句：

• His increasingly visible chagrin sets up a vicious circle.他的明显的不满引起了一种恶性循环。
• Much to his chagrin,he did not win the race.使他大为懊恼的是他赛跑没获胜。

9 touts   

n.招徕( tout的名词复数 )；（音乐会、体育比赛等的）卖高价票的人；侦查者；探听赛马的情报v.兜售( tout的第三人称单数 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• Many vouchers are returned for cash, allowing touts and middle men to make a healthy margin. 许多月饼券都被兑换成现金，这让券贩子和中间商赚取了不蜚的利润。 来自互联网
• Spotting prey, the customary crowd of hustlers and touts swarmed around, jostling for my business. 照例有大群的拉客黄牛在寻觅猎物，他们争相过来抢我的生意。 来自互联网

10 refineries   

精炼厂( refinery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The efforts on closedown and suspension of small sugar refineries, small saccharin refineries and small paper mills are also being carried out in steps. 关停小糖厂、小糖精厂、小造纸厂的工作也已逐步展开。
• Hence the sitting of refineries is at a distance from population centres. 所以，炼油厂的厂址总在远离人口集中的地方。

11 generators   

n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司

参考例句：

• The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。
• Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。