VOA标准英语2013--Fire Season Starts Early in California

Fire Season Starts Early in California

For the second day, firefighters near Camarillo, northwest of Los Angeles, coped with shifting winds as they fought to contain a wildfire.  By Friday, the blaze had scorched¹ more than 4,000 hectares of brush land and damaged 15 homes.  

Ventura County firefighter Tony McHale said dry weather has brought an early fire season.

“It will probably be a very busy fire season throughout the West. It's been a very dry spring. We've already been getting a lot of [fire] starts very early in the fire season. Here we are in May. There have been a number of incidents here in California,” said McHale.

More than 900 firefighters have brought in heavy equipment as they tackle the blazes from the ground and air.

The American Red Cross is offering help to those displaced from their homes, said Jim McGee, who heads the organization’s regional office. The Red Cross has opened three emergency shelters.

“People that need shelter, food, clothing, in some cases emotional support. We have nurses on site here helping² people deal with the trauma³ of this emergency,” said McGee.

One emergency shelter is set up in a local church, called Calvary Chapel⁴ Nexus⁵, and its pastor⁶, Robb Oram, said the community is helping.

“Most of the time we watch the news, we watch it happen to other people, but it was really beautiful to see how with this event, the community really came together. We had people coming out of the woodwork to offer food and donations and volunteer to come and help. And in a way, I think it really kind of knit our community together,” said Oram.

Firefighters remain at the mercy of the weather, though, as they battle a brush fire that is still far from contained. 

1 scorched   

烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦

参考例句：

• I scorched my dress when I was ironing it. 我把自己的连衣裙熨焦了。
• The hot iron scorched the tablecloth. 热熨斗把桌布烫焦了。

2 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。

3 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。

4 chapel   

n.小教堂，殡仪馆

参考例句：

• The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
• She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

5 nexus   

n.联系；关系

参考例句：

• Shared ambition is the vital nexus between them.共同的志向是把他们联结在一起的重要纽带。
• Either way,the nexus between the consumer and consumer prices is important.无论那个方面，消费者与消费价格之间的关系是至关重要的。

6 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。