美国国家公共电台 NPR--FEMA Officer describes Puerto Rico's recovery from Fiona so far

FEMA Officer describes Puerto Rico's recovery from Fiona so far

Transcript¹

FEMA Federal Coordinating² Officer Robert Little discusses the recovery response in Puerto Rico, five days after Hurricane Fiona made landfall.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

The federal government says it'll pay 100% of Puerto Rico's recovery costs from Hurricane Fiona for the next month, and President Biden says his administration is laser focused on helping³ the people on the island. Five days after Fiona made landfall, more than a million people are still without power, and hundreds of thousands lack running water. We've called up FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Robert Little. He's in charge of FEMA recovery operations on the island. Robert, I mentioned the lack of power and the lack of running water. What is FEMA doing to change that?

ROBERT LITTLE: Those two things are our No. 1 priorities, both simultaneously⁴ because to get water back requires getting power back. LUMA, the company that is in charge of the transmission of power across the island, has been making good strides, and the governor is pushing them hard to ensure that they keep going, and we're here to support any federal resources they may need to enhance that progress. So it is our No. 1 priority.

For water, we've been in constant contact with PRASA - that is the water utility here on the island - to ensure that they have backup power generation for the facilities that are not on grid⁵ power yet. They need power to run the pumps to get the water out to the customers. If they're not on grid, they have backup generators⁶. Some of them are maybe in disrepair. And they have requested some through the Commonwealth⁷ of Puerto Rico. What they cannot source they then pass to us, and the Army Corps⁸ of Engineers assists us in the assessment⁹ of what's needed and getting generators out there and installed.

MART?NEZ: Robert, I've read and heard a lot of skepticism and a wait-and-see attitude from Puerto Ricans because of FEMA's failure after Hurricane Maria back in 2017. I know that FEMA has pledged that this time around will not be like Hurricane Maria. How will it be different? What's your message to Puerto Ricans who are waiting?

LITTLE: Well, sir, as far as a failure in 2017, we have - there are many lessons that we have learned to do things better. So, you know, that's a tough way to say things. But, yes, we have been working tirelessly with the island over the last five years to exercise. PREMB, from the governor's office all the way down to the local emergency managers, are head and shoulders better at this business than they were back then. And we, like I said, are able to fill in the gaps where - because of our connection with them at their emergency operations centers. So that's the No. 1 reason that we feel this is going to be a much better scenario¹⁰ than Maria.

It's also a truly less impactful storm on the wind side. We know that we had record-breaking rain in the south and the west, but - so it's different, right? And we are pushing people out to the municipalities, and that communication, all the way - like I said, all the way down to the municipal emergency managers is far better than it was at 2017.

MART?NEZ: That's FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Robert Little. He's heading up the FEMA recovery operation on the island of Puerto Rico. Robert, thank you very much.

LITTLE: It's been a pleasure. Thank you, sir.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 simultaneously   

adv.同时发生地，同时进行地

参考例句：

• The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。
• The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。

5 grid   

n.高压输电线路网；地图坐标方格；格栅

参考例句：

• In this application,the carrier is used to encapsulate the grid.在这种情况下，要用载体把格栅密封起来。
• Modern gauges consist of metal foil in the form of a grid.现代应变仪则由网格形式的金属片组成。

6 generators   

n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司

参考例句：

• The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。
• Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

8 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

9 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

10 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。