VOA标准英语2013--Oklahomans Have Long Tradition of Resilience, Perseverance

 

Oklahomans Have Long Tradition of Resilience, Perseverance¹

In a rural area of Oklahoma, Todd Mauldin lost his house and truck.

"I have had three close calls, and this was the third one, and it got me!" he said.

This kind of pluck and good-humored determination is what people admire about Oklahomans.

In this devastated² neighborhood in the suburb called Moore, most people plan to rebuild and remain. This is not the first time this state has faced tragedy. It has suffered more disasters per capita than any other state and not all were natural.

On April 19, 1995 a bomb blew up in front of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing³ 168 people.

Timothy McVeigh was later tried, convicted and executed for the crime.

Oklahomans came together to help the victims and later built a monument, with metal chairs set in rows where the building once stood.

Sue Craig, a guide, explains the symbolism. "There are 168 chairs, one for each person, and at the base there is their name inscribed," she said.

Craig remembers that day well, even though she was not there at the time.

"I  was teaching school in Moore, where the tornado⁴ happened Monday," she recalled.

The response to the bombing established what became known as the “Oklahoma Standard.”  President Obama referred to it when he visited here on Sunday.

"This area has known more than its share of heartbreak but people here pride themselves on the Oklahoma standard -  being able to work through disasters like this and come out stronger on the other side," he said.

The Oklahoma Standard was on display after the tornado.

Volunteers have poured in with food, water and other items. Baptist Student Pastor⁵ Joey Dean says this is typical Oklahoma behavior.

"Any time disaster happens, we just roll up our sleeves and we want to help," he said. "We aren't so much interested in staying in our home and getting comfortable, we really want to get out there and help our neighbor."

That help is appreciated by victims, like Brooklyn Pearce and her family.

"Oklahoma is an awesome⁶ place to live, and they come together really fast, and they are here to help, and they do their job well," she said.

State officials are pleased by the response.  But they say they take lessons from each disaster in order to respond better next time.

People will eventually rebuild and move on with their lives, but as the bombing memorial demonstrates, they will also keep a place in their hearts for those who were lost. 

1 perseverance   

n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• It may take some perseverance to find the right people.要找到合适的人也许需要有点锲而不舍的精神。
• Perseverance leads to success.有恒心就能胜利。

2 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。

3 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。

4 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

5 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。

6 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.