VOA慢速英语2018--菲律宾检查塌方事故后的采矿行动

Philippines Examines Mining Operations after Landslide¹ Deaths

Philippine officials are calling for a review of mining activities in the country’s mountains.

The investigation² was ordered after two deadly landslides³ struck hillside communities where mines were operating.

Both landslides came after a powerful storm hit the Philippines on September 15. Officials say Typhoon Mangkhut killed more than 80 people nationwide.

The first landslide was in the northern mining town of Itogon. It happened shortly after the typhoon struck. The Itogon landslide buried about 60 people, most of them miners and their family members.

Philippine officials said the landslide affected⁴ an area where a gold mine was operating illegally. Illegal mining can weaken hillsides, increasing the chance of landslides, they said. People living near the gold mine ignored warnings from police and disaster officials to leave the area before the storm hit.

A second landslide struck in the central province of Cebu on September 20. It affected two villages, burying 30 homes. Local officials said more than 20 people were killed. The area was near several mining operations.

The typhoon did not reach Cebu, but caused heavy rain across much of the Philippines.

After the first tragedy, Environmental Secretary Roy Cimatu said the government would begin deploying⁵ soldiers and police to six mountain provinces. He said the move was aimed at reviewing the safety of mining activities and ending illegal operations.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte also called for investigations⁶ into the dangers of mining.

“We have a problem with the mining industry,” Duterte said in a statement on his official website. “It has not contributed anything substantial⁷ to the national economy.”

The president added that the mining industry was operating “uncontrolled” and had hurt the economy. “That mining thing has really contributed a lot of heartaches for the Filipino people,” he said.

Antonio Contreras is a political scientist at De La Salle University in the Philippines. He says the government had learned from earlier disasters how to better prepare for powerful storms. This time, he said, officials were “very ready” and took more “systematic” steps to get people out of dangerous areas before the typhoon.

About 150,000 people were already in temporary shelters when Typhoon Mangkhut hit. Officials say this helped to keep the number of deaths low. Five years ago, a powerful typhoon killed 6,200 in the Philippines.

Contreras says most of the criticism after the storm has been directed at the nation’s mining industry. Some people have blamed mining operations for causing openings on hillsides that may have caused the landslides after heavy rains.

Herman Kraft is a political science professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Manila. He says he thinks the government should have done a better job enforcing orders for people to leave.

There should be a point “where you don’t give them any choice anymore,” Kraft said.

On the mining issue, Kraft said Duterte and others are seeking an investigation into how mining operations are affecting local communities. “The question that’s being raised now is the extent to which mining companies have actually undermined⁹ the land,” he said.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

review – n. an investigation or study

contribute – v. give something in order to provide or achieve something together with other people

heartache – n. extreme sadness

extent – n. the size or importance of something

undermine⁸ – v. make someone less confident or make something weaker

1 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

2 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 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。

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 deploying   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的现在分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Provides support for developing and deploying distributed, component-based applications. 为开发和部署基于组件的分布式应用程序提供支持。
• Advertisement, publishing, repair, and install-on-demand are all available when deploying your application. 在部署应用程序时提供公布、发布、修复和即需即装功能。

6 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

7 substantial   

adj.大的，相当可观的，大体上的

参考例句：

• She is preparing a substantial meal against his return.她正在准备一顿丰盛的饭菜为他接风。
• The country bought a substantial number of weapons.这个国家购买了大量武器。

8 undermine   

vt.暗中破坏，逐渐削弱，侵蚀…的基础

参考例句：

• She tried to undermine our friendship.她试图破坏我们的友谊。
• Rivers undermine their banks.河水冲刷堤基。

9 undermined   

潜行的

参考例句：

• Our confidence in the team has been seriously undermined by their recent defeats. 该队最近的几次失败已严重动摇了我们对他们的信心。
• Her unwillingness to answer questions undermined the strength of her position. 她不愿回答问题，这不利于她所处的形势。