VOA标准英语2010年-Donations for Haiti Fill Washington Wa

People across Washington took time during a nationwide holiday Monday to support earthquake relief efforts for Haiti. Local  emergency officials, community activists¹ and area residents helped fill one warehouse² with boxes of supplies, intended for the devastated³ Caribbean nation.

Throughout the day emergency workers and volunteers in Washington loaded moving vans with donated supplies destined⁴ for Haiti...

Volunteers boxed clothing, medical supplies and other items at this hospital warehouse in southeast Washington.

Washington's local government helped to coordinate⁵ aid efforts by
Washington's Haitian Embassy⁶, and the Greater Washington Haitian Relief Committee.

With schools closed for a holiday, some parents took the opportunity to teach their children a lesson in charity.

"Well, actually I was scheduled to work this morning," said Dorinda Bowers⁷. "When I got up at 5:30, I saw on the news that they needed a lot of help, and I called into my job and said I needed to take a short day vacation, because I needed my son to be a part of what was going on."

"Like it was just the Christmas season and they opened a bunch of gifts, and they know how good it feels to get gifts, but you know, I wanted them to see how good it feels to give back too," said Tony Prestipino.

"When we were watching the news, it seemed really bad, you know, like most of the hospitals went down and we need to give them food," said Amanda Prestipino.

At the Haitian Embassy, people continued to bring donations Monday.  One man from Brooklyn, New York is heading to Haiti to help with relief efforts.

"My wife and kids, you know, we were all crying the other day when we saw it on TV," said Philip Backur. "That's why I came yesterday to help, to be part of this."

Local officials are urging people to donate money, rather than more items, to help defray the cost of relief efforts.

They say the first shipment⁸ from the warehouse should arrive in Haiti in a few days.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama took time to personally thank American Red Cross workers in Washington.

 

1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 warehouse   

n.仓库；vt.存入仓库

参考例句：

• We freighted the goods to the warehouse by truck.我们用卡车把货物运到仓库。
• The manager wants to clear off the old stocks in the warehouse.经理想把仓库里积压的存货处理掉。

3 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。

4 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。

5 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。

6 embassy   

n.大使馆，大使及其随员

参考例句：

• Large crowd demonstrated outside the British Embassy.很多群众在英国大使馆外面示威。
• He's a U.S. diplomat assigned to the embassy in London.他是美国驻伦敦大使馆的一名外交官。

7 bowers   

n.（女子的）卧室( bower的名词复数 )；船首锚；阴凉处；鞠躬的人

参考例句：

• If Mr Bowers is right, low government-bond yields could lose their appeal and equities could rebound. 如果鲍尔斯先生的预计是对的，那么低收益的国债将会失去吸引力同时股价将会反弹。 来自互联网

8 shipment   

n.装货，装载的货物

参考例句：

• The goods are done up in bundles for shipment.货物已打包以备装船。
• Please advise the date of shipment as soon as possible.请尽快通知装货日期。