VOA标准英语2014--海啸十年后,渔民仍感觉不被重视

 

10 Years After Tsunami¹, Fishermen Still Feel Slighted 海啸十年后,渔民仍感觉不被重视 

BAN NAM KHEM, THAILAND—

When the massive Indian Ocean tsunami hit Thailand’s coast 10 years ago, the world saw images of huge waves hitting scenic² beachside resorts. But in more rural areas, the disaster also killed scores of undocumented migrant workers from Myanmar.

It’s been a decade since the tsunami tore apart the Thai fishing village of Ban Nam Khem. But symbols of the fateful day remain.

Despite the government’s rush to aid in tourist areas, relief was slow for the hardest-hit villages, comprised largely of unregistered Burmese fishing laborers³.

Fearing arrest and deportation⁴, many survivors⁵ were forced to leave their jobs and property behind, unable to seek aid and find missing family members.

Community leader Wanchai Jitchareon said witnessing the mistreatment of the workers inspired him to help them reclaim⁶ their land and rebuild the community.

"The people were forced to move after the tsunami destroyed their houses and property, so people were busy trying to survive. That’s when Thai land developers took advantage to come and put up fences and signs saying 'No Entry' around disputed land," Wanchai Jitchareon said.

Registered laborers

Despite the deportation of more than 2,500 migrants in the months after the tsunami, there are now more migrant laborers in the province than before the disaster - and now most are registered.

Traditionally, the migrant workers take the undesirable⁷ jobs that Thais generally avoid. But in Ban Nam Khem, there were other reasons for the job openings.

"When the houses were rebuilt, the Thai people were afraid to live close to the water. They moved out, and they let us rent their houses. After the tsunami, we had more comfortable living quarters," said Hla Myo, a Burmese fisherman.

Despite DNA⁸ testing and extensive data collection on the dead, 495 bodies remain unclaimed at the local cemetery⁹.

Prapat Kongmeung lost six members of his family, including his 7-year-old son, who remains¹⁰ missing.

The local fisherman said the government seemed to care more about the image of the tourist industry than identifying the remains of locals.

"I felt betrayed because they didn’t help us much. We are all human beings. Why did they treat us so different? They didn’t support us and took all the bodies to Phuket so the foreigners had convenient access," Prapat Kongmeung said.

As business and development resumes in the coastal¹¹ area, many hope that the lessons learned from the past will not be forgotten in times of future hardships.

1 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

2 scenic   

adj.自然景色的，景色优美的

参考例句：

• The scenic beauty of the place entranced the visitors.这里的美丽风光把游客们迷住了。
• The scenic spot is on northwestern outskirts of Beijing.这个风景区位于北京的西北远郊。

3 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

4 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。

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 reclaim   

v.要求归还，收回；开垦

参考例句：

• I have tried to reclaim my money without success.我没能把钱取回来。
• You must present this ticket when you reclaim your luggage.当你要取回行李时，必须出示这张票子。

7 undesirable   

adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子

参考例句：

• They are the undesirable elements among the employees.他们是雇员中的不良分子。
• Certain chemicals can induce undesirable changes in the nervous system.有些化学物质能在神经系统中引起不良变化。

8 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

9 cemetery   

n.坟墓，墓地，坟场

参考例句：

• He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
• His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。

10 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。

11 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。