VOA标准英语2014--成千上万的加州家庭与缺水斗争

 

Hundreds of California Households Struggle With No Water 成千上万的加州家庭与缺水斗争

EAST PORTERVILLE, CALIFORNIA— 

California is undergoing its third year of severe drought, and the water shortage is affecting farms, cities, and small communities.  The drought has left hundreds of households in the state's usually fertile Central Valley without water.

The Porterville Area Coordinating¹ Council provides food and other help to needy² families.  

Today the need is water in a dusty neighborhood set among farm fields.  Some have gone unplanted for lack of water.  A man pulls up to the charity's headquarters in an old food-packing house, his pickup³ truck loaded with plastic barrels.  A volunteer fills them from the local water main.

Across the road, cars and vans are being loaded with cases of drinking water. 

Debbie Martinez lives on a ranch⁴ and is not connected to the town's water system.  She has a water well but says it's dry.

“Yes, it's been three years.  My neighbor has given me water, but their wells are going dry too," said Martinez.

California's system of aqueducts carries water to cities and small towns.  But for some people in this unincorporated section of Tulare County, a lowered underground water table has left shallow wells with little or no water. 

Council volunteer Fred Beltran says more than 300 households in this neighborhood are affected⁵.

“And these are all individual wells that are drying up or they're pumping poor quality of water, which is either sand, dirt or high nitrates," said Beltran.

California Governor Jerry Brown recently signed bills to regulate ground water to prevent shortages, and he authorized⁶ delivery of emergency drinking water for residents without it.

Tulare County water analyst⁷ Denise England says people need clean water for drinking and cooking.

“But the bigger challenge we're facing now is what we're calling sanitation⁸ water, so water that's not potable, that's not drinkable, but you can take a shower with it or do you dishes with it or bathe," said England.

Elva Beltran, director of the Porterville Area Coordinating Council, says her charity has provided large outdoor water tanks for dozens of residents.

“We have 54 tanks right now," she said.

The Council gets funds from residents and churches.  

One resident drops by to donate $50.

Much of the work today involves giving water to people like Michael Burrough.

“I don't know what else to do," he said. "All the water we can get is from the sources like right here.  Other than that, I have to buy water and I don't really have the extra money to buy cases of water."

Officials say that getting water to these families is a priority, but for now, these people rely on their neighbors, local government and private charities to get the water they need to survive. 

1 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

2 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

3 pickup   

n.拾起，获得

参考例句：

• I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。

4 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

5 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。

6 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

7 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

8 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。