VOA标准英语2013--帮助飓风桑迪受害者

 

Teens On Probation¹ Help Victims of Hurricane Sandy 帮助飓风桑迪受害者

NEW YORK — Many victims of Hurricane Sandy are still in distress². But a new army of helpers has joined the recovery effort -- and they're coming from a source you might not expect. 

These helpers are clearing a road at Breezy Point so government four-wheelers can access the beach and take care of wildlife there.

They are also helping³ victims of Hurricane Sandy by preparing food packages for them.

The helpers are New York City teens, who have been convicted of non violent crimes and are now on probation.

They too are being helped -- by a non profit group called YouthWRAP. It helps teenage offenders⁴ break free of juvenile⁵ crime through community-oriented projects.

“The more time they spend doing good, the less time they are going to spend doing bad as far as we are concerned. So part of it is for them to turn their lives around, part of it is for them to really do the work that New York City needs to recover from Sandy,” explained Vincent Schiraldi, New York City's Probation Commissioner⁶.

During the storm, Breezy Point roads were washed out . An electrical fire destroyed more than a hundred homes. Teen probationers recognize the loss. "Actually what it means to me, that one, it was a bad thing. Two, right now actually means a lot cause I get to help people," stated one teen.

Not far away, in Brooklyn, Coney Island’s Salt and Sea Mission is working with YouthWrap, giving other teen offenders the chance to do good. The Mission takes care of neighbors whose homes were destroyed. 

“Today we are giving out green beans, macaroni and cheese, diced⁷ tomatoes, apple sauce, apple juice, pesto beans, no kidney beans, and maple⁸ and the peanut butter,” stated another teen.

Teens in the program get paid up to $1400 (USD) for the summer. But the the responsibility they take on is what drives them.

“It means a lot to me, helping people, this [is] new me. I was younger and all I knew was to do bad…and this program basically changed my life cause I actually started helping people," said Daquan Jackson. "I started preparing stuff, it taught me some traits that I didn’t know before.”

Essence Walker agreed. “It meant a lot because it changed the way I see life and now I see people,” she said.

Pastor⁹ Debby Santiago is the Mission's leader. She was once a drug dealer¹⁰ and bank robber. But now she's a mentor¹¹ backed by the city's Probation Department.

“They came one way, and they’ve just been changing into these people that I just want to hug all the time," Santiago said. "They are helping this community, most of them, I mean they are getting pleasure out of helping other people.”

Hurricane Sandy recovery projects in New York City involve some 450 teens on probation. Many of them are on the road to a new life.

1 probation   

n.缓刑(期)，(以观后效的)察看；试用(期)

参考例句：

• The judge did not jail the young man,but put him on probation for a year.法官没有把那个年轻人关进监狱，而且将他缓刑察看一年。
• His salary was raised by 800 yuan after his probation.试用期满以后，他的工资增加了800元。

2 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

3 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。

4 offenders   

n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物）

参考例句：

• Long prison sentences can be a very effective deterrent for offenders. 判处长期徒刑可对违法者起到强有力的威慑作用。
• Purposeful work is an important part of the regime for young offenders. 使从事有意义的劳动是管理少年犯的重要方法。

5 juvenile   

n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的

参考例句：

• For a grown man he acted in a very juvenile manner.身为成年人，他的行为举止显得十分幼稚。
• Juvenile crime is increasing at a terrifying rate.青少年犯罪正在以惊人的速度增长。

6 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

7 diced   

v.将…切成小方块，切成丁( dice的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The meat should be finely diced for this dish. 做这种菜肴肉必须细细切成小方块。 来自辞典例句
• Arther diced himself into debt. 亚瑟因掷骰子而负了债。 来自辞典例句

8 maple   

n.槭树，枫树，槭木

参考例句：

• Maple sugar is made from the sap of maple trees.枫糖是由枫树的树液制成的。
• The maple leaves are tinge with autumn red.枫叶染上了秋天的红色。

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 dealer   

n.商人，贩子

参考例句：

• The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
• The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。

11 mentor   

n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导

参考例句：

• He fed on the great ideas of his mentor.他以他导师的伟大思想为支撑。
• He had mentored scores of younger doctors.他指导过许多更年轻的医生。