2006年VOA标准英语-Indonesian Earthquake Survivors Still Lack Shel

By Chad Bouchard
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
24 October 2006

Nearly five months after a deadly earthquake struck Indonesia's Java Island, thousands of homeless survivors¹ still struggle to rebuild their lives. Delays in the reconstruction² effort and an inadequate³ response from the donor⁴ community have left many fending⁵ for themselves. And now quake victims are facing new threats as Indonesia's rainy season approaches.

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Workers in Central Java rebuild a house with salvaged⁶ bricks. Four months ago a 6.3 magnitude earthquake tore through this area, reducing nearly 300,000 houses to ruins. Five thousand people died in the quake, which flattened⁷ entire villages.

But reconstruction has been slow, and a least 100,000 families are still living in tents as the season of torrential rains approaches.

The government vowed⁸ to distribute reconstruction money soon after the disaster, but funds only began to trickle⁹ into villagers' hands this month. 

devastated10 by May's earthquake in Pleret, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Monday, October 2, 2006" src="/upimg/allimg/070505/0926400.jpg" width="210" border="0" /> An Indonesian man works on rebuilding a structure in an area devastated by May's earthquake in Pleret, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Monday, October 2, 2006

Soryantoro, a 25-year old construction contractor¹¹ from one of the hardest-hit areas of the quake zone, is building bamboo houses for an aid agency. He says the government should be ashamed of the delay in distributing funds. He says it seems the central government does not care about a small place like Bantul. Soryantoro says the people of Bantul are frustrated¹² and disappointed that the government has not learned the lessons of Aceh.

Indonesia's Aceh province lost more than 160,000 people to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami¹³. Reconstruction efforts there have drawn¹⁴ accusations¹⁵ of inefficiency¹⁶ and poor coordination¹⁷. But the government says it has learned from Aceh.

Budi Atmaji Adiputro of the Coordinating¹⁸ Agency for National Disaster Relief says the government was slower to distribute aid for the Yogyakarta earthquake because it took two months to ensure the money would be used efficiently¹⁹, and to develop earthquake-proof designs and hire skilled labor²⁰.

"We build the houses with the standard of public works, so it of course takes time," he said.

But international aid workers say the government has been indecisive about its reconstruction strategy. Pete Mansfield is an advisor²¹ for the United Nations Development Program, or U.N.D.P., in Yogyakarta. He says delays have aggravated²² the need for shelter.

"And it's really this emerging gap as a result of the lack of clarity concerning the permanent reconstruction effort that has let to a rather late game being played," said Mansfield. "So from a shelter perspective, yes we are working against a timeline as the rains come, and if you think of it in practical terms, people are living and working and conducting their lives outdoors at the moment while the weather is good. As soon as it starts raining, the usable space in most of the villages is going to drop by about 80 percent."

Even with work going at a breakneck pace, however, 50,000 people will remain without adequate housing into 2007.

Aid agencies also say the initial donor response did not match the scale of the disaster. The U.N.D.P. is appealing to the World Bank and the international community for more money to close the gap.

Some organizations are trying to get around the lack of funds by building cheaper temporary houses for families that have not received money.

Jules Korsten, head of the International Organization for Migration²³ in Yogyakarta, says his agency is building 200 temporary units - or t-shelters - a day, and hopes to complete 12,000 units by the end of the year.

"They're not going to have enough funds this year to provide the amount that is promised for each household. So would could happen you have 15 households, and that they only get money for seven or eight households so then we would deliver the t-shelter for those other seven until that money arrives next year," said Korsten. "So at least people have something over their head."

Korsten points to "donor fatigue²⁴" to explain the shortage of funds. There have been several major disasters in the past few years around the world that needed aid, and donors²⁵ are tiring of the effort. He says some donors also are not satisfied with how recovery funds were spent in Aceh.

Many aid agencies are preparing to leave the area as funding dries up, and there are worries this could create a health crisis if many medical groups leave.

Health statistics already reflect the strain of outdoor living. The rate of acute respiratory infection in Bantul is five to six times higher than normal. As the wet season approaches, health officials expect that number to rise. Dengue fever and malaria²⁶ also thrive in rainy conditions.

The lack of shelter is taking a special toll²⁷ on children. Schools have shortened their hours because of the blazing heat in temporary classrooms. Aid groups say school is not only important to children's future job prospects²⁸; it also plays a key role in helping²⁹ them recover from emotional trauma³⁰.

Back among the ruins in the Bantul district, Soryantoro's workers lift a bamboo roof frame for a new temporary school building.

Soryantoro says he wants to finish as many shelters as possible, and often works into the night. He says he even disobeys the orders of the aid agencies if he has to. For example, if the organization orders 200 shelters in one week, he will make 300 instead.

Soryantoro says there is no time to work slowly - he feels like he is racing³¹ against the rain.

1 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

2 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。

3 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

4 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

5 fending   

v.独立生活，照料自己( fend的现在分词 )；挡开，避开

参考例句：

• He is always spending his time fending with the neighbors. 他总是与邻里们吵架。 来自互联网
• Fifth, it is to build safeguarding system and enhance the competence in fending off the risk. 五是建立政策保障体系，提高防范和抵御风险的能力。 来自互联网

6 salvaged   

（从火灾、海难等中）抢救（某物）( salvage的过去式和过去分词 )； 回收利用（某物）

参考例句：

• The investigators studied flight recorders salvaged from the wreckage. 调查者研究了从飞机残骸中找到的黑匣子。
• The team's first task was to decide what equipment could be salvaged. 该队的首要任务是决定可以抢救哪些设备。

7 flattened   

[医]（水）平扁的，弄平的

参考例句：

• She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
• I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。

8 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

9 trickle   

vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散

参考例句：

• The stream has thinned down to a mere trickle.这条小河变成细流了。
• The flood of cars has now slowed to a trickle.汹涌的车流现在已经变得稀稀拉拉。

10 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

11 contractor   

n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌

参考例句：

• The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
• The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。

12 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 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。

14 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

15 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

16 inefficiency   

n.无效率，无能；无效率事例

参考例句：

• Conflict between management and workers makes for inefficiency in the workplace. 资方与工人之间的冲突使得工厂生产效率很低。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This type of inefficiency arises because workers and management are ill-equipped. 出现此种低效率是因为工人与管理层都能力不足。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

18 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

19 efficiently   

adv.高效率地，有能力地

参考例句：

• The worker oils the machine to operate it more efficiently.工人给机器上油以使机器运转更有效。
• Local authorities have to learn to allocate resources efficiently.地方政府必须学会有效地分配资源。

20 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

21 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

22 aggravated   

使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火

参考例句：

• If he aggravated me any more I shall hit him. 假如他再激怒我，我就要揍他。
• Far from relieving my cough, the medicine aggravated it. 这药非但不镇咳，反而使我咳嗽得更厉害。

23 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

24 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

25 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

27 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。

28 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

29 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。

30 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

31 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。