President Bush Pledges Aid for Florida Hurricane Victims

By Jim Teeple

President Bush visited hurricane-damaged Florida on Wednesday. His trip came one day after the U.S. Congress approved $2 billion in emergency aid to help Floridians recover from the two hurricanes that struck Florida over the past month. Mr. Bush also visited the National Hurricane Center in Miami, where forecasters are tracking Hurricane Ivan, now menacing the Caribbean.

President Bush and his brother, Florida Governor Jeb Bush, briefly¹ helped volunteers distribute food and water to hurricane victims in the hard-hit town of Ft. Pierce, about 200 kilometers north of Miami, where Hurricane Frances came ashore² several days ago.

Last month, President Bush visited victims of Hurricane Charley on Florida's west coast. Speaking at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Mr. Bush says federal aid will help Floridians recover from both storms.

"The people of this state are overcoming adversity once again. The government is responding with needed resources," said Mr. Bush. "Businesses and community and faith-based groups are helping³ to speed the recovery, and in tragedy the people of this state and the people across America are responding with goodness and generosity⁴."

Hurricane Frances cut a swath across the entire state of Florida and many residents of central and northern Florida are still without power, days later. Long lines are reported at the few gas stations open in areas where Hurricane Frances did the most damage. Florida's Lieutenant⁵ Governor, Toni Jennings, says it will take some time for the region's infrastructure⁶ to recover.

"Fuel is going to be an issue until we can get it to the retail⁷ establishments and until they have power to be able to pump," she said. "So caution is the word. We are still in our safety mode. More accidents happen and more fatalities⁸ occur after a storm than during a storm usually."

Mr. Bush's visit was criticized by at least one Florida Democratic Congressman⁹, who called it a "photo opportunity." Speaking last month during his visit to survey Hurricane Charley damage, Mr. Bush said he would be more harshly criticized if he failed to visit the site of a natural disaster.

Florida's chief financial officer says insured damage from Hurricane Frances is between $2-billion and $4 billion. Total damage costs are usually double what insured losses are. Damage estimates from Hurricane Charley are higher due to the severity of the storm. Among the places hardest hit by Hurricane Frances is the Kennedy Space Center, where the huge hanger¹⁰ that houses the space shuttle was heavily damaged, although no shuttle vehicles were on site when the storm struck.

Mr. Bush thanked forecasters at the National Hurricane Center for their work in tracking an unusually high number of storms this year. Forecasters say Hurricane Ivan, which caused several deaths when it passed over Grenada, is now heading toward Jamaica and Cuba. They say the storm could also strike Florida by the end of the week.

注释:
emergency 紧急情况
forecaster 预报员
distribute 分发
adversity 灾祸
respond 有反应
infrastructure 基础下部组织
insured 加入保险的
severity 严重

1 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

2 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

5 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

6 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

7 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

8 fatalities   

n.恶性事故( fatality的名词复数 )；死亡；致命性；命运

参考例句：

• Several people were injured, but there were no fatalities. 有几个人受伤，但没有人死亡。
• The accident resulted in fatalities. 那宗意外道致多人死亡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

10 hanger   

n.吊架，吊轴承；挂钩

参考例句：

• I hung my coat up on a hanger.我把外衣挂在挂钩上。
• The ship is fitted with a large helicopter hanger and flight deck.这艘船配备有一个较大的直升飞机悬挂装置和飞行甲板。