Stranded tourists saved from high winds in Xinjiang

 　　URUMQI, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- A total of 168 tourists were rescued early Thursday after being stranded¹ by high winds for 12 hours in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous² Region, rescuers said.

　　The tourists were traveling by car and bus on a provincial³ highway in Emin county of Tacheng prefecture when they were stranded Wednesday afternoon in Maytas, a high-wind zone, by strong gales⁴ sweeping⁵ at 70 km per hour, said Ghulahazi Islamgaz, a driver from the Maytas emergency rescue base.

　　Transportation authorities closed the highway, as the winds brought heavy snow and reduced visibility to less than 10 meters.

　　Snowplows and forklifts worked until after midnight and the stranded tourists were escorted away from the high-wind zone at 2 a.m. Thursday, he said.

　　The Maytas section of the highway reopened at 10 a.m.

　　Maytas is prone⁶ to high winds and blizzards⁷, which block roads and trap vehicles almost every winter.

1 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

2 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

3 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

4 gales   

龙猫

参考例句：

• I could hear gales of laughter coming from downstairs. 我能听到来自楼下的阵阵笑声。
• This was greeted with gales of laughter from the audience. 观众对此报以阵阵笑声。

5 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

6 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

7 blizzards   

暴风雪( blizzard的名词复数 )； 暴风雪似的一阵，大量（或大批）

参考例句：

• Even in the summertime we might be struck by blizzards. 甚至在夏天，我们也可能受到暴风雪的袭击。
• Blizzards battered Britain for the third day. 大风雪袭击英国已进入第三天。