PBS高端访谈:台风海燕造成菲律宾巨大损失

 　　JUDY WOODRUFF: In the Philippines, speed may have saved lives. The massive typhoon that ripped across that country moved at about 25 miles per hour, so fast, it decreased the impact of rain and landslides¹, which can be a major cause of deaths.

　　We begin with a report narrated² by Angus Walker of Independent Television News.

　　ANGUS WALKER: With gusts³ of more than 230 miles an hour, Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines with massive force, houses torn apart. Huge waves crashed into the coast, almost a million people forced to fleefrom one of the strongest storms ever recorded.

　　There are reports of flash floods and landslides from many of the islands worst affected⁴, but with power and communications severely⁵ disrupted, no one has an entirely⁶ confident assessment⁷ of the damage so far. Atleast seven ships have sunk in rough seas. Crew members from a barge⁸ forced to abandon their vessel⁹ were luckily spotted¹⁰ and rescued.

　　This is the main operations center of the Philippines Red Cross here in Manila, and they're working through the night trying to assess the extent of the damage, and one of the worst affected provinces is completely cut off.

　　Do you think there are villages along the coast which have been completely destroyed?

　　RICHARD GORDON, Philippine Red Cross: Yes. I think so. I think there are -- there are coastal¹¹ areas that -- you know, it's just like opening -- hopefully, nobody died there.

　　ANGUS WALKER: Twelve million people were living in the path of this huge typhoon, which measured around 120 miles across. Mass evacuations in the days ahead of the storm making landfall in areas most at risk has undoubtedly¹² saved lives, but the death toll¹³, mercifully, relatively¹⁴ low, is expected to rise.

　　The Philippines has been battered¹⁵ by more than 20 typhoons this year alone, but no one could have been prepared for such ferocity.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: A short time ago, I spoke¹⁶ by telephone with Rosemarie Francisco. She's Philippines bureauchief for the Reuters news agency. Rosemarie Francisco, welcome.

　　So the sun is just coming up there in the Philippines. What is the latest on what you're hearing about thedamage done by this storm?

　　ROSEMARIE FRANCISCO, Reuters: From the images, we saw a few hours ago, the first images, in the Central Philippines, we can see that the damage could be very severe.

　　The images we saw were from the city centers, and major roads in city centers were, like, filled with clutter¹⁷, debris¹⁸. So, imagine what it would be like for far-flung areas.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: We -- we are hearing that the casualty reports may be low at this point because the stormwas moving so fast. Are you hearing anything about that?

　　ROSEMARIE FRANCISCO: Authorities are seeing that, one, communication lines are down, so they're not able to communicate with people on the ground quite well.

　　So they don't know whether -- whether there are more, more casualties. But other officials are saying, because they were able to make preemptive evacuation quite early, like even two days before the typhoon hit, that could have also been a factor in the low casualty count. But we will only know for sure today when some of the communication lines are restored. So, today is going to be crucial.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: Rosemarie Francisco, with Reuters, reporting from Manila, thank you.

　　ROSEMARIE FRANCISCO: Thank you, too.

1 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

2 narrated   

v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Some of the story was narrated in the film. 该电影叙述了这个故事的部分情节。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Defoe skilfully narrated the adventures of Robinson Crusoe on his desert island. 笛福生动地叙述了鲁滨逊·克鲁索在荒岛上的冒险故事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 gusts   

一阵强风( gust的名词复数 )； （怒、笑等的）爆发； （感情的）迸发； 发作

参考例句：

• Her profuse skirt bosomed out with the gusts. 她的宽大的裙子被风吹得鼓鼓的。
• Turbulence is defined as a series of irregular gusts. 紊流定义为一组无规则的突风。

4 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。

5 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

6 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

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 barge   

n.平底载货船，驳船

参考例句：

• The barge was loaded up with coal.那艘驳船装上了煤。
• Carrying goods by train costs nearly three times more than carrying them by barge.通过铁路运货的成本比驳船运货成本高出近3倍。

9 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

10 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

11 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

12 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

13 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

14 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

15 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

16 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。

17 clutter   

n.零乱，杂乱；vt.弄乱，把…弄得杂乱

参考例句：

• The garage is in such a clutter that we can't find anything.车库如此凌乱，我们什么也找不到。
• We'll have to clear up all this clutter.我们得把这一切凌乱的东西整理清楚。

18 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。