VOA常速英语2021--罕见龙卷风袭击美国造成重大伤亡

This is VOA News. Reporting via remote, I'm Marissa Melton.

这里是美国之音新闻。我是玛丽莎·梅尔顿，为您远程报道。

Rescuers in the United States searched through the tornado-splintered ruins of homes and businesses on Sunday, including a candle factory staffed with dozens of night-shift employees when it was flattened¹ Friday night as the state of Kentucky's governor warned the death toll² from the outbreak could top 100.

周日，美国救援人员在被龙卷风摧毁的房屋和企业废墟中进行了搜救，其中包括一家在周五晚上被夷为平地的蜡烛厂，当时工厂内有数十名上夜班的员工。肯塔基州州长警告称，此次灾害造成的死亡人数可能超过100人。

Factory workers sheltered in what was supposed to be the safest part of the building but it may not have mattered because twister Friday night was so big, according to Governor Andy Beshear.

据州长安迪·贝希尔说，工厂工人躲避在本该是大楼里最安全的地方，但这并不管用，因为周五晚上的龙卷风太大了。

Authorities on Saturday reported rescuing 40 people of the 110 who were in the building at the time.

有关部门星期六报告说，当时大楼里有110人，其中40人获救。

But by Sunday, the hope of finding anyone else alive had all but evaporated.

但到了周日，找到其它生还者的希望几乎已经破灭。

A nursing home and an Amazon distribution center were also smashed in other states by the unusual mid-December swarm³ of tornadoes⁴.

这场12月中旬发生的罕见龙卷风还摧毁了其他州的一家养老院和一家亚马逊配送中心。

The storm that carved the path of destruction in Kentucky touched down for more than 320 kilometers in the state.

这场风暴在肯塔基州登陆范围达320多公里，给该州造成了极大破坏。

Rebellious⁵ Tigrayan forces in Ethiopia have recaptured the town of Lalibela, according to witnesses who spoke⁶ to Reuters on Sunday.

据目击者周日向路透社透露，埃塞俄比亚反叛的提格雷武装力量已经重新占领了拉利贝拉镇。

The news came less than two weeks after the military and its allies took control of the town as part of a broader offensive that pushed back Tigrayan forces on multiple fronts.

不到两周前，军方及其盟友控制了该镇，这是其更广泛进攻的一部分，此次进攻在多条战线击退了提格雷军队。

Lalibela is famed for its churches carved from rock.

拉利贝拉以其用岩石雕刻的教堂而闻名。

It has been designated a U.N. World Heritage site.

它已被指定为联合国世界遗产。

Neither the Ethiopian military nor TPLF forces have responded to Reuters' requests for comment.

埃塞俄比亚军方和TPLF部队都没有回应路透社的置评请求。

However, one of the witnesses who spoke to Reuters news agency said that Amhara forces, who are allies of the Ethiopian government, began leaving Lalibela on Saturday night.

然而，一名目击者对路透社说，埃塞俄比亚政府的盟友阿姆哈拉军队周六晚上开始离开拉利贝拉。

This is VOA News.

这里是美国之音新闻。

1 flattened   

[医]（水）平扁的，弄平的

参考例句：

• She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
• I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。

2 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

3 swarm   

n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入

参考例句：

• There is a swarm of bees in the tree.这树上有一窝蜜蜂。
• A swarm of ants are moving busily.一群蚂蚁正在忙碌地搬家。

4 tornadoes   

n.龙卷风，旋风( tornado的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Tornadoes, severe earthquakes, and plagues create wide spread havoc. 龙卷风、大地震和瘟疫成普遍的毁坏。 来自互联网
• Meteorologists are at odds over the working of tornadoes. 气象学者对龙卷风的运动方式看法不一。 来自互联网

5 rebellious   

adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的

参考例句：

• They will be in danger if they are rebellious.如果他们造反，他们就要发生危险。
• Her reply was mild enough,but her thoughts were rebellious.她的回答虽然很温和，但她的心里十分反感。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。