新西兰英语 663 Prime Minister visits Chatham Islands

 　　The Prime Minister visited the Chatham Islands yesterday and today. This is his first visit. The Chatham Islands are part of New Zealand. They lie 800km east of Christchurch, a two-hour flight or a 4 day voyage by ship from the mainland. Only about 600 people live on the two main islands. There are three small primary schools but high school students have to go to boarding school on the mainland. The main economy on the island is farming and fishing, especially crayfish; however tourism is increasing.

　　The people of the Chatham Islands talked to the Prime Minister about their problems. Lack of jobs is a worry because young people leave to find jobs and they don’t return. There are infra-structure worries also and not enough money to re-build the infra-structure. The airport runway is bumpy¹ and modern planes cannot land. The wharf² is becoming dangerous because it is rotting. They don’t have enough electricity generation which makes electricity very expensive so householders pay three times as much as other New Zealanders for their power.

　　However, there is a possibility of dredging the sea floor for phosphate which can be sold for fertilizer. This could provide jobs.

　　Meanwhile the Prime Minister promised $400,000 to build five state houses and said the government could possibly find $20m for a new wharf and $6m for a hydro power station.

　　Vocabulary

　　mainland – eg. the two main islands of New Zealand

　　lack of (n) – not enough; also a verb e.g. it lacks jobs

　　crayfish – lobster³

　　infra-structure – basic facilities for a community e.g. transport, water, electricity

　　bumpy – not flat e.g. holes in the runway

　　rotting – the wood is starting to decay⁴ and become weak

　　generation – making electricity e.g. In the Chathams they use diesel or wind

　　dredge (n)– a machine which can make a harbour deeper or take sand etc from the bottom of the sea; to dredge (v)

　　phosphate – phosphorus compounds

　　fertilizer – food for plants

　　state houses – owned by the government; available for renting

1 bumpy   

adj.颠簸不平的，崎岖的

参考例句：

• I think we've a bumpy road ahead of us.我觉得我们将要面临一段困难时期。
• The wide paved road degenerated into a narrow bumpy track.铺好的宽阔道路渐渐变窄，成了一条崎岖不平的小径。

2 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。

3 lobster   

n.龙虾，龙虾肉

参考例句：

• The lobster is a shellfish.龙虾是水生贝壳动物。
• I like lobster but it does not like me.我喜欢吃龙虾，但它不适宜于我的健康。

4 decay   

vi.腐烂，衰落；n.腐烂，腐朽，衰败状态

参考例句：

• The vegetables have begun to decay.那些蔬菜已开始腐烂。
• Our powers decay in old age.我们的体力在老年时就衰退。