VOA标准英语2010年-US Announces $100 Million Aid Package

U.S. President Barack Obama has announced $100 million in new aid to Haiti, two days after a powerful earthquake left much of the capital city of Port-au-Prince in rubble¹.  Our correspondent has details on the American relief and rescue effort.

Speaking at the White House, President Obama says the emergency relief effort is one of the largest in recent history and represents a moment that calls out for American leadership.

Mr. Obama told key members of his national security team that Haiti must be a top priority for the U.S. government.

The president says the $100 million in additional aid will mean more life-saving equipment, food, water and medicine will be sent to the devastated² nation.

While Mr. Obama sought to reassure³ the Haitian people that a huge humanitarian⁴ effort is on the way, he conceded it will take time to get all of the assets in place.

"Even as we move as quickly as possible, it will take hours - and in many cases days - to get all of our people and resources on the ground," said President Obama. "Right now in Haiti roads are impassable, the main port is badly damaged, communications are just beginning to come online, and aftershocks continue."

The United States is sending 3,500 soldiers and hundreds of medical personnel to help with the disaster relief and security.

The Pentagon is also sending an aircraft carrier and amphibious ships, including one that can carry 2,000 Marines. The Navy is also sending the floating hospital ship Comfort, which is manned by hundreds of doctors, nurses and medical technicians.
   
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking on NBC's Today show, says the Obama administration is committed to providing assistance to Haiti now and in the future.

"This is going to be a long-term effort," she said. "We have the immediate⁵ crisis of trying to save those lives that can be saved, to deal with the injured and the dead, to try to provide food, water, medical supplies, some semblance⁶ of shelter, and then to work with our Haitian partners, the Government of Haiti, NGOs, others to begin the rebuilding process."

The U.S. emergency response is being coordinated⁷ by the administrator⁸ for the Agency for International Development, Rajiv Shah.  He says opening the airport in Port-au-Prince will rapidly accelerate the delivery of aid. 

""We have more than 250 American relief workers actively⁹ engaged that have been just a part of the recent deployment," he said. "That number is increasing significantly as we speak as planes land at the airport that has now been operationalized as a 24/7 airlift operation."

Shah says there are more than eight search and rescue teams actively working to find people buried in the rubble.  He says officials are now activating¹⁰ a network of medical providers to offer trauma¹¹ care and services to the Haitian population. 

Shah says critically needed commodities such as food, water and tarps for shelter will soon arrive in Port-au-Prince.  

Officials estimate as many as three million people, about a third of Haiti's population, may have been affected¹² by the quake.

 

1 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。

2 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。

3 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

4 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。

5 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。

6 semblance   

n.外貌，外表

参考例句：

• Her semblance of anger frightened the children.她生气的样子使孩子们感到害怕。
• Those clouds have the semblance of a large head.那些云的形状像一个巨大的人头。

7 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

8 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。

9 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

10 activating   

活动的，活性的

参考例句：

• "I didn't say we'd got to stop activating the masses! “我并没说就此不发动！ 来自子夜部分
• Presumably both the very small size and activating influence of fluorine atoms contribute to this exception. 这大概是由于氟原子半径小和活性高这两个原因的影响，氟原子对这种例外做出了贡献。

11 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。

12 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。