加州惨烈大火,“天堂”变灰烬
近日,美国加州多地燃起山火,从北部到南部都有多处山火蔓延。据报道,发生在洛杉矶西部的“Woolsey Fire”摧毁了435处建筑,南加州马里布海岸附近居住的20万人流离失所。旧金山北部的“Camp Fire”则因损毁7100所房屋建筑,造成该地区损失价值最高,伤亡人数最大,从而成为加州历史上最有破坏性的大火。目前,一支由百余人组成的搜救队伍抵达加州山火灾区,援助当地法医带头组织的13支队伍。此外,当地已经向美国军方申请了从人员到设备的多项援助。
受灾最严重的是天堂镇。在天堂镇,大火将人们的房屋、庄稼全都烧成了平地,逃亡的人们甚至不敢回首自己的家园。“满目疮痍、遍地废墟”这样的词语都不足以形容场面的惨烈,往日的“天堂小镇”,如今成为了真正的“失乐园”。目前,针对这次大火起因的调查已经开始。
希望受灾的人们能坚强起来,灾难固然可怕,可晴天不会遥远。
本篇课程首发于2018年11月16日,选自 The New York Times
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A Search in Fire-Ravaged California for What No One Wants to Find
① It is a measure of how frequent and deadly wildfires have become in California that identifying badly burned remains has become an area of expertise.
② Once again cadaver dogs have been summoned, forensic dental experts will follow and coroners and anthropologists are using their experience from previous wildfires to locate the victims.
③ At least 48 people were killed in the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California history, and many more are missing.
④ Under mandatory evacuation since the fire, Paradise is now emptied of its residents.
⑤ It's just one of the places where two major fires have ravaged entire communities up and down the state.
⑥ The Camp Fire, which still burns in the hills and gullies around Paradise, is only 35 percent contained.
⑦ In Southern California, firefighters continued to battle the Woolsey Fire, which is threatening 57,000 buildings west of Los Angeles and has already destroyed hundreds of houses in Malibu and surrounding areas.
▍生词好句
ravage /ˈrævɪdʒ/: vt. 毁坏;摧残
fire-ravaged: 被大火摧残的
measure /ˈmeʒə(r)/: n. 衡量;评估
wildfire /ˈwaɪldfaɪə/: n. 野火
identify /aɪˈdentɪfaɪ/: vt. 确认……的身份
remain /rɪˈmeɪn/: n. 遗体;残骸
expertise /ˌekspɜːˈtiːz/: n. 专业知识;专业技能
area of expertise: 专业领域
cadaver dog: 寻尸犬
cadaver /kəˈdævə(r)/: n. 尸体(医学、法律术语)
summon /ˈsʌmən/: vt. 召唤;传唤;呼叫
forensic /fəˈrensɪk/: adj. 适于法庭的
forensic dental expert: 牙齿鉴定专家
coroner /ˈkɒrənə, ˈkɔːrənər/: n. 法医;验尸官
anthropologist /ˌænθrəˈpɒlədʒɪst/: n. 人类学家
locate /ləʊˈkeɪt, ˈloʊkeɪt/: vt. 确认……的位置;定位
Camp Fire: 刊普大火(也可译为坎普大火)
missing /ˈmɪsɪŋ/: adj. 失踪的
mandatory /ˈmændətəri/: adj. 强制的
evacuation /ɪˌvækjuˈeɪʃən/: n. 撤离;疏散
be emptied of: 被清空
up and down: 上上下下;到处
gully /ˈɡʌli/: n. 溪谷
contain /kənˈteɪn/: vt. 控制;遏制;牵制
firefighter /ˈfaɪəˌfaɪtə/: n. 消防员
Woolsey Fire: 伍尔西大火
surrounding /səˈraʊndɪŋ/: adj. 附近的
▍词汇拓展
1. ravage: vt. 毁坏;摧残
· devastate: vt. 摧毁
· destroy: vt. 破坏
2. measure: n. 衡量;评估
· it is a measure of A that B (从句): B 可以作为衡量 A 的一个标准
3. cadaver: n. 尸体(医学、法律术语)
· corpse: n. 尸体
· dead body: 尸体
4. summon: vt. 召唤;传唤;呼叫
· summoned by the court: 被法庭传唤
· summon a/the doctor: 呼叫医生
· summon up: 唤起;鼓起
· summon up memories/courage: 唤起记忆/鼓起勇气
5. evacuation: n. 撤离;疏散
· evacuate: vt. 疏散;撤退
· evacuate a building: 从大厦撤离
6. wildland-urban interface areas: 野外城市交互区
7. contain: vt. 控制;遏制;牵制
· contain the fire: 控制火情
· contain one's anger/enthusiasm: 控制某人的愤怒/激动之情
· contain China's rise: 遏制中国的崛起
· policy of containment: 遏制政策
▍责任编辑
李秋健、陈鑫悦、章晓丹