澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2010-01-14

The Prime Minister of Haiti says the number of people killed in yesterday's powerful earthquake could be well over 100,000. The 7.0-magnitude quake was the largest to hit the impoverished¹ nation in 200 years. 

Homes, hospitals and schools were reduced to rubble². As the international aid effort mobilizes, the Federal Government is trying to locate a small number of Australians believed to be in the vicinity. The Department of Foreign Affairs says 10 Australians in the affected³ zone are safe. But it won't say how many others are still missing.

 The United Nations mission to Haiti was also badly hit. The head of the peacekeeping effort is still missing and soldiers from several countries are among the casualties.

 “Many of our UN colleagues on the ground, including my special representative in Haiti, Mr. Annabi and his deputy, Mr. La Costa, are as yet unaccounted for. The UN Headquarters at the Christopher Hotel collapsed⁴ in the quake. Many people are still trapped inside.” 

And there's been a modest rebound⁵ on Wall Street with financial stocks leading the gains.

 I'll be back with more news later. Bye for now.

1 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。

3 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。

4 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

5 rebound   

v.弹回；n.弹回，跳回

参考例句：

• The vibrations accompanying the rebound are the earth quake.伴随这种回弹的振动就是地震。
• Our evil example will rebound upon ourselves.我们的坏榜样会回到我们自己头上的。