VOA慢速英语2014 菲律宾渔民转用玻璃钢造船

 

AS IT IS 2014-11-24 Filipino Fishermen Turn to Fiberglass for New Boats 菲律宾渔民转用玻璃钢造船

Last year, a typhoon seriously damaged Leyte Island in the Philippines. More than 7,300 people died or are missing. Four million Filipinos lost their homes, and many of them lost their incomes.

Many fishermen were among them. They lost their wooden boats. Without them, they had no way to make money.

The fishermen used boats called “bancas.” These boats were made from wood taken from the island’s forests. But the forests were damaged by the powerful storm, making it difficult to quickly rebuild the boats. 

So a large, non-governmental environmental protection group is helping¹ the fishermen rebuild their boats using a material made of glass and plastic. The material is called fiberglass. The group says fiberglass lasts longer than the wood and plywood materials the fishermen have traditionally used to build their boats.  

Patrick Vincent Co manages the bancas rebuilding project for the WWF. He and his employees are teaching fishermen how to build boats with fiberglass.

“We feel that this is simply the next step forward, both out of necessity and out of practicality to use fiberglass rather than wood and plywood, and also something that is essentially² ecologically sound.”

Ramon Binamira is a boat-building expert. He says many of the fishermen were worried about using fiberglass to build boats. He says they asked many questions.

“Is it strong enough? Will it be able to take the day-to-day abuse that the traditional boats have proven to be capable of taking?”

The fishermen tested the fiberglass bancas with a heavy tool called a “sledgehammer.” The fisherman used it to hit the sides of the fiberglass boats to see if the new boats were as strong as their wooden boats.

Norberto dela Torre is a 78-year old fisherman. He says he was surprised by the strength of the fiberglass bancas.

Mr. dela Torre says the fiberglass boats are durable³. He says they are stronger in water than wooden boats. And he notes wooden boats get dirty easily.

The new fiberglass bancas are now being used only for small-scale fishing. But the World Wildlife Fund hopes the new boat-building skills that fishermen are learning will help them design and create larger fiberglass boats. The WWF says the technology will help them better-prepare for climate change and reduce the need for wood from forests damaged by Typhoon Haiyan.

Words in This Story

durable – adj. staying strong and in good condition over a long period of time

fiberglass – n. a light, strong material that is made from thin threads of glass; it is used to make different products

plywood – n. a strong board that is made by joining thin sheets of wood with glue

typhoon –  n. an extremely large, powerful and destructive storm that happens especially in the area of the Philippines

1 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。

2 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

3 durable   

adj.持久的，耐久的

参考例句：

• This raincoat is made of very durable material.这件雨衣是用非常耐用的料子做的。
• They frequently require more major durable purchases.他们经常需要购买耐用消费品。