VOA标准英语2010年-Haitian Earthquake Victims Seek Aid Be

Haitians are anxiously awaiting the distribution of emergency food and medical supplies before conditions worsen - two days after a massive earthquake struck the Caribbean island nation.

Haitians have flooded the capital's streets in search of food and supplies, which are running low  across Port-au-Prince.  Some residents say they are walking simply to leave their devastated¹ homes.  Others carry what few undamaged possessions they have.  Several say there is no word yet on where aid handouts² are being distributed.

The chief concern two days after the quake is for authorities to remove the bodies that are piled up on some sidewalks and near destroyed buildings. Flies are swarming³ and residents are worried about the onset⁴ of disease.

Haitian-born Louis Stalbord operates a small shipping⁵ company in Florida.  He was visiting Haiti when the quake hit, and says aid supplies must begin reaching people before desperation sets in.

"There is no food in the streets; there is no clean water.  We are waiting for the help of everyone who would like to help us," he said.

Cargo⁶ planes continued to fly overhead, dropping off personnel and supplies at the airport.

Some residents in the Delmas neighborhood complain that no international aid efforts have established a visible presence yet.  On one street corner, a group of U.S.-based missionaries⁷ are offering medical treatment to injured people on the pavement in front of a destroyed building.  The team was already in Haiti when the quake hit.

1 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

2 handouts   

救济品( handout的名词复数 )； 施舍物； 印刷品； 讲义

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts. 士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Even after losing his job, he was too proud to accept handouts. 甚至在失去工作后，他仍然很骄傲，不愿接受施舍。

3 swarming   

密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去

参考例句：

• The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。
• The beach is swarming with bathers. 海滩满是海水浴的人。

4 onset   

n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始

参考例句：

• The drug must be taken from the onset of the infection.这种药必须在感染的最初期就开始服用。
• Our troops withstood the onset of the enemy.我们的部队抵挡住了敌人的进攻。

5 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

6 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

7 missionaries   

n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some missionaries came from England in the Qing Dynasty. 清朝时，从英国来了一些传教士。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The missionaries rebuked the natives for worshipping images. 传教士指责当地人崇拜偶像。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》