VOA标准英语2008年-Red Cross Warns of Further Misery for Burma's C

By Ron Corben
Bangkok
15 May 2008

The International Red Cross says heavy rains will bring new misery¹ to survivors² of the cyclone³ in Burma's Irrawaddy Delta⁴ region. Ron Corben has this report from Bangkok.

Officials with International Federation⁵ of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies fear rain during the next few days will worsen conditions for tens of thousands of people made homeless by Cyclone Nargis.

Red Cross officials in Bangkok said the seasonal⁶ rains will bring new floods and complicate⁷ relief efforts.

The United Nations and aid organizations fear more than 120,000 people perished in the storm, which came ashore⁸ May 2. Now 2.5 million people are in urgent need of water, food, shelter and medical assistance.

A Red Cross coordinator⁹ in Thailand, Joanna Maclean, says international relief workers need more access to the region. She warns that Burmese relief workers and volunteers will soon be exhausted¹⁰ from the effort to help storm victims.

"Of course those working, they are going to be burnt out very quickly and this is a long-term effort," she said. "If there can be additional support either from the region from outside or with additional people brought in - to work with the Myanmar Red Cross and with the International Federation - then that absolutely has to happen."

Relief efforts are slowly being stepped up. But Burma's military government has been reluctant to allow international aid workers into the country to direct the effort. Some aid experts and storm survivors say only a small number of victims have received help.

Burma's government has come under intense international pressure to allow in aid. The senior U.N. relief expert is headed to Burma to discuss relief efforts.

Despite the warnings of aid agencies, Burmese officials told Thailand's prime minister they do not need international aid workers and say there have not been widespread hunger or disease among the survivors.

Meanwhile, Burma's government says 92 percent of voters approved a new constitution in a referendum held Saturday in areas that were less affected¹¹ by the storm. International rights activists¹² criticized the government for going ahead with the vote, given the storm damage.

The government says the new constitution is another step in its path to democracy. But the main opposition¹³ party, the National League for Democracy, and other rights groups condemn¹⁴ the draft constitution, which they say will only keep the military in power.

1 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

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 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 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

5 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。

6 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

7 complicate   

vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂

参考例句：

• There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
• These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。

8 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

9 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

10 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

11 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。

12 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

14 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。