布什将赈灾捐款提高到三亿五千万美金

Bush Boosts Tsunami¹ Aid to $350 Million

布什将赈灾捐款提高到三亿五千万美金

 

President Bush is promising² $350 million to help victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami, as the death toll³ across a dozen countries approaches 125,000. Secretary of State Colin Powell will be leading a U.S. delegation⁴ to South Asia to assess what is needed most.

President Bush says initial U.S. assessments⁵ indicate that the need for financial and other help will steadily⁶ increase in the days and weeks ahead.

In a written statement from his Texas ranch⁷, Mr. Bush committed $350 million to fund the U.S. portion of the relief effort, and said those contributions will continue to be revised as the full effects of the tragedy become clearer.

The new aid figure is 10 times the $35 million that Washington initially⁸ pledged. That first amount drew some criticism, considering the size and wealth of the United States when compared to Britain's pledge of $95 million, or Sweden's pledge of $75 million.

Announcing the new aid, President Bush said the United States is leading an international coalition⁹ to help with immediate¹⁰ humanitarian¹¹ relief, rehabilitation¹² and long-term reconstruction¹³ efforts, along with India, Japan and Australia. He says he is confident many more nations will soon join what he calls this core group.

To help coordinate¹⁴ the massive relief effort, the president says disaster response officials have established a support center in Thailand.

More than 20 U.S. patrol and cargo¹⁵ aircraft have been made available to assess the disaster, and deliver relief supplies. He says the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, a maritime¹⁶ squadron from Guam and an amphibious ship carrying a Marine¹⁷ Expeditionary Unit will soon be in position to support relief efforts, including supplying clean water.

President Bush says he has been closely monitoring the developments, as well as recovery and relief efforts underway. He says he looks forward to the report of a U.S. delegation that will be traveling to the region, led by Secretary Powell and the president's brother, Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

In a written New Year's statement, President Bush said the past few days have brought loss and grief to the world that is beyond comprehension. He said his prayers go out to the people of the Indian Ocean region, who have lost so much, and the United States will continue to stand with the affected¹⁸ governments to bring aid to those in need.

Scott Stearns, VOA news, at the White House.

 

注释：

approach [E5prEutF] vt. 接近

initially [i5niFEli] adv. 开头

rehabilitation [5ri:(h)E7bili5teiFEn] n. 复原

massive [5mAsiv] adj. 巨大的

amphibious [Am5fibiEs] adj. 两栖的

underway [5QndE5wei] adj. 进行中的

1 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

2 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

3 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。

4 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

5 assessments   

n.评估( assessment的名词复数 )；评价；（应偿付金额的）估定；（为征税对财产所作的）估价

参考例句：

• He was shrewd in his personal assessments. 他总能对人作出精明的评价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Surveys show about two-thirds use such assessments, while half employ personality tests. 调查表明，约有三分之二的公司采用了这种测评；而一半的公司则采用工作人员个人品质测试。 来自百科语句

6 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

7 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

8 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

9 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

10 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

11 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

12 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

13 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

14 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。

15 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

16 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

17 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

18 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。