VOA常速英语2013--教堂和慈善机构在菲律宾灾后恢复起关键作用

 

Church, Charities Prove Crucial in Philippines Recovery 教堂和慈善机构在菲律宾灾后恢复起关键作用

ORMOC, PHILIPPINES — The Philippines paused to pray Sunday, nine days after one of the worst recorded storms devastated¹ the central part of the country, killing²  thousands of people.  In many of the affected³ areas churches and charities serve as critical hubs for relief and recovery.

奥尔莫克，菲律宾——有史以来最严重的暴风摧毁这个国家的中心地区，并致使几千人丧生，九天之后，菲律宾市民暂停周末祈祷。在许多受暴风影响地区，教堂和慈善机构在灾后救济和恢 复中起了关键作用。

In this devout⁴ Catholic country typhoon survivors⁵ are filling damaged churches, looking not only for shelter, but solace⁶.  It is a trying time for priests and nuns⁷,  viewed as community leaders, now taking on the overwhelming task of helping⁸ distribute aid while trying to make sense of it all.

在这个虔诚的天主教国家，台风幸存者聚集在破损的教堂里，不仅寻求庇护，也寻求慰藉。教士和修女被看作是群体领袖，这对他们来说是一段难熬的日子，他们现在承担着帮助分发援助的 重任，这也使他们变得更有意义。

The Philippine people have maintained their faith despite repeatedly enduring disasters of biblical proportions, according to the pastor⁹ of this Ormoc church, Father  Gilbert Urbina.

奥尔莫克教堂的牧师，神父吉尔伯特厄比纳称，尽管面临着多次持续性的巨大灾难，菲律宾民众仍保持信仰。

“Scriptures describe apocalyptic¹¹ times in terms of the natural calamities¹², floods, volcanic¹³ eruptions¹⁴, wars and what the scripture¹⁰ says is we need to be prepared for  all this to persevere¹⁵, these are trying times, have faith,” said Father Urbina.

“圣经以自然灾害，洪水暴发，火山喷发和战争描述世界末日，圣经也告诉我们，我们需要为这所有一切做准备，我们要坚持不懈，在这艰难的时刻，保持信仰。”

At the heavily damaged cathedral in Palo, a town just south of Tacloban, also flattened¹⁶ by the typhoon winds, Cardinal¹⁷ Theodore McCarrick, the 83-year-old Archbishop  Emeritus of Washington, D.C., led mass. Speaking to VOA later in the day in Ormoc, he acknowledged some traumatized survivors might initially¹⁸ find scripture  inadequate.

帕洛是塔克洛班市南部的一个小镇，也被台风几乎夷为平地。在帕洛一个遭到严重破坏的大教堂里， 华盛顿地区83岁的名誉大主教卡迪纳尔西奥多卡里克，引导众人。

当天他在奥尔莫克接受美国之音的采访，他称一些心理受创的幸存者可能最初认为圣经不能够治愈他们。

“I think it is probably not, right at the beginning, because at the beginning everyone is hurting so.  And they lost so many, they lost so many friends and family.   And they do not know why God is doing this to us.  Well, in a real sense we say it is not that God is doing this to us, he is allowing these things to happen, probably  for a greater cause,” said the cardinal.

“我想，一开始这样说可能不对，因为起初每个人都深深受创。他们失去了很多朋友和家人。他们不明白为什么上帝这样对他们。从真正意义上来说，不是上帝对他们这样做，而是上帝让这 些事情发生，很可能有更重要的原因。”

Whatever the cause, a sudden effect is a global outpouring of good will. Among those at the forefront of the civic¹⁹ response: Catholic charities, on the ground in some  of the worst-hit communities.

不管是什么原因，灾难发生以后，来自全球的持续不断的善意。其中，在最前线的城市的反应：在一些严重受创的地区的天主教慈善机构。

Martha Skretteberg, secretary general of Caritas Norway, said they are coordinating²⁰ closely with local Catholic churches.  “The people run to the church at the first  [chance] in order to get protection, in order to get food, some help.”

挪威明爱秘书长玛莎斯盖特博格称他们正与当地天主教堂紧密协作。人们在第一时间冲向教堂，以获得保护，食物和帮助。

Many who lost their homes in Ormoc were relocated to the area after a 1991 typhoon-generated flash flood destroyed their community.  Now they have to decide whether to  try to rebuild here or move on again.

很多失去家园的奥尔莫克市民是在1991年由台风产生的洪水摧毁他们原来的社区之后迁移过来的。现在他们不得不在重建家园和再次迁移中做选择。

With her grandchildren hovering²¹ about, a 72-year-old widow, Demetria Omega, is hoping to sell some fruit and vegetables. She borrowed $25 to start a modest store in  what remains²² of her residence. Most of her home blew away in the storm.

德梅特里亚欧米茄是名72岁的寡妇，她带着孙子在附近徘徊，她希望能够卖出一些水果和蔬菜。她借了25美金在残存的房屋开了一个不大不小的商店。她的房屋几乎都被暴风吹走了。

“I do not even have a place to lie down to sleep, I have to sleep sitting.  I move aside my fruit and vegetables and place on the stand a [plastic] mat that I use as  my roof during the day.”

“这里没有地方可以让我躺下来睡觉，我只能坐着睡觉。白天，我把水果和蔬菜移到旁边，支起一个塑料垫来做屋顶。”

Hers is one of 5,000 households the priest at the damaged church down the road now struggles to provide the barest necessities for body and soul. 

作为5000个住户中的一员，牧师也将待在破损的教堂，他们现在努力为受伤的身体和心灵提供最诚挚的帮助。

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 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

3 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。

4 devout   

adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness)

参考例句：

• His devout Catholicism appeals to ordinary people.他对天主教的虔诚信仰感染了普通民众。
• The devout man prayed daily.那位虔诚的男士每天都祈祷。

5 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

6 solace   

n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和

参考例句：

• They sought solace in religion from the harshness of their everyday lives.他们日常生活很艰难，就在宗教中寻求安慰。
• His acting career took a nosedive and he turned to drink for solace.演艺事业突然一落千丈，他便借酒浇愁。

7 nuns   

n.（通常指基督教的）修女， （佛教的）尼姑( nun的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Ah Q had always had the greatest contempt for such people as little nuns. 小尼姑之流是阿Q本来视如草芥的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Nuns are under vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. 修女须立誓保持清贫、贞洁、顺从。 来自辞典例句

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

10 scripture   

n.经文，圣书，手稿；Scripture:(常用复数)《圣经》，《圣经》中的一段

参考例句：

• The scripture states that God did not want us to be alone.圣经指出上帝并不是想让我们独身一人生活。
• They invoked Hindu scripture to justify their position.他们援引印度教的经文为他们的立场辩护。

11 apocalyptic   

adj.预示灾祸的，启示的

参考例句：

• The air is chill and stagnant,the language apocalyptic.空气寒冷而污浊，语言则是《启示录》式的。
• Parts of the ocean there look just absolutely apocalyptic.海洋的很多区域看上去完全像是世界末日。

12 calamities   

n.灾祸，灾难( calamity的名词复数 )；不幸之事

参考例句：

• They will only triumph by persevering in their struggle against natural calamities. 他们只有坚持与自然灾害搏斗，才能取得胜利。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• One moment's false security can bring a century of calamities. 图一时之苟安，贻百年之大患。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

14 eruptions   

n.喷发，爆发( eruption的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year. 今年火山爆发了好几次。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Over 200 people have been killed by volcanic eruptions. 火山喷发已导致200多人丧生。 来自辞典例句

15 persevere   

v.坚持，坚忍，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• They are determined to persevere in the fight.他们决心坚持战斗。
• It is strength of character enabled him to persevere.他那坚强的性格使他能够坚持不懈。

16 flattened   

[医]（水）平扁的，弄平的

参考例句：

• She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
• I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。

17 cardinal   

n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的

参考例句：

• This is a matter of cardinal significance.这是非常重要的事。
• The Cardinal coloured with vexation. 红衣主教感到恼火，脸涨得通红。

18 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

19 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

20 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

21 hovering   

鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
• I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

22 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。