VOA标准英语2008年-UN Humanitarian Chief in Burma to Boost Cyclone

By Ron Corben
Bangkok
18 May 2008

The United Nations' efforts to increase assistance in cyclone¹-battered areas of Burma are to be stepped up with arrival of the U.N. humanitarian² affairs chief, in Rangoon. Burma's military has put the official death toll³ at 78,000 people with another 56,000 missing. As Ron Corben reports from Bangkok, South East Asian foreign ministers meet Monday in Singapore Monday to discuss regional cooperation in responding to the disaster.

The arrival of the United Nation's humanitarian affairs chief John Holmes, Sunday, in Burma, marks further international efforts to pressure the military government to open the country to increased international assistance.

The death toll from cyclone Nargis, that hit the country more than two weeks ago, has soared in recent days.

Holmes has been sent to Burma by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to push the military to ease restrictions⁴ on foreign assistance personnel. Several naval⁵ vessels⁶ including those from the United States and Britain are in the Andaman Sea with emergency assistance on board.

Restricting foreign assistance has led to strident calls by western governments to pressure the military to allow more foreign aid into the worst affected⁷ areas in the Irrawaddy Delta⁸ region.

Amanda Pitt, a spokeswoman for the United Nations relief efforts, told reporters earlier, Holmes' talks with aid organizations and Burma's military government are aimed at spurring aid to the hardest-hit regions of Burma, also known as Myanmar.

"Clearly what he is hoping to achieve is to try and work with as many partners as possible to consult with everybody on the ground and of course to cooperate with the government of Myanmar to try and just get the response we need up scaled to meet the needs of the people on the ground," she said.  

International assistance and human rights groups are warning delays are increasing health and welfare threats to populations still struggling to recover from the storm amid ongoing⁹ seasonal¹⁰ monsoon¹¹ rains.

The U.K.-based Save the Children Fund warned Sunday thousands of young children in cyclone-hit areas face starvation within weeks unless emergency food supplies reach the areas soon. The United Nations has estimated that up to one million children are in need of urgent assistance.

"We've all seen from the assessments¹² that have been done and the reports that are coming out that millions of people - up to 2.5 million possibly are in need of aid,” said U.N. spokeswoman Amanda Pitt. “I think it's clear to everybody that's working on the ground there's enormous need and that need is not being met."

South East Asian foreign ministers are due to meet Monday in Singapore to discuss ways to "assist Burma in its relief and recovery efforts". The bloc¹³, the Association of South East Asian Nations - ASEAN - of which Burma is a member, is facing criticism over its delays in acting¹⁴ to support relief efforts.

1 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。

2 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。

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 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

5 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

6 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 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。

8 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

9 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

10 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

11 monsoon   

n.季雨，季风，大雨

参考例句：

• The monsoon rains started early this year.今年季雨降雨开始得早。
• The main climate type in that region is monsoon.那个地区主要以季风气候为主要气候类型。

12 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

13 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

14 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。