万花筒 2008-09-01&09-02 新奥尔良迎来“卡特里娜第

Three years ago today, hurricane Katrina slammed into the gulf¹ shore, creating unprecedented² damage. Now fears that Tropical Storm Gustav could be eyeing the same general region. Currently an evacuation order is not in effect for New Orleans. But Mayor Ray Nagin says one could be in place as early as Saturday.

 

“Also I emphasize them, everyone on the west bank, this storm is different than Katrina, it is coming in a different path, and it will probably put more stress and strain on the levees on the west bank and therefore there’s significantly more risk and don't feel comfortable because you’ve got through Katrina that you survived the big one and you’re invincible³. That is not the case, this is a different storm. ”

 

Right now the storm is leaving Jamaica at 8 miles per hour. It has sustained winds of 65 miles per hour. By Saturday it is expected it will be centered over western Cuba. Already it’s done extensive damage. More than 60 deaths in Haiti and the Dominican Republic are blamed on the storm, mostly due to flooding and landslides⁴. As Gustav moves toward the US coast, federal officials are gearing up. The National Guard is ready in some areas.

 

“I hope that you recognize, you know particularly those you were here during Katrina, er…what’s happening here and what, what did not happen during Katrina. Er…What you’re seeing is a, is a culture change, er…not only here but really across this country, a changing FEMA from a reactive organization to a proactive organization, but not just us, also the state government and the local government. ”

 

Governors in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas have already declared state of emergency. And oil prices have risen in recent days because of fears of the storm. Forecasters say when Gustav makes landfall along the US coast. It could be as a Category-3 storm.

 

Rita Foley, the Associated Press.

 

1 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

2 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

3 invincible   

adj.不可征服的，难以制服的

参考例句：

• This football team was once reputed to be invincible.这支足球队曾被誉为无敌的劲旅。
• The workers are invincible as long as they hold together.只要工人团结一致，他们就是不可战胜的。

4 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。