VOA常速英语2007年-Dozens Die in DRC Boat Accident

By Naomi Schwarz
Dakar
19 December 2007

More than 40 people are dead and many more are missing after a fleet of boats transporting fuel to cell phone company Vodacom's local offices capsized in a river in northwestern DRC. This was the second boat accident in less than 10 days in the chaotic¹, war-torn country. Naomi Schwarz has more from VOA's West and Central Africa bureau in Dakar.

More than 80 people were riding in the boats on the Tshuapa River in rural northwest Congo's Equateur province.

Now, many are reported dead and rescuers are still searching for survivors².

The boats capsized on Sunday night. The cause of the accident is not known, but survivors told journalists poor nighttime visibility was a problem.

An analyst³ for the South-African based Institute for Security Studies, Paul Simon Hendy, says water transport is often used because roads are expensive to build and maintain in the vast rainforests of the DRC.

"As an alternative, the rivers of the country, and the country has a lot, are actually the biggest transportation and even communication network," he said.  "They build an essential part of the transportation network in the country."

But the boats are often in poor condition and frequently lack equipment such as life jackets and signal flares⁴. At least a dozen people died earlier this month when a boat sank in the Congo River.

Hendy says regulations are inadequate⁵ and poorly enforced.

"Not only ships are old, but even there is no guarantee that even people driving them have the necessary experience," he added.

Observers say overcrowding on the boats are an additional safety issue. Boats are often filled well beyond their capacity (and beyond the passenger list given to officials).

Experts say given the vast size of the Congo and its continuing security problems, it will likely be a long time before safety standards improve.

Although rich in natural resources, the DRC is one of the world's poorest, and least stable countries. The country has suffered multiple civil wars and decades of rebel uprisings. Democratic elections were held last year, but the country faces a renewed conflict with rebels in the east.

1 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

2 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

3 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

4 flares   

n.喇叭裤v.（使）闪耀( flare的第三人称单数 )；（使）（船舷）外倾；（使）鼻孔张大；（使）（衣裙、酒杯等）呈喇叭形展开

参考例句：

• The side of a ship flares from the keel to the deck. 船舷从龙骨向甲板外倾。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation. 他是火爆性子，一点就着。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。