美国国家公共电台 NPR--Hurricane Fiona hits Puerto Rico causing an assortment of problems

Hurricane Fiona hits Puerto Rico causing an assortment¹ of problems

Transcript²

Power remains³ out for hundreds of thousands of people on Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona stormed ashore⁴. Flash flooding, mudslides and downed trees have made it difficult to assess the damage.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

We go now to Puerto Rico, where Hurricane Fiona has dumped up to 16 inches of rain in some areas. Power is out across the island. And the governor describes catastrophic damage in some communities from wind and flooding. The eye of the storm made its way offshore⁵, but the rain will continue through tonight, and the impact is expected to linger for many days. NPR's Adrian Florido is in Puerto Rico's capital, San Juan. Hi, Adrian.

ADRIAN FLORIDO, BYLINE⁶: Hi, Leila.

FADEL: So, Adrian, the brunt of the storm's power was felt yesterday evening and overnight. Tell us about some of what Fiona did.

FLORIDO: Well, the extent of the damage is still not clear, in part because, like you said, this storm is still dumping rain on the island, meaning that a real assessment⁷ of the destruction hasn't really started. But it's clear from government reports and also from videos and photos that people have been posting online that in a lot of communities across the island, especially in rural areas, there has been massive flooding that has destroyed homes and other infrastructure⁸. Listen to this.

(SOUNDBITE OF METAL CLANGING)

FLORIDO: That is the sound of a metal bridge that was being torn apart and washed away by an overflowing⁹ raging river in the town of Utuado in Puerto Rico's central mountains. And that bridge is reportedly only a couple of years old, built as part of the reconstruction¹⁰ from Hurricane Maria, which hit five years ago.

FADEL: But wasn't the reconstruction from Hurricane Maria supposed to build infrastructure that would withstand storms like this?

FLORIDO: Absolutely, and that is a big question that is emerging here in Puerto Rico and that, I think, is going to be really scrutinized¹¹ as we start to get an even clearer sense of the damage from Fiona this weekend. Local and federal officials have been touting¹² for years all that they've been doing to harden Puerto Rico's infrastructure since Hurricane Maria, and what we're seeing here is just how fragile that infrastructure still is. Fiona was a much smaller storm and much less powerful than Maria was, and still, it caused a total blackout, and the power is still off in the vast majority of the island. Billions of dollars have been allocated¹³ to strengthen the island by the U.S. Congress, but it's been really slow going. And Fiona is going to set the island's reconstruction back even more.

FADEL: So let's talk about the power grid¹⁴ - as we said, a total blackout yesterday. What are officials saying about how long it will take to restore the electricity?

FLORIDO: They aren't giving any firm estimates. They did promise in a press conference yesterday evening that they are working to restore power to as many people as quickly as possible, but they're prioritizing critical sites like hospitals, which have been running on generator¹⁵ power. Yesterday, Governor Pedro Pierluisi said that he was hopeful of one thing.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PEDRO PIERLUISI: (Speaking Spanish).

FLORIDO: He said that this was not going to be like Hurricane Maria, which - you know, it took the government a year in some cases, in some communities, to restore power. He said he hopes that most of the power grid will be restored within several days, maybe weeks. But again, he didn't make any promises because a lot would depend on how much more damage the grid suffers as the storm exits the island.

FADEL: NPR's Adrian Florido in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Thank you, Adrian.

FLORIDO: Thanks, Leila.

1 assortment   

n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集

参考例句：

• This shop has a good assortment of goods to choose from.该店各色货物俱全，任君选择。
• She was wearing an odd assortment of clothes.她穿着奇装异服。

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 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。

4 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。

5 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

6 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。

7 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

8 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

9 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。

10 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

11 scrutinized   

v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The jeweler scrutinized the diamond for flaws. 宝石商人仔细察看钻石有无瑕庇 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Together we scrutinized the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen shop. 我们一起把甜食店里买来的十二块柠檬蛋糕细细打量了一番。 来自英汉文学 - 盖茨比

12 touting   

v.兜售( tout的现在分词 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• He's been touting his novel around publishers for years. 他几年来一直到处找出版商兜售自己的小说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Technology industry leaders are touting cars as a hot area for growth. 科技产业领袖吹捧为增长热点地区的汽车。 来自互联网

13 allocated   

adj. 分配的 动词allocate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The Ford Foundation allocated millions of dollars for cancer research. 福特基金会拨款数百万美元用于癌症研究。
• More funds will now be allocated to charitable organizations. 现在会拨更多的资金给慈善组织。

14 grid   

n.高压输电线路网；地图坐标方格；格栅

参考例句：

• In this application,the carrier is used to encapsulate the grid.在这种情况下，要用载体把格栅密封起来。
• Modern gauges consist of metal foil in the form of a grid.现代应变仪则由网格形式的金属片组成。

15 generator   

n.发电机，发生器

参考例句：

• All the while the giant generator poured out its power.巨大的发电机一刻不停地发出电力。
• This is an alternating current generator.这是一台交流发电机。