美国国家公共电台 NPR--South Korea is dealing with the worst flooding in 80 years

South Korea is dealing¹ with the worst flooding in 80 years

Transcript²

Torrential rains have left many people dead or missing in and around South Korea's capital. President Yoon Suk-yeol says they must prepare for more extreme weather resulting from climate change.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Three days of record rainfall have left at least nine people dead and seven missing in and around the South Korean capital. As NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports from Seoul, South Korea's worst flooding in 80 years has focused attention on the country's role in the global climate crisis.

(SOUNDBITE OF WATER RUSHING)

ANTHONY KUHN, BYLINE³: Residents uploaded videos to social media showing pedestrians⁴ wading⁵ through waist-high waters in Seoul's affluent⁶ Gangnam District, backed-up drains erupting onto city streets and torrents⁷ of water cascading⁸ into subway stations. On Tuesday, President Yoon Suk-yeol visited a basement apartment where flash floods killed a family of three on Monday night. Yoon told a government meeting Wednesday that South Korea's disaster management needs to be updated to deal with extreme weather events caused by climate change.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT YOON SUK-YEOL: (Speaking Korean).

KUHN: "We should not stop at noting that these events are unprecedented⁹ in our meteorological history," he said. "We must expect these kind of weather events to become more frequent in the future and be prepared with fundamental measures."

Ahn Jae-hun is director of the energy and climate section at an activist¹⁰ group called the Korea Federation¹¹ for Environmental Movement. He notes that environmental awareness¹² is on the rise in South Korea, especially among the younger generation.

AHN JAE-HUN: (Through interpreter) The government has enacted¹³ measures, even though many think those are not enough. But it's difficult to say the entire nation is active in resolving climate crisis.

KUHN: Ahn points out that South Korea is reliant on steel, electronics, chemicals and other heavy industries that emit a lot of carbon. The country also relies on fossil fuels for 60% to 70% of its energy. He says South Korea needs to cut emissions¹⁴ faster to avert¹⁵ catastrophic global warming. And, he adds, it needs to make development more sustainable in Seoul, which is home to roughly half the country's population.

AHN: (Through interpreter) The capital area is beyond overcrowded. The region's environment is so damaged, it can't fully¹⁶ function as a city.

KUHN: Ahn says Korean environmental groups have called for the greening of Seoul's urban areas in order to restore the city's ecological¹⁷ functions, but he says it's an uphill battle.

Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul.

1 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 pedestrians   

n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Several pedestrians had come to grief on the icy pavement. 几个行人在结冰的人行道上滑倒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Pedestrians keep to the sidewalk [footpath]! 行人走便道。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 wading   

（从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The man tucked up his trousers for wading. 那人卷起裤子，准备涉水。
• The children were wading in the sea. 孩子们在海水中走着。

6 affluent   

adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的

参考例句：

• He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
• His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。

7 torrents   

n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断

参考例句：

• The torrents scoured out a channel down the hill side. 急流沿着山腰冲刷出一条水沟。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Sudden rainstorms would bring the mountain torrents rushing down. 突然的暴雨会使山洪暴发。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 cascading   

流注( cascade的现在分词 )； 大量落下； 大量垂悬； 梯流

参考例句：

• First of all, cascading menus are to be avoided at all costs. 首先，无论如何都要避免使用级联菜单。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Her sounds began cascading gently. 他的声音开始缓缓地低落下来。

9 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

10 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

11 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。

12 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

13 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

14 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

15 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

16 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

17 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.