美国国家公共电台 NPR--Rescuers search for survivors after a major quake hits Turkey and Syria

Rescuers search for survivors¹ after a major quake hits Turkey and Syria

Transcript²

Damage from Monday's earthquake stretches for hundreds of miles in the two countries. Crews are searching for survivors, and offers of aid are pouring in from across the world.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

In a city called Adana, Turkey, there's a row of apartment buildings.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Most are still standing³ after an earthquake. One has collapsed⁴ like a missing tooth. People stand nearby as rescuers dig for survivors.

UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Non-English language spoken).

INSKEEP: NPR's Ruth Sherlock was at that scene and joins us now from the earthquake zone. Ruth, hello.

RUTH SHERLOCK, BYLINE⁶: Hi.

INSKEEP: What was it like to go there?

SHERLOCK: Well, you know, I flew into Adana city on this plane where many of the passengers were Turkish citizens. And, Steve, they were returning home to a destroyed city, to a destroyed area, destroyed lives. One of the men two rows away from me had just heard that his wife and brother were killed in the earthquake. His children are still missing. The airport itself was full of rescue workers arriving from countries all around the world. They flew in with rescue dogs and equipment. And Adana city itself has been spared from the worst of the devastation⁷. But it's strange to say that because even here, 11 buildings have collapsed in the shocks, I'm told. I went to one building, the one you mentioned, and that was this residential⁸ high-rise of some 15 floors that had collapsed to rubble⁹. People were gathered at a playground near the building, watching rescue efforts in the near-freezing temperatures. And many of those that were watching had loved ones still under the rubble.

UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Non-English language spoken).

SHERLOCK: So here, there's two elderly women and a man, and they were hugging and talking about a daughter that had died. She was so happy, one said. We couldn't imagine that it would end like this, another one said.

INSKEEP: What else did you see and hear?

SHERLOCK: Well, look at this site. At this one site, there were 10 bulldozers clawing at the rubble. And every time they thought they'd come across someone, all the machines would stop and fall silent, and everybody would look with kind of bated breath as rescuers would move the debris¹⁰ with their bare hands and listen for signs of life. Often, though, this was a false alarm. It happened again and again. And I spoke⁵ to one man. He didn't want to be named, but he'd been watching the efforts for over 10 hours.

Do you know people inside?

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Yes. We have some relatives.

SHERLOCK: God.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: There are still ones who are under.

SHERLOCK: Still missing.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: They're missing.

SHERLOCK: So he's saying, you know, it's his brother-in-law's family. He says one person was pulled out alive in the morning, but then three other relatives were pulled out dead. Two more are still missing. Now, of course, the big fear is aftershocks. It's cold here - near-freezing temperatures at night - but people are sleeping in cars in the streets and burning debris to keep warm.

INSKEEP: Ruth, you mentioned you're in one of the less damaged cities. What are you hearing from elsewhere?

SHERLOCK: Well, you know, in other parts of the country, the roads are impenetrable. Supplies are already running thin. And even - if you can imagine it, Steve, the situation's even worse across the border in Syria. That is a country that's in the midst¹¹ of a civil war. And there are parts of the country that are even lacking the machinery¹² to help dig people out of the rubble. The Syrian government is calling on the United Nations to help with everything from rescue efforts to food aid. And in opposition-held parts of the north, where there's over 4 million people, whole streets have been flattened¹³. Hospitals are overwhelmed¹⁴. And like I said, you know, rescue workers have very little equipment to work with.

INSKEEP: NPR's Ruth Sherlock is in Adana, Turkey. Thank you so much.

SHERLOCK: Thank you.

1 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

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 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

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 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

9 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

10 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。

11 midst   

n.中部，中间，当中

参考例句：

• The hut is in the midst of the forest.小屋在森林深处。
• There is a thief in our midst.我们当中有小偷。

12 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

13 flattened   

[医]（水）平扁的，弄平的

参考例句：

• She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
• I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。

14 overwhelmed   

[ overwhelm ]的过去式

参考例句：

• She was overwhelmed by feelings of guilt. 她感到愧疚难当。
• If (one was) overwhelmed by passion, it could lead to serious blunders. 当感情完全淹没理智时，就可能铸成大错。