VOA常速英语2007年-Aid Agencies Say Indian Ocean Tsunami Recovery

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
19 December 2007

Aid agencies report significant progress has been made in helping¹ survivors² of the devastating³ Indian Ocean tsunami⁴ rebuild their lives and livelihoods⁵ three years after the disaster struck.  While progress has been made across the region, the International Federation⁶ of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says it will take another few years before the job is done.  Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Red Cross headquarters in Geneva.

Nearly 250,000 people in 14 countries lost their lives in the tsunami.  The disaster that struck on December 26, 2004 devastated⁷ towns and communities and elicited⁸ an unprecedented⁹ outpouring of money.

The International Red Cross Federation received more than $2.5 billion.  The agency's special representative for tsunami recovery, Jerry Talbot, tells VOA, more than 60 percent of the money has been spent. 

He says the largest amounts have gone toward shelter and community construction, emergency relief and health and care.  He says most of the money has been spent in the three worst affected¹⁰ countries - Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. 

A key element in the recovery process, he says, is disaster risk reduction.

"Whatever we do, we must do it in a way that reduces the vulnerability of those people that were affected and makes them better able and more resilient to respond if there are any future disasters.  I am not just talking of massive, big disasters like tsunamis¹¹, but coping with daily emergencies that happen in many of these very vulnerable communities," Talbot said.

Talbot says one of the biggest programs was that of providing decent shelter for up to 80,000 people in Indonesia who were living in tents or with host families.  He says they have been put in good transitional shelters. 

But, it will take a few more years to provide them with permanent housing. 

He blames this on a variety of bureaucratic¹² problems.

"There were many issues and exchanges around access to land ownership," he added.  "Many people lost all their documentation and all their documents that justified¹³ and gave them rights, certain legal rights to property.  So this had to be reconstructed." 

Talbot says there were similar problems in Sri Lanka, but he notes progress in that country has mainly been held back because of the conflict.  He says aid agencies have not been able to do as much work in the north and some parts of the east as in the South.

He says funds received must be distributed equitably¹⁴.  So, the Red Cross is setting aside money that will be used for the north when that becomes possible.

About one-third of the Maldives' 300,000 people were affected by the tsunami.  A total of 13 islands were destroyed and the fishing and tourism industries were devastated. 

Talbot says recovery projects have moved ahead quickly in the Maldives and he expects to complete the work by the end of next year.

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 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 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。

4 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

5 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

6 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

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 elicited   

引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Threats to reinstate the tax elicited jeer from the Opposition. 恢复此项征税的威胁引起了反对党的嘲笑。
• The comedian's joke elicited applause and laughter from the audience. 那位滑稽演员的笑话博得观众的掌声和笑声。

9 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

10 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

11 tsunamis   

n.海啸( tsunami的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our oceans are alive with earthquakes, volcanoes, and more recently, tsunamis. 海中充满着地震、火山，包括最近发生的海啸。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年2月号
• Please tell me something more about tsunamis! 请您给我讲讲海啸吧！ 来自辞典例句

12 bureaucratic   

adj.官僚的，繁文缛节的

参考例句：

• The sweat of labour washed away his bureaucratic airs.劳动的汗水冲掉了他身上的官气。
• In this company you have to go through complex bureaucratic procedures just to get a new pencil.在这个公司里即使是领一支新铅笔，也必须通过繁琐的手续。

13 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

14 equitably   

公平地

参考例句：

• We should equitably assess historical figures. 我们应该公正地评价历史人物。
• Land was more equitably distributed. 土地得到更公平合理的分配。