VOA常速英语2013--教堂和慈善机构在菲律宾灾后恢复起关键作用（在线收听）

Church, Charities Prove Crucial in Philippines Recovery 教堂和慈善机构在菲律宾灾后恢复起关键作用

ORMOC, PHILIPPINES — The Philippines paused to pray Sunday, nine days after one of the worst recorded storms devastated the central part of the country, killing  thousands of people.  In many of the affected areas churches and charities serve as critical hubs for relief and recovery.

奥尔莫克，菲律宾——有史以来最严重的暴风摧毁这个国家的中心地区，并致使几千人丧生，九天之后，菲律宾市民暂停周末祈祷。在许多受暴风影响地区，教堂和慈善机构在灾后救济和恢 复中起了关键作用。

In this devout Catholic country typhoon survivors are filling damaged churches, looking not only for shelter, but solace.  It is a trying time for priests and nuns,  viewed as community leaders, now taking on the overwhelming task of helping distribute aid while trying to make sense of it all.

在这个虔诚的天主教国家，台风幸存者聚集在破损的教堂里，不仅寻求庇护，也寻求慰藉。教士和修女被看作是群体领袖，这对他们来说是一段难熬的日子，他们现在承担着帮助分发援助的 重任，这也使他们变得更有意义。

The Philippine people have maintained their faith despite repeatedly enduring disasters of biblical proportions, according to the pastor of this Ormoc church, Father  Gilbert Urbina.

奥尔莫克教堂的牧师，神父吉尔伯特厄比纳称，尽管面临着多次持续性的巨大灾难，菲律宾民众仍保持信仰。

“Scriptures describe apocalyptic times in terms of the natural calamities, floods, volcanic eruptions, wars and what the scripture says is we need to be prepared for  all this to persevere, these are trying times, have faith,” said Father Urbina.

“圣经以自然灾害，洪水暴发，火山喷发和战争描述世界末日，圣经也告诉我们，我们需要为这所有一切做准备，我们要坚持不懈，在这艰难的时刻，保持信仰。”

At the heavily damaged cathedral in Palo, a town just south of Tacloban, also flattened by the typhoon winds, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the 83-year-old Archbishop  Emeritus of Washington, D.C., led mass. Speaking to VOA later in the day in Ormoc, he acknowledged some traumatized survivors might initially find scripture  inadequate.

帕洛是塔克洛班市南部的一个小镇，也被台风几乎夷为平地。在帕洛一个遭到严重破坏的大教堂里， 华盛顿地区83岁的名誉大主教卡迪纳尔西奥多卡里克，引导众人。

当天他在奥尔莫克接受美国之音的采访，他称一些心理受创的幸存者可能最初认为圣经不能够治愈他们。

“I think it is probably not, right at the beginning, because at the beginning everyone is hurting so.  And they lost so many, they lost so many friends and family.   And they do not know why God is doing this to us.  Well, in a real sense we say it is not that God is doing this to us, he is allowing these things to happen, probably  for a greater cause,” said the cardinal.

“我想，一开始这样说可能不对，因为起初每个人都深深受创。他们失去了很多朋友和家人。他们不明白为什么上帝这样对他们。从真正意义上来说，不是上帝对他们这样做，而是上帝让这 些事情发生，很可能有更重要的原因。”

Whatever the cause, a sudden effect is a global outpouring of good will. Among those at the forefront of the civic response: Catholic charities, on the ground in some  of the worst-hit communities.

不管是什么原因，灾难发生以后，来自全球的持续不断的善意。其中，在最前线的城市的反应：在一些严重受创的地区的天主教慈善机构。

Martha Skretteberg, secretary general of Caritas Norway, said they are coordinating closely with local Catholic churches.  “The people run to the church at the first  [chance] in order to get protection, in order to get food, some help.”

挪威明爱秘书长玛莎斯盖特博格称他们正与当地天主教堂紧密协作。人们在第一时间冲向教堂，以获得保护，食物和帮助。

Many who lost their homes in Ormoc were relocated to the area after a 1991 typhoon-generated flash flood destroyed their community.  Now they have to decide whether to  try to rebuild here or move on again.

很多失去家园的奥尔莫克市民是在1991年由台风产生的洪水摧毁他们原来的社区之后迁移过来的。现在他们不得不在重建家园和再次迁移中做选择。

With her grandchildren hovering about, a 72-year-old widow, Demetria Omega, is hoping to sell some fruit and vegetables. She borrowed $25 to start a modest store in  what remains of her residence. Most of her home blew away in the storm.

德梅特里亚欧米茄是名72岁的寡妇，她带着孙子在附近徘徊，她希望能够卖出一些水果和蔬菜。她借了25美金在残存的房屋开了一个不大不小的商店。她的房屋几乎都被暴风吹走了。

“I do not even have a place to lie down to sleep, I have to sleep sitting.  I move aside my fruit and vegetables and place on the stand a [plastic] mat that I use as  my roof during the day.”

“这里没有地方可以让我躺下来睡觉，我只能坐着睡觉。白天，我把水果和蔬菜移到旁边，支起一个塑料垫来做屋顶。”

Hers is one of 5,000 households the priest at the damaged church down the road now struggles to provide the barest necessities for body and soul. 

作为5000个住户中的一员，牧师也将待在破损的教堂，他们现在努力为受伤的身体和心灵提供最诚挚的帮助。