VOA常速英语2018--大型饥荒或侵袭也门

Civilians¹ fleeing the fighting between the government and Houthi rebels are facing severe shortage of food. Children are malnourished to the point of starvation, and in some areas they’re dying from cholera² and of diphtheria. My daughter got sick all of a sudden, we tried to nurse her back to health in the neighborhood, but two days later she died. By the time we had buried her, her brother had gotten sick, so we took him to Sanaa, thinking they’d cure him, but he also died.

逃离政府和胡塞叛军战乱的百姓正面临严重的粮食紧缺问题。孩子们营养不良，食不果腹。一些地区的孩子甚至死于霍乱和白喉。我女儿突然就病了，我们竭力在周边地区照护她，希望她恢复健康，但两天后，她死了。她刚刚入土为安，她哥哥又病了，于是我们把哥哥送到萨那进行治疗，但哥哥也病逝了。

An UN humanitarian³ official told the UN Security Council that many deaths in Yemen are Hunger-related. We also know that many deaths are hidden. Only half the health facilities in Yemen are functioning, and many Yemenis are too poor to access the ones that are open. Lowcock said that according to an earlier estimate, 130 children under the age of five were dying every day in Yemen from extreme hunger and disease, and that this situation is getting worse.

联合国负责人道主义事务的一位工作人员告诉安理会，也门死去的很多人都是因为饥饿。我们还知道有很多人的死亡都不为人所知。也门只有半数保健设施还可以运转，而且很多百姓身无长物，也用不起还在这样的保健设施。Lowcock称，根据此前的估测，也门每天都有130个5岁以下的儿童死亡，死因是极度饥饿和疾病，而且每况愈下。

My assessment⁴, my advice to you is that there is now a clear and present danger of an imminent⁵ and great big famine engulfing⁶ Yemen much bigger than anything, any professional in this field has seen during their working lives. UN officials say 1.8 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition⁷ in Yemen with 400,000 of them dangerously undernourished. Local warned that the whole population is in danger of starvation if the fighting doesn’t stop. He said the food aid will not be able to feed 29 million Yemenis. Zlatica Hoke, VOA News, Washington.

我本人有一个估测和建议给你们：现在存在一个很明确的危险——一场大型饥荒即将到来并席卷也门，来势汹汹，前所未有。这一定是这一行的任何专业人士工作这么久都未曾见到过的。联合国工作人员表示，也门有180万儿童患有急性营养不良，其中有40万人严重营养不良。当地发出警示称，所以人都面临着饥饿的危险，除非战事停止。他还说，粮食援助是无法补给也门2900万人的。感谢收听霍克从华盛顿发回的报道。

1 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

2 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

3 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

4 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

5 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

6 engulfing   

adj.吞噬的v.吞没，包住( engulf的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A photographer had fused the lights,engulfing the entire house darkness. 一位摄影师把电灯的保险丝烧断了，使整栋房子陷于黑暗当中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A professional photographer had fused the lights,engulfing the entire house in darkness. 一位职业摄影师把保险丝烧断了使整所房子陷于黑暗当中。 来自辞典例句

7 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。