VOA标准英语2008年-First UN Land Convoy Goes to Burma

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
10 May 2008

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says it has sent the first UN convoy¹ of aid overland into Burma, and a planeload of shelter supplies has been flown in from Dubai.  Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from UNHCR headquarters in Geneva.

The UN refugee agency says the two-truck convoy was carrying more than 20 tons of tents and plastic sheets.  It says these goods will be enough for 10,000 people made homeless by the disastrous² cyclone³ that hit Burma.  An estimated one million people have had their homes destroyed by Cyclone Nargis.

UNHCR spokeswoman Jennifer Pagonis tells VOA, the overland journey from Thailand into Burma, also known as Myanmar, was long and difficult.

"This is the first positive step in getting our aid materials into Myanmar," she said.  "In one day, we really got stuff going in by air and aid supplies going in from land convoys⁴.  So, we know that these two routes are now operating for us and, I think, that is always a relief when you are trying to, for a week to make it happen."

Pagonis says the goods could have been delayed as customs posts on both sides of the border are closed on weekends.  But, she says the UNHCR negotiated with government officials in Thailand and Burma to keep the posts open to allow the supplies to enter Burma.

In the end, she says, the operation went off smoothly⁵.

"It took seven minutes to go through procedures," she added.  "We arrived when the convoy came with a police escort on the Thai side and crossed about 1:00 o'clock local time, and seven minutes later it was on the other side.  So, there was just a brief exchange of formalities.  Of course there was a lot of work that went on to make sure that this all did run smoothly.  We had a lot of cooperation from border officials on both sides of the Thai and the Myanmar sides.  They knew what was happening.  Everybody was prepared and it went off without a hitch⁶." 

The supplies will be handed over to the Disaster Management Committee to be distributed under UNHCR monitoring.

Pagonis says there are no plans for future land convoys.  But, in any emergency situation, she says it is useful to have several routes established. She says the airlift of 33 tons of supplies that left Dubai on Saturday is the first of three planned flights.

She says two other flights carrying urgently needed shelter supplies are expected to leave early next week.  And other aid shipments will go by sea.

1 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

2 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

3 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。

4 convoys   

n.（有护航的）船队( convoy的名词复数 )；车队；护航（队）；护送队

参考例句：

• Truck convoys often stop over for lunch here. 车队经常在这里停下来吃午饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A UN official said aid programs will be suspended until there's adequate protection for relief convoys. 一名联合国官员说将会暂停援助项目，直到援助车队能够得到充分的保护为止。 来自辞典例句

5 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

6 hitch   

v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉

参考例句：

• They had an eighty-mile journey and decided to hitch hike.他们要走80英里的路程，最后决定搭便车。
• All the candidates are able to answer the questions without any hitch.所有报考者都能对答如流。