2007年VOA标准英语-Emergency Relief Goods on Display at Aid & Trad

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
01 February 2007

Getting essential relief supplies to victims of natural disasters and conflict is critical for their survival. These emergency goods do not just magically appear out of the air. They have to be purchased. A wide range of items used in humanitarian¹ operations were on display at an "Aid & Trade Fair" in Geneva. Some 130 exhibitors hawked² their wares³ to representatives of United Nations and other aid agencies that procure⁴ the goods needed to help victims of catastrophic events. Lisa Schlein reports from Geneva.

A giant screen on back of a 15-ton truck projects images of a disaster mitigation operation. The narrator explains how the so-called Nomadic⁵ Dream Machine can use a first-world technology to communicate information essential for people in developing countries. For example, she explains that films on AIDS prevention or early-warning systems can be shown to audiences of 6,000 people in deserts, mountains or flooded village terrain⁶.

This is just one of dozens of items on exhibit at the Aid & Trade Fair.

"The point of having aid and trade in this event is to bring together all the separate actors within humanitarian aid and relief and also moving towards development," said Sula Bruce,the fair's head of operations. 

A tent for homeless in Paris distributed by aid group Medecins du Monde

She says the event tries to bring aid agencies and companies together for their mutual⁷ benefit.

"Obviously, there are a lot of non-profit organizations working here. But, the equipment they use has to come from somewhere. And, I think it is very important that people are working together," continued Bruce. "And, also that the agencies that are providing relief can talk to companies and tell them what they are looking for so that the research and development can be made, so that more effective provisions and supplies are created."

"My name is Dr. Seyi Oyesola. I am an anesthesiologist and I am representing Global Medical Systems. We have developed a solar powered compact operating room. It is called the Compact OR," he said.   

Dr. Oyesola says the Compact OR has all the equipment needed to allow surgical⁸ teams to perform a wide range of procedures. He says it works in areas where the electrical supplies are either unavailable or unreliable. Dr. Oyesola says it costs about $50,000, which is about half the price of similar equipment.

"We like to think of it as being a device that is much more than useful for just disasters, like we say in remote hospital locations ,where it is difficult to reach," he said. "This will fit in the back of a jeep, a Land Rover, a van and will take health care to places that are not necessarily disaster areas, but places where they would not ordinarily be able to get health care of this kind."

"We are introducing a deployable⁹ rapid assembly shelter which we sell in large quantities to the military around the world into the humanitarian and disaster relief area," said Max Houghton, a director of U.K.-based MilSys Limited. The giant tent on display is army green. But, Houghton says it can come in any color. It fits in a large sack and unfolds like a huge umbrella in just four minutes. 

He says the tent is widely used by the American, British and other nations' militaries. He says, in many nations it is the military that carry out disaster relief operations.

"And, so they are starting to take these shelters with them to use. For example, we can take them straight up to Kashmir," Houghton said. "They can be rolled off the back of a helicopter in their bags. The people on the ground can look at the picture on the bag and four to six minutes later, four people can put up a shelter. The smallest one we think will sleep a family of 10. Sure they are lying on the ground, but they are undercover. And, the larger ones we can put 50 people into them."

Wandering through the exhibit, you pass the large Check pavilion, which offers a variety of rescue equipment. One stand promotes advice on how to clean up environments that have been contaminated with depleted¹⁰ uranium and other toxic¹¹ substances during bombing raids. Other exhibits offer health and medical aids, a new method for de-mining, water and sanitation¹² equipment. All that and much, much more are on view. 

International Red Cross Federation¹³ communications official Sian Bowen says the Red Cross is always looking for new ideas and new ways aimed at finding solutions to problems.

"One very practical idea that I've seen here, it is one of the most important things we need, it is to do with sanitation and it is actually toilets," said Bowen. "We have seen companies coming up with lightweight toilets."

Bowen says no one wants to send three tons of sanitation equipment into the field.

"So, if we find companies that come up with more innovative¹⁴ ideas and different materials that are lighter¹⁵ weight, that are quick to assemble, that are still cost-effective, than that is the kind of thing that we are interested in because it makes our job easier and makes our delivery to help people more efficient," she added.

The Aid & Trade Fair gets generally high marks for exhibiting a large range of quality goods. But, some participants criticize the show for having too much trade and not enough aid. They say it would be useful to have a wider variety of humanitarian organizations and corporate¹⁶ companies at the fair to share experiences and discuss the challenges of humanitarian response.

1 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

2 hawked   

通过叫卖主动兜售（hawk的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Some were haggling loudly with traders as they hawked their wares. 有些人正在大声同兜售货物的商贩讲价钱。
• The peddler hawked his wares from door to door. 小贩挨户叫卖货物。

3 wares   

n. 货物, 商品

参考例句：

• They sold their wares at half-price. 他们的货品是半价出售的。
• The peddler was crying up his wares. 小贩极力夸耀自己的货物。

4 procure   

vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条

参考例句：

• Can you procure some specimens for me?你能替我弄到一些标本吗？
• I'll try my best to procure you that original French novel.我将尽全力给你搞到那本原版法国小说。

5 nomadic   

adj.流浪的；游牧的

参考例句：

• This tribe still live a nomadic life.这个民族仍然过着游牧生活。
• The plowing culture and the nomadic culture are two traditional principal cultures in China.农耕文化与游牧文化是我国传统的两大主体文化。

6 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

7 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

8 surgical   

adj.外科的，外科医生的，手术上的

参考例句：

• He performs the surgical operations at the Red Cross Hospital.他在红十字会医院做外科手术。
• All surgical instruments must be sterilised before use.所有的外科手术器械在使用之前，必须消毒。

9 deployable   

糟透的，可叹的，可悲的； 应受谴责的； 破旧的

参考例句：

• Here you can add and remove deployable languages and retail products. 您可以在这儿添加和删除可部署语言和零售产品。
• Deployable underwater Surveillance Systems-Analysis of Experimental Results. Part 3; Saclantcen rept. 可配置水下监视系统枣实验结果分析。第三部分。

10 depleted   

adj. 枯竭的, 废弃的 动词deplete的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Food supplies were severely depleted. 食物供应已严重不足。
• Both teams were severely depleted by injuries. 两个队都因队员受伤而实力大减。

11 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

12 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

13 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

14 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

15 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

16 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。