VOA慢速英语2020 贝鲁特发生大规模爆炸导致70多人死亡3000多人受伤

A massive explosion shook Beirut Tuesday, flattening¹ much of the Lebanese capital's port and damaging buildings across the city.

黎巴嫩首都贝鲁特周二发生了一场大规模爆炸，夷平了大部分港口，并破坏了市区各处的建筑物。

The country's health minister reported more than 70 people were killed and at least 3,000 others were injured.

该国卫生部长报告称，有70多人死亡，还有至少3千人受伤。

Officials expected the number of dead to increase as emergency workers continue to search the ruins for victims. Hours after the explosion, emergency vehicles continued to transport the wounded to medical centers as army helicopters helped fight fires at the port.

有关官员预计随着救援人员继续在废墟中寻找受害者，死亡人数还会增加。爆炸发生数小时之后，随着武装直升机在港口协助灭火，救护车继续将伤员运往医疗中心。

The explosion was Beirut's most powerful in years. It was so huge that some people in the city thought an earthquake had occured. It could be heard and felt as far away as Cyprus, more than 200 kilometers across the Mediterranean².

这次爆炸是贝鲁特多年来最严重的一次爆炸。爆炸如此严重，以至于城里很多人以为发生了地震。远到横跨地中海两百多公里之外的塞浦路斯都可以听到和感觉到这场爆炸。

The cause of the explosion has not been reported.

爆炸原因尚未报告。

Abbas Ibrahim, chief of Lebanese General Security, said a supply of highly explosive material in port storage might be to blame. A local television station reported that material as ammonium nitrate.

黎巴嫩国家安全总局局长阿巴斯·易卜拉欣表示，这次爆炸可能要归咎于港口仓库中储存的一批高度易爆物质。当地一家电视台报道称该物质为硝酸铵。

Witnesses said an orange cloud appeared after the explosion. Such clouds often result from explosions involving nitrates.

目击者表示，爆炸后升起了橙色的烟雾。这类烟雾通常是硝酸铵的爆炸引起的。

An Israeli government official said Israel "had nothing to do" with the explosion. Israel has fought several wars in Lebanon. And tensions continue to rise between Israel and the Lebanese militant³ group Hezbollah.

以色列官员表示，这次爆炸跟以色列无关。以色列在黎巴嫩打了几场战争。以色列和黎巴嫩激进组织真主党之间的紧张关系持续升温。

Marwan Ramadan was about 500 meters from the port when the explosion forced him off his feet. He told the Associated Press, "It was a real horror show. I haven't seen anything like that since the days of the (civil) war."

马尔万·拉马丹当时距离港口约500米远，爆炸发生时将他掀离了地面。他对美联社表示：“场面真的太恐怖了。自内战以来，我再也没见过这么恐怖的场面。”

Beirut's governor, Marwan Abboud, cried as he explored the wreckage⁴, describing the city as "devastated⁵."

贝鲁特省长马万·阿布德在废墟中搜救时哭了，他称这座城市遭遇了毁灭性打击。

A witness told Reuters, "I saw a fireball and smoke...People were screaming and running, bleeding. Balconies were blown off buildings."

一名目击者对路透社表示：“我看到了火球和烟雾。人们尖叫着、跑着、身上流着血。阳台都被从建筑物上震掉了。”

"This country is cursed," one young man said.

一名年轻人表示：“黎巴嫩受到了诅咒。”

The explosion happened as Lebanon's economy is facing collapse⁶ from a financial crisis and coronavirus restrictions⁷. Many people are unemployed⁸. Some have lost savings⁹ and others have been thrown into poverty.

爆炸发生之际，黎巴嫩的经济正面临金融危机和新冠病毒限制措施带来的奔溃。许多人失业。有些人耗光了积蓄，另一些人陷入了贫困。

I'm Caty Weaver¹⁰.

我是凯蒂·韦孚。

1 flattening   

n. 修平 动词flatten的现在分词

参考例句：

• Flattening of the right atrial border is also seen in constrictive pericarditis. 右心房缘变平亦见于缩窄性心包炎。
• He busied his fingers with flattening the leaves of the book. 他手指忙着抚平书页。

2 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

3 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

4 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

5 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

6 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

7 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

8 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

9 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

10 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。