2007年VOA标准英语-Peru Working to Deliver Relief Aid to Quake Are

By Brian Wagner
Miami
17 August 2007

Peru's government has appealed for calm as relief workers try to deliver aid to survivors¹ of a massive earthquake that killed at least 500 people. In Miami, VOA's Brian Wagner reports that immigrant groups in the United States are gathering² donations and other supplies to send to the region.

Alan Garcia (file photo)

Peru's President Alan Garcia promised residents that relief aid is coming to towns along the nation's central coast that were hit by Wednesday's quake. The Peruvian leader began a tour of the disaster zone Thursday, where the 8.0 magnitude quake toppled buildings and mud-brick homes.

Some survivors have complained that relief supplies have been slow in arriving. Damage to highways, roads and power systems has impeded³ their delivery.

Rescue efforts have also been hampered⁴ by a series of strong aftershocks in the region, including a 5.9 magnitude quake early Friday. Officials said they were continuing to search for survivors in the rubble⁵, but that time was running out to find people alive.

In Miami, Latin American community groups began appealing for donations of canned food, medicine, warm clothing and blankets for survivors. Carlos Pereira, head of the Immigration Orientation⁶ Center, which provides assistance to immigrants, said his group plans to send supplies on a chartered flight to central Peru on Tuesday. He added that Peruvian immigrants in Miami have been calling his group asking for information about family members in Peru.

Pereira says it is important to remain calm and patient in this situation and find ways to help.

In Washington, the United States has released $150,000 for emergency supplies, and is providing two medical teams. The Pentagon said one of the teams was on the ground in Peru when the disaster occurred and has begun working with Peruvian officials to assist survivors.

1 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

2 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

3 impeded   

阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Work on the building was impeded by severe weather. 楼房的施工因天气恶劣而停了下来。
• He was impeded in his work. 他的工作受阻。

4 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。

5 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

6 orientation   

n.方向，目标；熟悉，适应，情况介绍

参考例句：

• Children need some orientation when they go to school.小孩子上学时需要适应。
• The traveller found his orientation with the aid of a good map.旅行者借助一幅好地图得知自己的方向。