国家地理 强热带风暴席卷孟加拉国

Hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh, victims of the worst cyclone¹ to hit the country in a decade were desperately² awaiting aid on Monday as the official death toll³ climbed to over three thousand. With relief aid pouring in, rescue teams battled to reach remote areas. The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, the Islamic equivalent of the Red Cross warned the death toll could hit ten thousand once rescuers reach outlying islands.

孟加拉国有很多人都在近10年来最严重的一次气旋中受到了波及，本周一，这些人正在焦急地等待援助。另一边，官方数据宣布，死亡人数已上升至3000多人。随着赈灾救助的纷至沓来，救援团队都在争分夺秒地抵达偏远地区。相当于伊斯兰红十字会的孟加拉红新月会警示称，如果救援团队去往偏远的岛屿，死亡人数会破万。

In the typhoon ravaged⁴ area, residents have been recovering dead bodies since flood waters receded⁵. Many grieving families are burying their loved ones in the same grave because no male member is available to dig separate ones. But even these mass graves are overflowing⁶ with new bodies being recovered every day. There's no place to bury the dead. We do not even have a piece of cloth to cover their bodies. Our condition now is worse than the dead.

在受飓风席卷的地区，当地居民在洪水水位下降后开始打捞尸体。很多失去亲人的家庭将挚爱的亲人葬在了同一个墓里，因为没有壮丁可以挖出分开的墓穴了。但即便是这种大型墓穴也到处都是新的尸体，每天都有。死者也无处安置。甚至连块布都没得裹。活人比死人更痛苦。

I can not find my family members. I don't even know how to look for them. We've lost our house, cattle, crops, everything, because of floods. Patuakhali, in the southern coastal⁷ area of the country, endured strong winds that push large boats out of the water and onto land. People's houses were destroyed, and their animals killed when the cyclone struck. The lack of food, water, proper shelter and clothes, especially during the winter season, have made the living conditions of survivors⁸ extremely difficult.

我找不到家人了，我也不知道去哪里找。我们没了家，没了牲畜，没了庄稼，什么都没了，只因为洪水。该国南部沿岸地区的博杜阿卡利遭受了强风的席卷，导致许多大型船只从水上被刮到陆地上。人们无处可住，动物在气旋中死去。人们缺少粮食、水源以及合适的避难所和衣物，这种情况尤其在冬季会让幸存者的生活境况极端艰难。

Our crops have been destroyed. We have nothing to survive on. We are trying to survive with eating whatever's edible⁹ that we can lay our hands on. International aid organizations promised initial packages of 25 million dollars during a meeting with Bangladesh agencies on Monday. But relief items such as tents, rice and water have been slow to reach many. The government's response was criticized by some villagers and many fear they may not survive. Government officials defended the relief efforts and expressed confidence that authorities are up to the task.

我们的粮食被毁，没有赖以为生的东西了。为了活下去，能吃的东西，我们都会吃。国际援助机构在周一与孟加拉国各机构的会谈中已承诺会先拨款2500万美元。但救济物品，比如帐篷、大米、水，抵达难民的速度会很慢。一些村民苛责政府响应速度慢，很多人担心自己命不久矣。政府为自己的救援工作辩解，并表示坚信当局会履行任务。

Many foreign governments and international groups have also pledged to help, including the United States, which offered 2.1 million dollars and the United Nations which promised 7 million dollars. Tropical cyclone Sidr was the worst cyclone to hit Bangladesh in a decade.

很多外国政府和国际组织也承诺会伸出援助之手，其中包括美国。美国捐助了210万美元。联合国也承诺捐助700万美元。热带气旋锡德是近10年来孟加拉国遭受的最严重的一次气旋。

1 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。

2 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

3 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

4 ravaged   

毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫

参考例句：

• a country ravaged by civil war 遭受内战重创的国家
• The whole area was ravaged by forest fires. 森林火灾使整个地区荒废了。

5 receded   

v.逐渐远离( recede的过去式和过去分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题

参考例句：

• The floodwaters have now receded. 洪水现已消退。
• The sound of the truck receded into the distance. 卡车的声音渐渐在远处消失了。

6 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。

7 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

8 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

9 edible   

n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的

参考例句：

• Edible wild herbs kept us from dying of starvation.我们靠着野菜才没被饿死。
• This kind of mushroom is edible,but that kind is not.这种蘑菇吃得，那种吃不得。