国家地理-2008-05-22 Bangladesh Cyclone 强热带风暴席卷孟加拉国
时间：2018-12-30 作者：英语课 分类：国家地理2008年
Hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh, victims of the worst cyclone 1 to hit the country in a decade were desperately 2 awaiting aid on Monday as the official death toll 3 climbed to over three thousand. With relief aid pouring in, rescue teams battled to reach remote areas. The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, the Islamic equivalent of the Red Cross warned the death toll could hit ten thousand once rescuers reach outlying islands.
In the typhoon ravaged 4 area, residents have been recovering dead bodies since flood waters receded 5. Many grieving families are burying their loved ones in the same grave because no male member is available to dig separate ones. But even these mass graves are overflowing 6 with new bodies being recovered every day.
“There’s no place to bury the dead. We do not even have a piece of cloth to cover their bodies. Our condition now is worse than the dead.”
“I can not find my family members. I don’t even know how to look for them. We’ve lost our house, cattle, crops, everything, because of floods.”
Patuakhali, in the southern coastal 7 area of the country, endured strong winds that push large boats out of the water and onto land. People’s houses were destroyed, and their animals killed when the cyclone struck. The lack of food, water, proper shelter and clothes, especially during the winter season, have made the living conditions of survivors 8 extremely difficult.
“Our crops have been destroyed. We have nothing to survive on.”
“We are trying to survive with eating whatever’s edible 9 that we canlay our hands on.”
International aid organizations promised initial packages of 25 million dollars during a meeting with Bangladesh agencies on Monday. But relief items such as tents, rice and water have been slow to reach many. The government’s response was criticized by some villagers and many fear they may not survive. Government officials defended the relief efforts and expressed confidence that authorities are up to the task. Many foreign governments and international groups have also pledged to help, including the United States, which offered 2.1 million dollars and the United Nations which promised 7 million dollars. Tropical cyclone Sidr was the worst cyclone to hit Bangladesh in a decade.
outlying: adj.
far from the centre of a city, town etc or from a main building
ravage: v.
to damage something very badly
- An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
- The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。
- He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
- He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。
- The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
- The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。
- a country ravaged by civil war 遭受内战重创的国家
- The whole area was ravaged by forest fires. 森林火灾使整个地区荒废了。
- The floodwaters have now receded. 洪水现已消退。
- The sound of the truck receded into the distance. 卡车的声音渐渐在远处消失了。
- 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。
- 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