VOA标准英语2009年-Samoans Wait for Aid, Start Rebuilding

By Mike O'Sullivan
American Samoa
07 October 2009

In the villages of American Samoa struck by last week's earthquake and tsunami¹, residents are salvaging² their belongings³. Aid workers are fanning out through coastal⁴ villages and some people are taking tentative steps at rebuilding.

 
Filifaiesea Vailolo carries suitcase through debris⁵ left in wake of the tsunami in the town of Pago Pago in American Samoa, 02 Oct 2009
This stretch of coastline southwest of Pago Pago was one of the hardest hit by the tsunami, when the usually peaceful ocean sent walls of water crashing into beachside homes.

In Seetaga, Losi Fereti says she lost everything - furniture, appliances and clothing.
 
Most homes along the beach-front in this village have structural⁶ damage and are unlivable. Tavita Vivi has built a temporary structure next to his home. However, there is no electricity yet in this part of the village and his family is staying in an emergency shelter.

Last week's traumatic events are still fresh in his mind. He leads a visitor to the hillside where he and his family fled as the tsunami approached.  They had minutes to scramble⁷ up the mountain. Vivi, his brother and cousin carried their elderly father on a section of metal fencing.  They climbed to safety and put up a shelter for the night.

He says that now they are getting assistance.

"We bring the food from the government and the clothes from the Red Cross, and other people, they know and help us," said Vivi.

Some of Vivi's neighbors are also taking early steps at reconstruction⁸.

Down the road, in Afao, Barbara Autele is struggling with losses from the tsunami. She is getting food and help from her church and is working to salvage⁹ her family's belongings, including bed sheets and clothing.

"The have sentimental¹⁰ value, you know. It's from my kids, when they were growing up. I just feel so mad about everything gone. It's just so much," said Autele.

Workers from the territorial¹¹ government are surveying coastal households to assess the damage, and people are grateful for the help that is starting to flow in. Yet strong emotions lie just beneath the surface. Koki Meki says that her grown children in California have begged her to leave the island and join them.

As tears well up in her eyes, she says she will pray about it, but she wants her children to know that God is protecting her family and the people of the village.

Her sister-in-law, Fuatino Matmau, has no plans to move anywhere.

"This is our land and this is our family," she said. "It's hard for me to move out when we're supposed to stay here."

Many in these stricken villages say their roots are here and, in spite of the disaster, they are deeply tied to the land and people. 

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 salvaging   

（从火灾、海难等中）抢救（某物）( salvage的现在分词 )； 回收利用（某物）

参考例句：

• A shipping company has made a claim for the cost of salvaging a sunken ship. 某轮船公司要求赔赏打捞沉船的费用。（make a claim 要求）
• It is not uncommon to hear that a shipping company has made a claim for the cost of salvaging a sunken ship. 航运公司为打捞沉船的费用而提出要求，这并非奇闻。

3 belongings   

n.私人物品，私人财物

参考例句：

• I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
• Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。

4 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。

5 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

6 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• 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。

7 scramble   

v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料

参考例句：

• He broke his leg in his scramble down the wall.他爬墙摔断了腿。
• It was a long scramble to the top of the hill.到山顶须要爬登一段长路。

8 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。

9 salvage   

v.救助，营救，援救；n.救助，营救

参考例句：

• All attempts to salvage the wrecked ship failed.抢救失事船只的一切努力都失败了。
• The salvage was piled upon the pier.抢救出的财产被堆放在码头上。

10 sentimental   

adj.多愁善感的，感伤的

参考例句：

• She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人，她相信姻缘命中注定。
• We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。

11 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。