2007年VOA标准英语-Liberia's Heavy Rains Leave Many Thirsty for Cl

By Naomi Schwarz
Dakar, Senegal
29 August 2007

More than a 250,000 residents of Liberia's capital, Monrovia, have been overwhelmed by water from torrential rains and flooding from the nearby St. Paul River. The rains have left them without safe drinking water for three days. Hundreds have also been made homeless. Officials say they are working to restore drinking water and provide help to the displaced residents. Naomi Schwarz has more from Dakar with additional reporting by Prince Collins in Monrovia.

Residents look to wells because piped water has been cut off, Monrovia, 29 Aug 2007

August typically represents a lull¹ in tropical Liberia's rainy season. The West African country sees the highest rainfall from June to July and again from September to October.

But this year, August has not been a dry month.

Heavy rains last Saturday and Sunday have inundated² the coastal³ capital, Monrovia. Daily downpours since then have only made the situation worse.

Water levels reached more than two meters in some neighborhoods near the St. Paul River. Residents walked away from flooded areas carrying their possessions en route to friends or relatives' homes in other parts of the capital.

The floods also affected⁴ the city's water treatment plant, which pipes safe drinking water to more than a 250,000 residents, says Honubu Turay, managing director of the state-owned  Liberia Water and Sewage Corporation.

"There is a backflow in the water treatment plant and as a result the pump room is flooded which means all of the equipment are under water," Turay said. "And therefore, we suspended the operation of those equipment until we can drain the water and have the equipment properly serviced."

A Monrovia resident fetches water, 29 Aug 2007

Water was cut off around five in the morning on Monday. Turay says his crew has been working hard ever since to bring the plant back on line.

"We are doing everything possible to drain the water," Turay said. "The first thing we did, we put in three dewatering pumps, which are being used now to drain the water. Now, the purpose of that is we have to be able to pump more water out than is coming in."

He says he hopes to be able to supply clean drinking water by the end of the week. But he says, in the meantime, he hopes residents will be
able to draw on household reserves, and he advises them to conserve⁵ clean water for cooking and drinking.

Anna Brown says the government needs to act quickly to restore water.

"There is difficulty in getting water around here," Brown said. "This morning I have to walk far away from my community just to get safe and clean drinking water for my family and I. I wish that some days the government would put serious attention to this so that we can have safe drinking water in this community."

Liberia is still rebuilding four years after a decade-plus civil war brutalized the country. The government, under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has been working to restore and repair public services, like national electricity, which were interrupted and damaged by the war.

1 lull   

v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇

参考例句：

• The drug put Simpson in a lull for thirty minutes.药物使辛普森安静了30分钟。
• Ground fighting flared up again after a two-week lull.经过两个星期的平静之后，地面战又突然爆发了。

2 inundated   

v.淹没( inundate的过去式和过去分词 )；（洪水般地）涌来；充满；给予或交予（太多事物）使难以应付

参考例句：

• We have been inundated with offers of help. 主动援助多得使我们应接不暇。
• We have been inundated with every bit of information imaginable. 凡是想得到的各种各样的信息潮水般地向我们涌来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

4 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。

5 conserve   

vt.保存，保护，节约，节省，守恒，不灭

参考例句：

• He writes on both sides of the sheet to conserve paper.他在纸张的两面都写字以节省用纸。
• Conserve your energy,you'll need it!保存你的精力，你会用得着的！