2006年VOA标准英语-New Orleans Mayor Urges City Residents to

By Stephanie Ho
Washington
01 January 2006

The mayor of New Orleans, a city that was devastated¹ four months ago by Hurricane Katrina, says his wishes for the new year include rebuilding the city's protective levees and constructing enough housing, so residents can return.

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New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin testifies on Capitol Hill, Dec. 14, 2005 in Washington  
  

The current population of New Orleans is just a fraction of the 480,000 people who lived there before Hurricane Katrina.

"Right now, it is probably at about 100,000 [people]," said city's mayor, Ray Nagin, who spoke² on the CBS television program Face the Nation. He said he is optimistic this number will double after city authorities re-open, what he described as, a "significant" number of public and private schools.

"Everyday, we start to see more people coming back, but the real challenge is housing, temporary and long-term housing, but we have enough of a footprint to accommodate about 200 to 250,000 people right now," he added.

Mayor Nagin said besides providing adequate housing for New Orleans' residents, another priority for him is ensuring the city is protected from the next hurricane.

"My wish list for 2006 is for, number one, that we rebuild the levees and hurricane protection systems, where, if another Katrina hit us, that we would be protected," noted³ Mayor Nagin. "And that is what has been authorized⁴ and that is what is being proposed by the president." Floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina breached⁵ New Orleans' levees, devastating⁶ much of the city.

Mayor Nagin says New Orleans authorities have been lobbying the federal government and Congress for help, which he says could be quicker. He added, though, that he has seen what he described as "encouraging signs" in recent weeks, including President Bush's asking Congress for another $1.5 billion to help rebuild the levee system around the city - bringing the President's request for aid to the region, to more than $3 billion.

1 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

5 breached   

攻破( breach的现在分词 )； 破坏，违反

参考例句：

• These commitments have already been breached. 这些承诺已遭背弃。
• Our tanks have breached the enemy defences. 我方坦克车突破了敌人的防线。

6 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。