2006年VOA标准英语-Health Teams Search for Survivors of Nigerian P

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
27 December 2006

Health teams are combing a Lagos neighborhood Wednesday in search of survivors¹ of Tuesday's pipeline² explosion who need urgent treatment. For VOA, Gilbert da Costa reports that several bodies were buried late Tuesday.

 

corpses3 following an early morning pipeline explosion in Lagos, Nigeria, 26 Dec 2006" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070514/1455030.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

A boy covers his face as he walks past burning vehicles and corpses following early morning pipeline explosion in Lagos, 26 Dec 2006

Casualty figures from Tuesday's explosion range from 200 to about 1,000. Survivors with severe burns are being treated at government-owned hospitals.

 

However, some of those injured in the blast are believed to have gone into hiding to avoid arrest. Others may not have gone to hospital because they lack the money to pay for treatment.

 

Umar Mairiga, head of disaster management with the Red Cross, says volunteers are searching for survivors in hiding and cleaning up the explosion site.

 

"We are trying to disinfect the place and we've sent out our volunteers to see if they can fish out some people who are still hiding, so we can take them to the hospital," said Mairiga.  "And then we are also asking relatives of those people affected⁴ to come forward and register their names, so that we try to see if they are dead or in any of the hospitals."

 

Eye witnesses say the charred⁵ bodies of the victims have been removed, but remains⁶ still littered the area.

 

Presidential spokeswoman Remi Oyo, says Nigerians should resolve to put an end to pipelines⁷ break-ins.

 

"The government cannot alone secure the whole territory of Nigeria and that is why those of us who are law-abiding citizens should help in ensuring that once we see these kinds of things, we report them. We do not wait until when the pipelines have been vandalized before we report as in the case of what happened in Ebule Egba," said Oyo. "I believe that we all must rise up and say never again will we allow these kinds of things to our citizenry."

 

The fire started Tuesday morning when local residents arrived with jerry cans to help themselves to small quantities of gasoline.

 

The pipelines reportedly ruptured⁸ by thieves subsequently exploded into an inferno⁹.

 

More than 2,000 people have been killed in oil pipelines explosions in Nigeria in the last few years.

1 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

2 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

3 corpses   

n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The living soldiers put corpses together and burned them. 活着的战士把尸体放在一起烧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Overhead, grayish-white clouds covered the sky, piling up heavily like decaying corpses. 天上罩满了灰白的薄云，同腐烂的尸体似的沉沉的盖在那里。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 charred   

v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦

参考例句：

• the charred remains of a burnt-out car 被烧焦的轿车残骸
• The intensity of the explosion is recorded on the charred tree trunks. 那些烧焦的树干表明爆炸的强烈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 pipelines   

管道( pipeline的名词复数 )； 输油管道； 在考虑（或规划、准备） 中； 在酿中

参考例句：

• The oil is carried to the oil refinery by pipelines. 石油通过输油管输送到炼油厂。
• The oil carried in pipelines. 石油用管道输送。

8 ruptured   

v.（使）破裂( rupture的过去式和过去分词 )；（使体内组织等）断裂；使（友好关系）破裂；使绝交

参考例句：

• They reported that the pipeline had ruptured. 他们报告说管道已经破裂了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The wall through Berlin was finally ruptured, prefiguring the reunification of Germany. 柏林墙终于倒塌了，预示着德国的重新统一。 来自辞典例句

9 inferno   

n.火海；地狱般的场所

参考例句：

• Rescue workers fought to get to victims inside the inferno.救援人员奋力营救大火中的受害者。
• The burning building became an inferno.燃烧着的大楼成了地狱般的地方。