VOA标准英语2010年-Washington Struggles to Recover from M

Blizzard¹ dumped more than half meter of snow, triggering emergency declarations by state officials throughout mid-Atlantic region

Michael Bowman | Washington 07 February 2010

The US Capitol hardly visible in the background, in the middle of a snowstorm, Washington DC, 06 Feb 2010

Federal Government Remains² Closed After 'Historic' Blizzard; More Snow Forecast
US Government Closes for Third Day Due to Snowstorms
Washington and surrounding areas are digging out after a paralyzing blizzard that dumped more than half a meter of snow, triggering emergency declarations by state officials throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

For nearly two days, the snow fell, and fell, and fell some more. The U.S. capital and surrounding areas received more snow in 36 hours than it usually sees in an entire winter. Local governments fought losing battles to keep roads clear, while residents struggled to free their cars from massive snowdrifts. Most public transportation ground to a halt, and flights to and from Washington were canceled.

WASHINGTON AREA RESIDENT: "I have been in Washington for maybe 30 years, and I think this is probably one of the biggest storms, maybe the biggest we have ever had."

Hundreds of thousands of people lost power to their homes. The weight of the snow caused tree limbs to snap and roofs to collapse³. Emergency responders have been hard-pressed to reach those in need.

But what caused grief for many gave others a chance to engage in activities not usually seen in the nation's capital. A Washington landmark⁴, Dupont Circle, became ground zero for a massive, friendly snowball fight that was organized on Twitter and other social networking sites.

Even President Barack Obama took note of the extreme conditions, coining a new phrase.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  "Snow, 'snowmageddon' ] here in [Washington] D.C."

And winter's grip on Washington is far from over. More snow is forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

1 blizzard   

n.暴风雪

参考例句：

• The blizzard struck while we were still on the mountain.我们还在山上的时候暴风雪就袭来了。
• You'll have to stay here until the blizzard blows itself off.你得等暴风雪停了再走。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

4 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。