VOA标准英语2009年-Italy's Earthquake Zone to Host G-8 Summit

Italy hosts top world leaders this week for the G-8 summit of major industrialized nations. These meetings are held every year, but this year's site is somewhat unusual in that the summit takes place in a part of central Italy that was struck by a devastating¹ earthquake in April, that killed nearly 300 people and left more than 65,000 homeless. Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi says he wanted to highlight the plight² of the region.
　
A worker finishes a brick mosaic³ of an eagle, L'Aquila's emblem⁴ and namesake, on the road to the G-8 summit venue⁵ (File)

It is not the usual site for a gathering⁶ of the world's most powerful leaders. But, this year's summit is near the epicenter of an earthquake that left towns like L'Aquila in ruins.

Even now, three months after the quake, the center of town remains⁷ cordoned⁸ off - off limits even to local residents without an escort.

Firemen like Luciano Roncalli provide that escort. They were at the forefront of the initial search and rescue operations and are still at work trying to stabilize⁹ these fragile buildings - many of which are centuries old. Roncalli says there has been progress.

"What is important is that the rebuilding phase has started. This is important. You see the firemen, but you also see civilians¹⁰, you see private companies. They are working here. It is important that they start again living here inside the center," he said.

This was once a bustling¹¹ town - a favorite tourist attraction for visitors from nearby Rome - a place known for its lovely churches and its medieval charm.

All that changed in the early morning hours of April 6 when a powerful earthquake, measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale, shook much of central Italy and wreaked¹² havoc¹³ in L'Aquila and surrounding towns and villages.

Luciano Roncalli headed the first response team sent here to help.

"I was amazed how many people were on the street, many of them volunteers. They wanted to help people, they wanted to give a hand to people, to save people," he said.
　
Damaged building in the town of Onna

While L'Aquila was hard hit, the nearby village of Onna was almost completely destroyed. Of the 250 inhabitants, 40 were killed in the earthquake.

To this day, the clean up continues. And the people who used to live in these houses have now become homeless - some staying in hotels or with relatives, and many in tent camps.

One such camp was set up in a sports center in L'Aquila. Nearly 300 tents here house more than 1,000 people.

Amid the rows of blue tents there are visible attempts at a return to normal life - a playground, a make-shift church, children's toys, picnic tables set up under awnings¹⁴ - a few personal touches.
　
Tent city in the town of L'Aquila

Carla D'Ascenzo has been here since April 8. Her home in L'Aquila is not safe to return to, her small business shut down, at least for now.

"It is not easy, not easy because it is a tent and there are six of us in there. [Prime Minister] Berlusconi said, promised that come September everyone will have a roof. I would like to know where, because I do not know," she said.

Forty-one year old Gianluca Colizzi sits outside talking with friends just a few tents down. He too lost his home, but still has a job. One has to make the best of it, he says.

"We have been living in a tent since the day of the earthquake. It is not easy when one [is] used to one's privacy. It is not easy," he said.

Living in makeshift shelters with memories of the trauma¹⁵ of the earthquake still fresh and ongoing¹⁶ anxiety fueled by nearly daily tremors¹⁷ and rumbling¹⁸ from deep within the earth - is not easy, agrees Guido Bertolaso, head of Italy's Civil Protection Agency.

"They [people] are not used to line up for their food, for their dinner, for their lunch, to use toilets that have been organized by us, live in tents, maybe with other people. It is extremely difficult. I am fully¹⁹ aware of their daily difficulties."

Bertolaso visits the camps to keep people informed, he says, to reassure²⁰ them. He says the government is now focusing on building more secure temporary houses for an estimated 15,000 people, who by September will still not be able to return to their homes.

The government hopes the G-8 summit of world leaders here in the midst of the earthquake zone will help put the spotlight²¹ on the area and on its needs.

Rebuilding is under way, but those working here say restoring these towns and villages will likely take years.

1 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

2 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

3 mosaic   

n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的

参考例句：

• The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
• The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。

4 emblem   

n.象征，标志；徽章

参考例句：

• Her shirt has the company emblem on it.她的衬衫印有公司的标记。
• The eagle was an emblem of strength and courage.鹰是力量和勇气的象征。

5 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

6 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 cordoned   

v.封锁，用警戒线围住( cordon的过去式 )

参考例句：

• Police cordoned off the area until the bomb was defused. 警方封锁了这个地区直到炸弹被拆除为止。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Police cordoned off the road and diverted commuter traffic. 警察封锁了道路并分流交通。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

10 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

11 bustling   

adj.喧闹的

参考例句：

• The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。
• This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。

12 wreaked   

诉诸（武力），施行（暴力），发（脾气）( wreak的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city. 地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• They have wreaked dreadful havoc among the wildlife by shooting and trapping. 他们射杀和诱捕野生动物，造成了严重的破坏。

13 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

14 awnings   

篷帐布

参考例句：

• Striped awnings had been stretched across the courtyard. 一些条纹雨篷撑开架在院子上方。
• The room, shadowed well with awnings, was dark and cool. 这间屋子外面有这篷挡着，又阴暗又凉快。

15 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

16 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。

17 tremors   

震颤( tremor的名词复数 )； 战栗； 震颤声； 大地的轻微震动

参考例句：

• The story was so terrible that It'sent tremors down my spine. 这故事太可怕，它使我不寒而栗。
• The story was so terrible that it sent tremors down my spine. 这故事太可怕，它使我不寒而栗。

18 rumbling   

n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词

参考例句：

• The earthquake began with a deep [low] rumbling sound. 地震开始时发出低沉的隆隆声。
• The crane made rumbling sound. 吊车发出隆隆的响声。

19 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

20 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

21 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。