VOA标准英语2009年-Call for Greater Disaster Preparedness

Acehnese run to higher ground during a tsunami¹ drill held as part of the commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami in Lhoong, Aceh province, Indonesia, 26 Dec 2009

Five years after the devastating² tsunami struck the Asia Pacific region, aid agencies say communities have largely recovered and early warning systems are in place.  But, the International Federation³ of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies warns people not to be complacent⁴.  It urges greater action on disaster risk reduction efforts. 

Five years ago, the world witnessed the biggest single natural disaster in living memory.  A massive earthquake off the coast of Sumatra created a tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean. 

Almost a quarter of a million people lost their lives.  Millions of others lost their loved ones, their homes, and their livelihoods⁵.  This disaster elicited⁶ an outpouring of grief and generosity⁷ around the world.

The head of the International Red Cross Federation's Tsunami unit, Al Panico, says his agency received nearly $3 billion, 70 percent of this from the general public.

Speaking by telephone from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, he told VOA this staggering amount of money allowed the Red Cross to undertake the biggest permanent housing program in its history.

"And, with that, we operated in 14 affected⁸ countries throughout the Indian Ocean area, built 51,000 permanent houses, 289 hospitals and clinics, 20,000 temporary shelters in Indonesia," said Panico. "It is just unbelievable amounts of work that went into that, but, important.  The important work we did was just touching⁹ the lives of over five million people." 

The four worst affected countries were Indonesia, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand.  Panico says in most of the hard hit communities, life is largely back to normal.  He says people are living in safer and more resilient homes and communities.  And, most are back to work.

"But, I hesitate to say that things are back to normal because for those people that lost family members, it is really a life that will never return to normal," said Panico. "I was just in Sri Lanka last week and in Indonesia about a month ago talking to people who had lost family members and the loss, the sorrow, the irreplaceable loved one is still felt.  So, for those people, life will never be normal again." 

Panico says it will take another six to 12 months to finish the job of building back better.  He says hundreds of houses and hospitals in the devastated¹⁰ areas still have to be built. 

Now that the civil war in Sri Lanka is over, he says aid workers are finally able to reach some areas in the northern Tamil region that had been off limits.  He says the Red Cross just recently started building 900 houses in Jaffna and expects them to be completed in June.

Panico says five years after the tsunami struck, most communities are better equipped and better prepared to deal with disasters.  He notes early warning systems are in place in all countries in the Indian Ocean.  And, communities have a much greater knowledge about how to reduce risks.
 

1 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

2 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

3 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。

4 complacent   

adj.自满的；自鸣得意的

参考例句：

• We must not become complacent the moment we have some success.我们决不能一见成绩就自满起来。
• She was complacent about her achievements.她对自己的成绩沾沾自喜。

5 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

6 elicited   

引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Threats to reinstate the tax elicited jeer from the Opposition. 恢复此项征税的威胁引起了反对党的嘲笑。
• The comedian's joke elicited applause and laughter from the audience. 那位滑稽演员的笑话博得观众的掌声和笑声。

7 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

8 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。

9 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

10 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。