VOA标准英语2014--Emergency Food May Soon Arrive in CAR 紧急食品将很快到达中非

 

Emergency Food May Soon Arrive in CAR 紧急食品将很快到达中非

The World Food Program says it plans to use both trucks and planes to bring emergency supplies to Central African Republic. Insecurity has reduced food deliveries in recent weeks, forcing the U.N. agency to cut rations¹ to hundreds of thousands of people.

There are 250 trucks waiting at the CAR / Cameroonian border – 43 of them are carrying emergency food for the WFP. But they’ve been there for several weeks. Drivers have been too afraid to make the 600 kilometer trip to the CAR capital Bangui. The road is lined with burned towns and villages and check points manned by armed militias². Muslim and Christian³ groups have been fighting since early December.

Ten trucks did arrive on January 27th carrying 300 tons of food aid. However, that convoy⁴ had an armed escort. WFP spokesman in Bangui, Alexis Masciarelli, said the agency is trying again this week.

“Insecurity is still a very serious concern along that main road between Cameroon and CAR. There’s been a decision to send another armed escort to the border to help bring the truck convoy back in Bangui. From what I understand, the convoy should be reaching the border today with the troops from MISCA – the African intervention⁵ force. At the border they will try to organize this convoy.”

If MISCA is successful, it will take a few days for the food to arrive.

“We hope to see that convoy back in Bangui on Thursday at the earliest and most probably on Friday. We don’t know yet how many of our trucks will be arriving. It will be depending on the truck drivers, who are still very much concerned about security along the road,” he said.

But whether or not the trucks arrive this week, the World Food Program has given approval to airlifting supplies to the capital. Masciarelli said the paperwork is being finalized⁶ on calls a “massive operation.”

He said, “We hope that within the next few days we’ll be able to start this airlift from Douala in Cameroon here into Bangui for this very costly⁷ operation. But it is essential because the food pipeline⁸ has been seriously disrupted by the insecurity on the roads. So, we’re hoping to have everyday a plane landing from Douala into Bangui. And over the month of February to have probably a total of two thousand tons of food supplies, mostly cereals to be distributed immediately in the several sites that are hosting hundreds of thousands of displaced people.”

 

One of the biggest sites is at Bangui airport where about 100-thousand people have sought shelter. About 200-thousand people in all in CAR are receiving emergency food aid. Last month, the WFP cut food rations in half as supplies dwindled⁹.

1 rations   

定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量

参考例句：

• They are provisioned with seven days' rations. 他们得到了7天的给养。
• The soldiers complained that they were getting short rations. 士兵们抱怨他们得到的配给不够数。

2 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

3 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

4 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

5 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

6 finalized   

vt.完成（finalize的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The draft of this article has been finalized [done]. 这篇文章已经定稿。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The draft was revised several times before it was finalized. 稿子几经删改才定下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

8 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

9 dwindled   

v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Support for the party has dwindled away to nothing. 支持这个党派的人渐渐化为乌有。
• His wealth dwindled to nothingness. 他的钱财化为乌有。 来自《简明英汉词典》