VOA标准英语2010年-Haitian Company Struggles to Rebuild i

Businesses in Haiti are struggling to recover from the devastating¹ earthquake January 12.  Many workers have lost their jobs, and employers are trying to get their businesses up and running.  Mike O'Sullivan visited one large Haitian company, Acra Industries.  He reports that hundreds of workers at the company face weeks or months of lay-offs.

Like most Port-au-Prince businesses, Acra Industries was hit hard by the earthquake.  The industrial group manufactures metal sheeting for construction, paper and plastic bags, and plastic plumbing² pipes.  It also imports sugar and rice, among other activities.

Some of its buildings were destroyed and others suffered structural³ damage in the earthquake. 

Marc-Antoine Acra is a member of the family that operates the company and its four factories.  He says rebuilding plans are taking shape, but employees are afraid to enter concrete buildings, like those that collapsed⁵ in the earthquake.

 "So what we are looking at right now is to rebuild with prefab, have metallic⁶ structures and have roofing sheets," said Marc-Antoine Acra.

Six workers died outside the plant, and some lost family members, but no one was killed inside the factory compound.

Many workers who lost their houses are living on company property with their families.  Some neighboring families are also staying here.

They are receiving medical care and food from international aid groups.

The company is again importing sugar and rice, but Acra says the local port is only partly functioning and that cash flow for the business has slowed to a trickle⁷.

"You have a lot of customers that lost their business, their stocks, their homes, their wife or kid, that also died," he said. "Now, how are you going to recoup that money that is in their hands today.  I do not think there is a possibility to get more than 30 percent of that money."

Acra escorts visitors through an abandoned factory makes corrugated⁸ metal sheets.  The assembly line is silent.  The building is structurally⁹ unsafe, and the business owner is careful to walk under supporting beams, in case of a collapse⁴.

He hopes to get some parts of Acra Industries running in two weeks.   He says others will take several months to restart.  He hopes international aid organizations will work with local businesses in the rebuilding effort, and support local companies like his.

"A lot of us that are trying to get back on our feet, have some stock, depending on the sector¹⁰, have food, have construction materials," said Marc-Antoine Acra.

The U.N. Development Program and many international aid groups say they buy locally whenever possible.

Marc-Antoine Acra says his company's workers were paid for January, but at least 250 are being laid off in February, and they must wait for weeks or months to get their jobs back.   

 

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 plumbing   

n.水管装置；水暖工的工作；管道工程v.用铅锤测量（plumb的现在分词）；探究

参考例句：

• She spent her life plumbing the mysteries of the human psyche. 她毕生探索人类心灵的奥秘。
• They're going to have to put in new plumbing. 他们将需要安装新的水管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

4 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

5 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。

6 metallic   

adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的

参考例句：

• A sharp metallic note coming from the outside frightened me.外面传来尖锐铿锵的声音吓了我一跳。
• He picked up a metallic ring last night.昨夜他捡了一个金属戒指。

7 trickle   

vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散

参考例句：

• The stream has thinned down to a mere trickle.这条小河变成细流了。
• The flood of cars has now slowed to a trickle.汹涌的车流现在已经变得稀稀拉拉。

8 corrugated   

adj.波纹的；缩成皱纹的；波纹面的；波纹状的v.（使某物）起皱褶(corrugate的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• a corrugated iron roof 波纹铁屋顶
• His brow corrugated with the effort of thinking. 他皱着眉头用心地思考。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 structurally   

在结构上

参考例句：

• The house roof was (structurally) unsound. 这屋顶（结构）不牢固。
• Pinhole on shot-hole damage is never structurally significant. 针孔和蛀洞所造成的危害对结构的影响不大。

10 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。