布莱尔首相演讲:Mozambique

TRANSCRIPT¹ OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S BROADCAST ON 3 MARCH 2000

The scenes this week from Mozambique have been incredibly moving. I don't suppose any of us will forget the extraordinary courage of the pregnant woman clambering for safety up a tree having to give birth there and then, fortunately mother and baby being winched by helicopter to safety minutes later.

That mother's courage has been matched by similar acts of bravery, not just from the victims of the flood but from those trying to rescue them.

Many have been saved. Many others are still in danger. These are the worst floods to have hit the area for half a century. It's believed that there are as many as 100,000 people there still stranded² and in danger from the floodwaters -in trees, on roofs or crowded together without food or drinking water on the only high ground they can find. Around half a million people are believed to have lost everything they possessed³.

And it's such a tragedy for Mozambique: a country that after many years of difficulty was finally struggling to get back on its feet again.

In the light of this tragedy, the world has had to act quickly. And I believe we can be proud of the way that Britain and British people have reacted. And of the way that our Department for International Development has used its enormous expertise⁴ in order to do the very best it can to help. And we're lucky that we have that expertise in dealing⁵ with disaster relief.

And we've seen it this week in action.

We chartered seven helicopters - five locally, two from the Ukraine. We are sending another four RAF helicopters of our own. 108 inflatable boats have been loaded onto a plane in Kent to fly immediately to the region.

We have sent Land Rovers, satellite equipment, Royal National Lifeboat personnel and a fire brigade team.

The total assistance -not just pledged but donated- from the UK government stands at £7.3m. And today we can do more. When the flood waters subside⁶, the rebuilding process will have to begin quickly. Otherwise the population will be at the mercy of cholera⁷ and malaria⁸ epidemics⁹. That is why we are sending Fort George, a special supply ship currently in the gulf¹⁰, to the region. It is equipped with fresh water, food, medicine, much needed aviation fuel, as well as five Royal Navy Sea King helicopters. It's going to be able to accommodate 500 evacuated¹¹ people. In just over a week it will be in Mozambique, delivering more in the humanitarian¹² effort.

You can never say that you've done enough or that you couldn't have done more. But I do know that our country has acted quickly -putting its expertise across the board at the disposal of Mozambique; and showing once again how Britain can be a force for good in the world.

I know, too, that you want the government to act. Clare Short, Geoff Hoon the Defence Secretary, and their Ministers have been working flat out on this. They know how much the British people care about suffering like this. And I know too that you will all want to play your part as well. Yesterday an emergency appeal was launched by the charities working in Mozambique. It deserves all our support.

Donations can be made at any Bank or Post Office, or via www.dec.org.uk or on this telephone number: 0870 606 0900. 

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 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

3 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

4 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

5 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

6 subside   

vi.平静，平息；下沉，塌陷，沉降

参考例句：

• The emotional reaction which results from a serious accident takes time to subside.严重事故所引起的情绪化的反应需要时间来平息。
• The controversies surrounding population growth are unlikely to subside soon.围绕着人口增长问题的争论看来不会很快平息。

7 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

8 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

9 epidemics   

n．流行病

参考例句：

• Reliance upon natural epidemics may be both time-consuming and misleading. 依靠天然的流行既浪费时间，又会引入歧途。
• The antibiotic epidemics usually start stop when the summer rainy season begins. 传染病通常会在夏天的雨季停止传播。

10 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

11 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

12 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。