56 Dead, 178 Missing in Sichuan Rainstorms

　　Torrential rains pounding southwestern China's Sichuan province have left at least 56 people dead and nearly 180 missing.

 

　　Over 240-thousand residents across the province have been forced from home.

 

　　Massive mudslides have hit Wenchuan County, the epicenter of the 2008 earthquake, sweeping¹ bridges and destroying a cluster of villages.

 

　　Qipangou, a village located 2-kilommeters from Wenchuan is now completely covered in water and mud.

 

　　Cong Weina is a reporter with China Central Television.

 

　　"The mudslide went down the hill and poured into the Ming Jiang River at a speed of 5km per hour, destroying the entire village. So far, it is confirmed that three people were killed and another 12 are missing. The mudslide has affected² at least 2000 households and over 2000 people have been evacuated³."

 

　　The roads connecting Wenchuan and neighboring Dujiangyan have been blocked, hampering⁴ the rescue work.

 

　　Nonstop rainstorms which began from this Monday have triggered the worst flooding across the province in 50 years.

 

　　In Chengdu, the capital city, schools and kindergartens will be closed for three days as more rain is forecasted over the weekend.

 

　　The rainstorms also left at least 13 dead in neighboring Shaanxi province.

1 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

2 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

3 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

4 hampering   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• So fraud on cows and development aid is seriously hampering growth. 因此在牛问题上和发展补助上的诈骗严重阻碍了发展。
• Short-termism, carbon-trading, disputing the science-are hampering the implementation of direct economically-led objectives. 短效主义，出售二氧化碳，进行科学辩论，这些都不利于实现以经济为主导的直接目标。