VOA标准英语2010年-Large Haitian Community in Brooklyn St

The largest Haitian community outside of Haiti is scrambling¹ to get news of loved ones hit by the devastating² earthquake. More than 100,000 Haitians live in New York's Little Haiti in Brooklyn, and there are several Haitian radio stations. As news of the disaster broke, many gathered outside of Radio Soleil D'Haiti.

The streets in Brooklyn's Little Haiti are quiet after many people stayed up most of the night desperately³ trying to connect with loved ones.

Since the news broke, the Haitian radio station Radio Soleil D'Haiti in the heart of Brooklyn's Little Haiti has been where the worrried come to wait.

Phone calls go unanswered. Don Rochet has been trying to get through to his 80-year-old father for more than 24 hours. "Any number you try and call and they say, 'I'm sorry this mail box is full, and it is all over when you are trying to call, you know - when you try to call it is all over," he said.

Inside the store front radio station, the community listens for any news coming out of Port-au-Prince.

Between calls from the Haitian diaspora here in New York, Radio Soleil D'Haiti broadcasts news live from Port-au-Prince.

Station Director Ricot Dupuys says the news is all bad. "That is enough to erase⁴ Haiti from the map and there was a big risk that that could happen," Dupuys explained. "The degree to which Haiti survives is a function of the implication (sic) of the International Community."

In New York Haitians are ready to do what they can for their impoverished⁵ and now shattered⁶ nation. Dupuys asks all to do what they can. "We need all the support and help we can get. So all too often, we stand very passive to appeals for help. So I am asking everyone who is listening right now, please fight against any tendencies to be passive," he said.

But that is for another day. For many, still no word from relatives in Haiti.

Esperanta Janin is alone in New York. She says, " I need to...my mother, my sister, everyone in my family are in Haiti, just me in New York."

Radio Soleil broadcasts to the large Haitian community in Brooklyn seven days a week. Dupuys says he hopes the station will continue to act as a conduit between Haitians in New York and those on the quake-shattered island.

1 scrambling   

v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发，冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

3 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

4 erase   

v.擦掉；消除某事物的痕迹

参考例句：

• He tried to erase the idea from his mind.他试图从头脑中抹掉这个想法。
• Please erase my name from the list.请把我的名字从名单上擦去。

5 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 shattered   

破碎的； 极度疲劳的

参考例句：

• He dropped the vase and it shattered into pieces on the floor. 他失手把花瓶掉到地板上摔碎了。
• The experience left her feeling absolutely shattered. 她在这次经历之后，感到彻底垮了。