VOA标准英语2010年-Residents of Port-au-Prince Slum Say A

As international aid continues to flow into Haiti, residents of the Port-au-Prince slum of Cite Soleil say they are still waiting for tents and other essentials more than three weeks after a devastating¹ earthquake.

Cleanup has begun in parts of Port-au-Prince, funded by international aid groups. 

One group of nine workers, paid with U.S. development funds, is clearing the rubble² of a collapsed³ house.  Other workers are doing the same in scattered⁴ sections of the city.

The United Nations and private aid organizations are providing tents, as well as food, in many neighborhoods.

But in the impoverished⁵ area of Cite Soleil, people make do with what they have, receiving occasional help from groups like Doctors Without Borders. Aid workers assess the needs of residents, filling out questionnaires.

Michelle Williame, like many of her neighbors, tells them she has been living outdoors since her house was destroyed in the earthquake. "Life is terrible for us right now.  Not only are we sleeping on the street, but also the government has not taken any steps to help the people of Cite Soleil.  No government social workers have shown up so far.  You have many kids and you have no place to accommodate them," she said.

With schools closed, children are doing what they can to pass the time.  Two play soccer in an open area.   Four children are playing cards under the shade of an aid truck, and one 10-year-old explains why he is here with his family.…"because the house is no good.  It's cracked, so we have to sleep outdoors."

Some help is arriving.  Doctors Without Borders is getting water to residents, says Maurice Noel, who drives the truck that brings the water supplies to the people. "They are very grateful, but they all need food and tents and a place to stay," he said.

Most families have lost their incomes.  Bricklayer Claude Estalien believes the area is ignored in the relief effort because residents were blamed for looting in other parts of the city after the earthquake. "In Cite Soleil, there are many people that do bad things, but at the same time, there are good people in Cite Soleil too," he said.

Women say they are having trouble finding the food to feed their children.  That is the complaint of an 18-year-old mother with a one-year-old child. "I used to struggle to feed the child.  Before the earthquake, I used to go out on the street and sell oranges.  Now, I don't have any money.  I just have to remain here with the child," she said.

Some here are coping with injuries as well as shock and grief. Sterline Charles was hurt as her house collapsed in the earthquake, and she lost half of her family. "I have six kids.  I lost three of them and lost their father also.  On top of it all, my foot was broken," she said.

The people of Cite Soleil say they need tents, food, medicine and other essential supplies.  They worry especially about the children, their schools closed for now and many of them living in makeshift camps.

 

1 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。

2 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。

3 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

4 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

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》