VOA常速英语2007-Damage from California Wildfires Could Top $1 Bi

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
24 October 2007

President Bush has promised federal aid for Californians whose homes have been destroyed by at least 16 wildfires raging in the southern part of the state. The blazes have scorched¹ 165,000 hectares. In San Diego, where 1,200 homes were destroyed, local officials say losses could total $1 billion. Mike O'Sullivan has more from Los Angeles.

With at least half a million people forced from their homes, President Bush signed a major disaster declaration, allowing federal officials to make grants for temporary housing and home repairs, and providing low-cost loans to property owners whose losses are not covered by insurance.

State and local firefighters are already getting aid from the federal government, including fire crews, helicopters, and air tankers² that carry water and fire retardant chemicals. The Department of Defense³ has supplied six C-130 aircraft equipped with firefighting systems, and National Guard troops are helping⁴ with evacuation and crowd control.

President Bush plans to visit the fire-ravaged parts of the state Thursday, and says he is making sure that federal efforts are coordinated⁵. He also told fire victims that people across the country care deeply about them.

"We are concerned about their safety. We are concerned about their property. And we offer our prayers and hopes that all will turn out fine in the end. In the meantime, they can rest assured that the federal government will do everything we can to help put out these fires," he said.

Many of the hundreds of thousands of people forced from their homes have taken refuge in schools and community centers, in San Diego's Qualcomm sports stadium and at the Del Mar⁶ race track outside the city

Federal authorities were criticized for their response to Hurricane Katrina, which devastated⁷ New Orleans in 2005. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who toured the fire-stricken areas Tuesday, said lessons from Katrina are being applied⁸ to the fires.

As firefighters battle flames on the ground, air tankers and helicopters are dropping water and chemicals where the winds are low enough to permit it.

But airborne efforts have been hampered⁹ by high, gusty¹⁰ desert winds called Santa Anas. Forecasters expect the winds to diminish by Thursday, and offshore¹¹ breezes, expected later in the week, should cool down temperatures, helping firefighters to make progress.

1 scorched   

烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦

参考例句：

• I scorched my dress when I was ironing it. 我把自己的连衣裙熨焦了。
• The hot iron scorched the tablecloth. 热熨斗把桌布烫焦了。

2 tankers   

运送大量液体或气体的轮船[卡车]( tanker的名词复数 )； 油轮； 罐车； 油槽车

参考例句：

• They should stop offloading waste from oil tankers into the sea. 他们应当停止从油轮上往海里倾倒废弃物。
• The harbour admits large tankers and freighters. 这个港口容得下巨型油船和货轮。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 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。

5 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

6 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

7 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。

8 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

9 hampered   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions. 恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• So thought every harassed, hampered, respectable boy in St. Petersburg. 圣彼德堡镇的那些受折磨、受拘束的体面孩子们个个都是这么想的。

10 gusty   

adj.起大风的

参考例句：

• Weather forecasts predict more hot weather,gusty winds and lightning strikes.天气预报预测高温、大风和雷电天气将继续。
• Why was Candlestick Park so windy and gusty? 埃德尔斯蒂克公园里为什么会有那么多的强劲阵风？

11 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。