U.S. President George Bush says the federal government is doing all it can to help the victims of Hurricane Ike. Mr. Bush will get a first hand look at storm damage along the Gulf Coast on Tuesday.
美国总统布什表示，联邦政府正在尽最大努力帮助“艾克”飓风的灾民。布什星期二将亲自前往灾区考察墨西哥湾沿岸一带的损失程度。
The president says the impact of the storm is being felt far beyond the states of Texas and Louisiana, where the hurricane first made landfall.
布什总统说，“艾克”飓风造成的影响远不止飓风首先登陆的德克萨斯和路易斯安纳两个州。
He says across the country, Americans are paying more for gasoline - the result of storm-caused disruptions in the operations of refineries and pipelines along the Gulf Coast. He says both of the main pipelines are back in service, but until the refineries are back in business, there will be supply shortages and higher prices.
布什说，“艾克”飓风使得墨西哥湾沿岸炼油厂和输油管道运转中断，造成汽油涨价，全国各地民众加油的费用因此增加。他说，现在两条主要输油管道已经恢复正常工作，但是，在几家炼油厂恢复正常生产之前，汽油供应仍然紧张，油价还会上涨。
"And so there is going to be a pinch. I wish that was not the case. But it is," he said.
布什说：“因此，会出现困难。我希望情况不是这样，但是情况就是这样。”
The president, who came under severe criticism three years ago for slow government response to Hurricane Katrina, is getting regular updates on storm rescue and recovery efforts.
布什总统不断听取有关飓风救援和恢复工作的最新汇报。三年前因为布什政府对卡特里纳飓风反应迟缓而受到严厉指责。
After his latest briefing at the White House from emergency officials, he promised the federal government will do all it can to assist the victims of Hurricane Ike.
布什在白宫听取紧急救援人员最新情况通报之后承诺，联邦政府将尽最大努力帮助“艾克”飓风灾民。
"We obviously watch this recovery very carefully because the federal government is playing a crucial role in helping the people of the devastated areas recover," continued Mr. Bush.
布什说：“我们显然非常密切关注飓风过后的恢复工作，联邦政府在帮助灾区人民抗灾过程中正在发挥关键作用。”
Mr. Bush says he is looking forward to getting a first-hand look at the situation in the affected areas. He says he knows in some quarters, patience is running thin.
布什总统表示，他期待着到灾区亲自考察灾情。他说，他知道某些地方的人们越来越不耐烦。
"I am confident there will be people that are very frustrated because their lives have been severely affected by this storm," he said.
布什说：“我肯定有些人现在非常失望，因为他们的生活受到这场飓风的严重影响。”
Casualties from the storm were far lower than anticipated, but the financial cost of the hurricane is expected to be high. Power is still out to many homes and businesses, and flood waters are just beginning to recede leaving behind massive damage and debris.
飓风造成的人员伤亡大大低于预期，不过，风灾造成的经济损失预计非常高。许多住家和店铺仍然断电，积水刚刚开始消退，留下的却是满目疮痍。 |