VOA标准英语2010年-Haitian Group in Chicago Unites in Rel

Five months after devastating¹ earthquake killed hundreds of thousands, need for supplies great for million more who are homeless

Kane Farabaugh | Chicago 09 June 2010 
Lionel Jean-Baptiste of the Haitian Congress to Fortify² Haiti, a Haitian aid agency based in Evanston, Illinois

The City of Chicago has a historic connection to Haiti.  Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable³, considered the city's founding father, was a fur trader from the Caribbean nation who settled in Chicago in the late 1700s.  Now, roughly 30,000 Haitians call Chicago home.  Disaster and tragedy has brought the community together in recent years.  First a hurricane, and now this year's catastrophic earthquake, have mobilized Chicago's Haitian community to help fellow countrymen in their homeland.

Five months after a devastating earthquake killed hundreds of thousands of people in Haiti's capital Port au Prince, the need for supplies is great for the million more who are homeless.

Since the crisis began, Lionel Jean-Baptiste has been at the center of an ongoing⁴ relief effort in suburban⁵ Chicago.

Baptiste founded the Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti, a community organization based in Evanston, Illinois.  The group formed in 2004, a tumultuous year for Haiti.

"Aristide was being removed from power, we were trying to celebrate 200 years of independence," he explained.  "Hurricane Jeanne was hitting us.  So we had a lot of partisanry and division within the community.  But somehow we came together to pragmatically do some work to help our brothers and sisters face their reality."

But nothing could prepare the group for the reality of the January earthquake and the devastation⁶ it brought. Baptiste mobilized Chicago's Haitian community to help those in need.

"We called on people to collect medical supplies, medicine that's over the counter, clothing, crutches⁷, etcetera," he recalled.  "We put out a press release, and we began the process of mobilizing folks, so we have stayed mobilized since day one."

Money, medicine and other donations have poured into the organization's office. Baptiste says the group raised over one million dollars in cash and medicine.

By April, the organization had accumulated enough items to fill four large shipping⁸ containers.

But when the containers arrived in Haiti, they were delayed in customs.  To help clear the logjam, members from Chicago traveled to Port au Prince to make sure the supplies got to those in need.

"We helped over 10,000 families through camps, organizations, churches, orphanages⁹, individuals, etcetera," noted¹⁰ Aline Lauture, Executive Director of the Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti.  She led the group's recent mission to Haiti.

"We didn't see a lot of movement of rebuilding," she added.  "We just saw the rubble¹¹, they just cleared most of it to the side of the street, but we didn't see a lot of the rebuilding process started."

Lauture was surprised that people in the capital have managed to move on despite the lack of infrastructure¹².

"They have their commerce. They are selling their goods.  Life is moving. Under the worst circumstances, they keep moving," she said.

And her group keeps accepting donations. It plans to deliver new medical supplies and other items during a trip scheduled later this year.

 

1 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。

2 fortify   

v.强化防御，为…设防；加强，强化

参考例句：

• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。
• This treaty forbade the United States to fortify the canal.此条约禁止美国对运河设防。

3 sable   

n.黑貂；adj.黑色的

参考例句：

• Artists' brushes are sometimes made of sable.画家的画笔有的是用貂毛制的。
• Down the sable flood they glided.他们在黑黝黝的洪水中随波逐流。

4 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

5 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

6 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 crutches   

n.拐杖, 支柱 v.支撑

参考例句：

• After the accident I spent six months on crutches . 事故后我用了六个月的腋杖。
• When he broke his leg he had to walk on crutches. 他腿摔断了以后，不得不靠拐杖走路。

8 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

9 orphanages   

孤儿院( orphanage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It is Rotarians running orphanages for children who have no homes. 扶轮社员们为没有家的孩子办孤儿院。
• Through the years, she built churches, hospitals and orphanages. 许多年来，她盖了一间间的教堂、医院、育幼院。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

12 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。