VOA标准英语2010年-Haitian Community in Florida Sending A

"This is a time that we need all the help from the friends of Haiti to come together..." Laurent Prosper¹, Haiti Chief of Mission, Orlando, Florida

Members of Haitian communities across the globe are trying to reach their loved ones in the wake of Tuesday's earthquake. One of the largest communities of Haitians outside of the country itself is in Central Florida.

Staff at an aid agency in Orlando sort through food, clothes and other items donated by members of the public. Harvest Time International sends thousands of kilos of aid to countries around the world. Special bins² are for contributions for the people of Haiti.

The organization's Lena Smolensky says many Americans want to help in the wake of the disaster. "We've got so many calls today, it's unbelievable. It's really great to see that so many people care in the community and they really want to help," she tells us.

Bottles of water and boxes of other goods are destined³ for Haiti as soon as relief agencies can arrange for them to be transported to the country. Officials here also expect Haitians to need clothes and medical supplies.

Florida businessman Michel Dorcean heads Orlando's Haitian American Chamber⁴ of Commerce. He is one of nearly 200,000 Haitians in Florida. Dorcean says Haitians around the world feel they need to contribute resources to help those back in their homeland. He said, "There is more than four to five million people throughout the world in the Diaspora, and that is a very strong number. And this Diaspora - it is time for them to get together and pick up the plate and help out."

Recovery from the earthquake will be a long slow road. Helping⁵ coordinate⁶ the response of Haitians in Florida, the closest U.S. state to Haiti, is Laurent Prosper, the Chief of Mission at Haiti's consulate⁷ in Orlando. "This is a time that we need all the help from the friends of Haiti to come together - the communities to come together and assist us, because this is going to take a very long time."

Communications between Florida and Haiti have been nearly impossible since the earthquake struck. Carol Grosshans is the principal of the First Academy, a Christian⁸ school in Orlando. Her 15-year-old daughter is trapped in Haiti with a small group of missionaries⁹ from the school. "We've not heard directly from her, so as a mom, your heart kind of goes, 'I'd like to hear her voice.'  But we've heard from others there that she is safe."

For the time being, staff at aid agencies such as Harvest Time International continue to take calls from Americans offering cash and supplies for Haiti.
 

1 prosper   

v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣

参考例句：

• With her at the wheel,the company began to prosper.有了她当主管，公司开始兴旺起来。
• It is my earnest wish that this company will continue to prosper.我真诚希望这家公司会继续兴旺发达。

2 bins   

n.大储藏箱( bin的名词复数 )；宽口箱（如面包箱，垃圾箱等）v.扔掉，丢弃( bin的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Garbage from all sources was deposited in bins on trolleys. 来自各方的垃圾是装在手推车上的垃圾箱里的。 来自辞典例句
• Would you be pleased at the prospect of its being on sale in dump bins? 对于它将被陈列在倾销箱中抛售这件事，你能欣然接受吗？ 来自辞典例句

3 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

4 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。

7 consulate   

n.领事馆

参考例句：

• The Spanish consulate is the large white building opposite the bank.西班牙领事馆是银行对面的那栋高大的白色建筑物。
• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。

8 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

9 missionaries   

n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some missionaries came from England in the Qing Dynasty. 清朝时，从英国来了一些传教士。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The missionaries rebuked the natives for worshipping images. 传教士指责当地人崇拜偶像。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》