2006年VOA标准英语-Civil Engineers: New Orleans Still Vulnerable

By Greg Flakus
New Orleans
25 August 2006

The American Society of Civil Engineers released a report in New Orleans Friday assessing problems with levees and pumping stations that led to the flooding of the city after Hurricane Katrina hit it a year ago.  The engineers say the city is still vulnerable and they call on all levels of government to act with urgency to develop adequate protection for the city, much of which lies below sea level.

---------

The newly constructed Industrial Canal levee wall in the lower ninth ward¹ of New Orleans is seen in this July 6, 2006 file photo  
  
The panel of experts from the American Society of Civil Engineers produced a 10-point set of recommendations for overcoming deficiencies in the New Orleans flood-protection system. One of the first problems, they say, is the fact that there is not one system, but several, all under different governmental entities².

David Daniel, a member of the panel who teaches engineering at the University of Texas in Dallas, says political leaders have resisted the idea of having one system, with one person in charge, but, speaking to VOA, he says that is what is needed.

 
David Daniel 
  
"I do not see the political will or evidence of a political will right now to put someone in charge, but I want to reiterate³ emphatically, I do not think this will work unless someone is put in charge. The alternative is the potential for catastrophe⁴ in the future," he said.

Another member of the panel was retired⁵ engineer and New Orleans resident Thomas Jackson, who told VOA that if various government leaders do not come together and act on the recommendations in the report, the city could be destroyed in a future storm.

Thomas Jackson  
  
"I believe that unless this city focuses on the risk of living in the Gulf⁶ hurricane belt, this city will not exist," he said.  "I think the focus has got to be beyond anything we have ever seen."

He says there needs to be cooperation between all the various governmental units in the area, with help from the federal government, through the U.S. Army Corps⁷ of Engineers, which builds the levees, and other agencies as well.

The work done over the past year by the Corps of Engineers has been criticized by many local citizens who say it has been inadequate⁸. David Daniel says the focus of the past year's work was on restoring the levees, not necessarily making them better.

"We essentially⁹ have levees replaced, but not heightened," said Mr. Daniel.  "The system is more or less as it was before Katrina. Therefore, at least in the large context view, the vulnerability of the levee system is really quite similar to what it was before in the sense that the levees have been restored to pre-Katrina levels of authorization¹⁰."

Thomas Jackson says he is not confident in the current system and is hoping officials will heed¹¹ the call to make substantial improvements.

"My own 89-year-old mother, who is now in San Antonio, Texas, will remain there, because I do not think that is yet [safe] and I think it will be a while before it does [get safe]," he added.

City officials have set evacuation procedures in place for future hurricane threats and members of the civil engineer panel agree that, for the time being, that is the best response. David Daniel says New Orleans was spared the main force of Katrina because it moved to the east of the city and yet it still caused the levees to leak and break at over 50 separate locations. He says a direct hit by a more powerful storm would have an even worse effect.

"The only question is when, not if. We must be prepared for it and we must make use of the calculations that are being made that show the potential impact of even larger hurricanes striking at different points," explained Mr. Daniel.  "It is a genuine and true threat and, certainly, there is no assurance whatsoever¹² that even worse conditions could not develop with a different hurricane."

Daniel says the main point he and the other civil engineers on the panel want to make is that safety should be the first priority. He says the technical ability to protect New Orleans exists.  What is now needed is the political will to make it happen.

1 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

2 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

3 reiterate   

v.重申，反复地说

参考例句：

• Let me reiterate that we have absolutely no plans to increase taxation.让我再一次重申我们绝对没有增税的计划。
• I must reiterate that our position on this issue is very clear.我必须重申我们对这一项议题的立场很清楚。

4 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

5 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

6 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

7 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• 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。

8 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。

9 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

10 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

11 heed   

v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心

参考例句：

• You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
• For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

12 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。