VOA标准英语2013--30,000 Sandy-Damaged Cars Stored on Eastern Long Island

 

30,000 Sandy-Damaged Cars Stored on Eastern Long Island

An idyllic¹ winter scene - deer, horses, snow, a beautiful natural pine reserve, lakes and streams - that make New York's Long Island more than just a summer beach playground.

And in its midst, an abandoned airport on the eastern end of the island - with almost 20,000 vehicles ruined by Superstorm Sandy. 

These vehicles, and thousands more at other sites, continue to be transported from the hard-hit storm areas every day. They may sit here for weeks or months until salvage² companies come, take them away, and sell them - primarily to online buyers around the world. It seems that as one car leaves, there is another to take its place. 

“They have been swept by the Atlantic Ocean down the roads, slammed into buildings and other cars," said Richard Amper, executive director of the Long Island Pine Barrens Society. "If they were intact they would not have been written off as totally worthless by the insurance companies.” 

The group believes these cars, and those at other locations, create a hazard to Long Islanders' drinking water - due to the leakage³ of gasoline, oil, antifreeze and other chemicals into the local aquifers⁵.

Three million people depend on the quality of this water. They can not get it from upstate reservoirs, and what goes into the ground goes into their water, and this should be none of it,” he said. 

The Town of Riverhead negotiated a $2.7 million contract to store the salvaged⁶ cars for up to one year. Town Supervisor⁷ Sean Walter says just because a car was submerged does not mean there is going to be leakage into the aquifer⁴.

"We really believe any environmental disaster claims are really unfounded, and objectively looking at these vehicles they do not look any different than any vehicles parked at a suburban⁸ mall across the country,” he said.

Copart is one of the major salvage companies handling the Sandy vehicles. A man identified only as Brian gave us an idea where these cars will end up.

“All over the world, really. We have got a lot that are going overseas to the Middle East, a lot to Africa, different parts, and a lot going down Central America,” he said.

There are concerns in the U.S. that Sandy-damaged cars are being sold to unwitting buyers, and many law enforcement agencies in the country give advice on how to check for damage. As one Texas salvage dealer⁹ said, in any flood-damaged car sale, there is one thing to remember, “Let the buyer beware.” 

1 idyllic   

adj.质朴宜人的，田园风光的

参考例句：

• These scenes had an idyllic air.这种情景多少有点田园气氛。
• Many people living in big cities yearn for an idyllic country life.现在的很多都市人向往那种田园化的生活。

2 salvage   

v.救助，营救，援救；n.救助，营救

参考例句：

• All attempts to salvage the wrecked ship failed.抢救失事船只的一切努力都失败了。
• The salvage was piled upon the pier.抢救出的财产被堆放在码头上。

3 leakage   

n.漏，泄漏；泄漏物；漏出量

参考例句：

• Large areas of land have been contaminated by the leakage from the nuclear reactor.大片地区都被核反应堆的泄漏物污染了。
• The continuing leakage is the result of the long crack in the pipe.这根管子上的那一条裂缝致使渗漏不断。

4 aquifer   

n.含水土层

参考例句：

• An aquifer is a water-bearing rock stratum such as sandstone and chalk.地下蓄水层是一些有水的岩石层，如沙岩和白垩岩。
• The wine region's first water came from an ancient aquifer.用来灌溉这个地区葡萄园的第一批水来自古老的地下蓄水层。

5 aquifers   

n.地下蓄水层，砂石含水层( aquifer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• And in Africa, the aquifers barely recharge at all. 非洲的地下水开采以后几乎得不到补充。 来自时文部分
• Aquifers have water contents over 30%. 含水层的水含过30％。 来自辞典例句

6 salvaged   

（从火灾、海难等中）抢救（某物）( salvage的过去式和过去分词 )； 回收利用（某物）

参考例句：

• The investigators studied flight recorders salvaged from the wreckage. 调查者研究了从飞机残骸中找到的黑匣子。
• The team's first task was to decide what equipment could be salvaged. 该队的首要任务是决定可以抢救哪些设备。

7 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

8 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

9 dealer   

n.商人，贩子

参考例句：

• The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
• The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。