美国国家公共电台 NPR--Parts of California, such as Santa Cruz, get a break from relentless storms

Parts of California, such as Santa Cruz, get a break from relentless¹ storms

Transcript²

With a brief break in the storms hitting the state, businesses in the Santa Cruz area are trying to clean up. Officials say true recovery can't begin until the last expected storm hits next week.

DWANE BROWN, HOST:

Parts of California are seeing a break from a series of relentless winter storms. Businesses in the Santa Cruz area are using the reprieve³ to clean up before the next storm hits. But officials say true recovery can't begin until the last expected deluge⁴ next week. From member station KAZU, Jerimiah Oetting reports.

JERIMIAH OETTING, BYLINE⁵: Capitola is the classic California beach town just down the coast from Santa Cruz - sand, surf and, usually, bustling⁶ restaurants and shops. It's one of the economic hearts of the Monterey Bay. But over the last week, storms and the ocean pummeled this place.

KARL HEIMAN: Yeah, it was apocalyptic⁷. It was just amazing. The waves were crashing through the windows, through the railing, tearing out the wharf⁸.

OETTING: That's Karl Heiman. He owns Toots Coffee, a fixture⁹ in Capitola for more than four decades.

HEIMAN: And then the buildings all along the esplanade here are actually built over water. So the water underneath¹⁰ was causing damage, the wave action underneath.

OETTING: Toots Coffee is on the second floor. But Heiman's building had damage to the sewer¹¹ line. And he lost power, and with it, all the food he hoped to sell to customers.

HEIMAN: I'm just cleaning out because all the perishables¹³ are bad. The milks, the pies, the cookies, the cakes, all that stuff has to be thrown away.

OETTING: Just down the esplanade, Jeff Lantis and his staff sweep up the floor in the dim interior of the Sand Bar restaurant. But he's facing a much, much bigger cleanup. Like many of the ground-floor businesses along the esplanade, the Sand Bar has a yellow tag from the city on its window, meaning it's heavily damaged.

JEFF LANTIS: These enormous waves came with the high tide at the same time and just rippled¹⁴ the floors and tore everything apart. I mean, we got lifted up off the ground about three feet.

OETTING: The power is out. Dirt and debris¹⁵ are everywhere. And there's a hole in the floor that goes straight to the ocean below. Lantis pulls back the plywood on one of the boarded-up windows and reveals a view, the shining Monterey Bay and the destroyed Capitola wharf, torn in half by the storm. At first, he says, he was sure they lost everything. And he isn't sure how much will be covered by his insurance.

LANTIS: But I'm hoping that, like, the civil engineer came through and said, oh, it's salvageable¹⁷.

OETTING: But much of that salvage¹⁶ work has to wait. Capitola police captain Sarah Ryan says, right now, folks need to shore up what they can before the next storms come.

SARAH RYAN: So we're not going to see as much recovery right in here in the now because we are still amidst some weather activity that's a little concerning.

OETTING: Only after this series of major storms has passed after next week, she says, the real recovery can begin. The engineers, contractors¹⁸, builders...

RYAN: Yeah, I think we're going to really see it kick into high gear. I think I know more about planning than I ever thought I would as a police officer.

OETTING: Everyone will have more to learn in the days ahead. The city's initial estimate is at least $2.5 million in damage. The destruction extends beyond the businesses that are right on the ocean to places like the Tuscan restaurant Caruso's. It's a block inland and didn't see water damage like other places. But it has been without power since late last week. Owner Melissa Serriteno is tossing out her entire inventory¹⁹ of perishable¹² food, expensive meats and cheeses.

MELISSA SERRITENO: Even our wine. Our wine is probably ruined.

OETTING: That's because the wood-fired oven stayed hot. And without power to run the fans that cool things down, the wine overheated. Once her power is back, she can reorder food and wine and get her business up and running again. But she says things won't be right until the whole esplanade is back.

SERRITENO: We're all a community. So if it affects them, it affects all of us because, together, we're a village. And the village is going to be stronger.

OETTING: It could take some time for tourists to return. Woody debris litters the beach. The storm smashed the pier²⁰, a big attraction. Much of the town's typical beachfront charm is in ruins.

For NPR News, I'm Jerimiah Oetting in Capitola, Calif.

(SOUNDBITE OF THE BROTHERS NYLON'S "LOFI SAUCE")

1 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

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 reprieve   

n.暂缓执行（死刑）；v.缓期执行；给…带来缓解

参考例句：

• He was saved from the gallows by a lastminute reprieve.最后一刻的缓刑令把他从绞架上解救了下来。
• The railway line, due for closure, has been granted a six-month reprieve.本应停运的铁路线获准多运行6 个月。

4 deluge   

n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥

参考例句：

• This little stream can become a deluge when it rains heavily.雨大的时候，这条小溪能变作洪流。
• I got caught in the deluge on the way home.我在回家的路上遇到倾盆大雨。

5 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。

6 bustling   

adj.喧闹的

参考例句：

• The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。
• This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。

7 apocalyptic   

adj.预示灾祸的，启示的

参考例句：

• The air is chill and stagnant,the language apocalyptic.空气寒冷而污浊，语言则是《启示录》式的。
• Parts of the ocean there look just absolutely apocalyptic.海洋的很多区域看上去完全像是世界末日。

8 wharf   

n.码头，停泊处

参考例句：

• We fetch up at the wharf exactly on time.我们准时到达码头。
• We reached the wharf gasping for breath.我们气喘吁吁地抵达了码头。

9 fixture   

n.固定设备；预定日期；比赛时间；定期存款

参考例句：

• Lighting fixture must be installed at once.必须立即安装照明设备。
• The cordless kettle may now be a fixture in most kitchens.无绳电热水壶现在可能是多数厨房的固定设备。

10 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

11 sewer   

n.排水沟，下水道

参考例句：

• They are tearing up the street to repair a sewer. 他们正挖开马路修下水道。
• The boy kicked a stone into the sewer. 那个男孩把一石子踢进了下水道。

12 perishable   

adj.（尤指食物）易腐的，易坏的

参考例句：

• Many fresh foods are highly perishable.许多新鲜食物都极易腐败。
• Fruits are perishable in transit.水果在运送时容易腐烂。

13 perishables   

n.容易腐坏的东西（尤指食品）( perishable的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Perishables are stacked on deck under cover, awaiting rigid inspection before they are struck below. 易腐物品已经覆盖起来堆放在甲板上，等经过严格的检查后再搬下船舱。 来自辞典例句
• Sorry, these perishables are not allowed to bring in. 对不起，这些易腐烂的东西是不允许入境的。 来自互联网

14 rippled   

使泛起涟漪（ripple的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The lake rippled gently. 湖面轻轻地泛起涟漪。
• The wind rippled the surface of the cornfield. 微风吹过麦田，泛起一片麦浪。

15 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

16 salvage   

v.救助，营救，援救；n.救助，营救

参考例句：

• All attempts to salvage the wrecked ship failed.抢救失事船只的一切努力都失败了。
• The salvage was piled upon the pier.抢救出的财产被堆放在码头上。

17 salvageable   

adj. 可抢救的(可打捞的)

参考例句：

• Tank wrecks found on maps are no longer salvageable. 地图上自带的坦克残骸将不能被轴心国工兵回收。
• Their marriage was not salvageable. 他们的婚姻已不可挽回。

18 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

20 pier   

n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱

参考例句：

• The pier of the bridge has been so badly damaged that experts worry it is unable to bear weight.这座桥的桥桩破损厉害，专家担心它已不能负重。
• The ship was making towards the pier.船正驶向码头。