VOA标准英语2010年-Hungarian Toxic Sludge Nears Danube

An official in Hungary says a toxic¹ sludge spill, which has killed four people, has reached the edge of Europe's second longest river, the Danube.

Officials say the sludge has reached the Danube, one of Europe's longest rivers. An official also told reporters the toxic spill has wiped out the entire ecosystem² of the small River Marcul, which was first contaminated.

Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban visited one of the villages hit by the toxic sludge. He described the spill as a "serious ecological³ catastrophe⁴".

"What I have seen is terrible, simply terrible," Orban said. "This is the first, and probably the most ever (that is) happened, this kind of ecological tragedy that has ever happened here in Hungary."

Reservoir of toxic mud bursts

A dam that was holding back a reservoir of toxic mud from an aluminum⁵ plant burst Monday. At least four people were killed and more than 100 injured as the sludge swept into nearby villages.

Corrosive⁶ elements in the mud can burn the skin and irritate eyes. The red sludge is a byproduct of bauxite⁷, a basic material for manufacturing aluminum.

State of emergency

The government declared a state of emergency in three counties on Tuesday and has opened a criminal inquiry⁸ into the spill.

Joe Lowry from the International Federation⁹ of the Red Cross has been to the disaster site. Villagers described to him what the mud looked like as it poured into their village.

"Some people described it like a mini tsunami," said Lowry. "It covered two kilometers from the plant to the village in about 30 minutes, a wall of mud two meters high."

Ecological catastrophe

He says this is not only an ecological catastrophe, but also a human tragedy for the tight-knit Hungarian communities. He says the mud wiped out entire homes and livelihoods¹⁰.

"There was just scarlet¹¹ red mud as far as the eye could see all around the village of Colontar," Lowry added. "People were standing¹² around still bewildered and shocked, looking at their homes. Many, many houses were completely, I would say, written off, some were almost completely demolished¹³. Agricultural land is just covered with this thick toxic mud. The main bridge in the village was pretty much snapped in two. The river was turned blood red. Really it was a scene of bewilderment and shock and heavy damage."

The environmental group Greenpeace has described the spill as one of the worst three environmental disasters in Europe during the past few decades. The Danube, after leaving Hungary, runs through several European countries. The toxic mud could affect Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Moldova before flowing into the Black Sea.
 

1 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

2 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

3 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.

4 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

5 aluminum   

n.(aluminium)铝

参考例句：

• The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。
• During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。

6 corrosive   

adj.腐蚀性的；有害的；恶毒的

参考例句：

• Many highly corrosive substances are used in the nuclear industry.核工业使用许多腐蚀性很强的物质。
• Many highly corrosive substances are used in the nuclear industry.核工业使用许多腐蚀性很强的物质。

7 bauxite   

n.铝土矿

参考例句：

• Aluminum is made from bauxite.铝是从铝土矿中提炼出的。
• The United States was vulnerable to shortages of chrome,bauxite,and platinum.美国的弱点是缺少铬、矾土和铂。

8 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

9 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

10 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

11 scarlet   

n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的

参考例句：

• The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
• The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了，深红的颜色变成了绯红，绯红又变为浅红。

12 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。

13 demolished   

v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光

参考例句：

• The factory is due to be demolished next year. 这个工厂定于明年拆除。
• They have been fighting a rearguard action for two years to stop their house being demolished. 两年来，为了不让拆除他们的房子，他们一直在进行最后的努力。