2006年VOA标准英语-Clinton Calls for Better Tsunami Warning System

By Chad Bouchard
Jakarta
02 December 2006

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton wants disaster preparation in areas vulnerable to tsunamis² to be stepped up, and called for faster work at sheltering thousands of people still homeless after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami¹.  Mr. Clinton made his comments in Indonesia's Aceh province, during his final visit as U.N. special envoy³ for tsunami recovery.  Chad Bouchard reports from Jakarta.

UN special envoy for tsunami recovery former US President Bill Clinton, left, shakes hands with refugees during his visit to a refugee barrack in Banda Aceh, Indonesia

Former President Clinton surveyed reconstruction⁴ in Indonesia's Aceh province and said agencies need to do a better job of housing people displaced by the disaster.  He also emphasized the need for better disaster prevention programs.

Aceh suffered the worst devastation⁵ from the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, losing more than 160,000 people.  Whole cities and towns in the province, which sits on the northern end of Indonesia's Sumatra Island, were washed away.

There have been widespread complaints from tsunami victims still living in temporary shelters across the affected⁶ area, almost two years after the disaster struck.

Eric Schwartz, the U.N.'s deputy special envoy for tsunami recovery, says the reconstruction effort has made progress, but only about a third of the displaced people have been placed in permanent homes.

"They've built about 40,000–45,000 so far," he noted⁷.  "That is a significant accomplishment⁸, but they are going to have to build well over 100,000 all told.  So that is a big challenge.  And then infrastructure⁹ repair and support is also going to be a very big challenge in the years to come."

Schwartz says Mr. Clinton is also pushing for expanded community education about disaster preparation, and has encouraged donors¹⁰ to fund a $52 million assistance package to help reduce the impact of disasters in the future.

"That is the area where an enormous amount of work still needs to be done.  And it is very resource-intensive work, in terms of a national, regional, provincial¹¹ and local communications systems and education of local populations," he added.

Mr. Clinton's tour also included stops in India and Thailand earlier this week.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Mr. Clinton and former U.S. President George H.W. Bush as special envoys¹² for tsunami relief for a two-year period.  Their tenure¹³ will end December 31.

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 tsunamis   

n.海啸( tsunami的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our oceans are alive with earthquakes, volcanoes, and more recently, tsunamis. 海中充满着地震、火山，包括最近发生的海啸。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年2月号
• Please tell me something more about tsunamis! 请您给我讲讲海啸吧！ 来自辞典例句

3 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

4 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。

5 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 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。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

9 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。

10 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》

11 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

12 envoys   

使节( envoy的名词复数 )； 公使； 谈判代表； 使节身份

参考例句：

• the routine tit for tat when countries expel each other's envoys 国家相互驱逐对方使节这种惯常的报复行动
• Marco Polo's travelogue mentions that Kublai Khan sent envoys to Malgache. 马可波罗游记中提到忽必烈曾派使节到马尔加什。

13 tenure   

n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期

参考例句：

• He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
• Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。