外刊阅读:Volunteers are offering a lifeline in Wuhan

武汉封城以后,公共交通完全停止。这时候不少市民挺身而出,义务接送医务人员上下班,以及运送餐食和物资等,为抗击疫情做出了贡献。

Volunteers are offering a lifeline in Wuhan

by Nectar Gan

Hours after a state-imposed lockdown brought public transport in Wuhan to a halt in late January, Wan Jiuxiong and his colleagues sprang into action. The 27-year-old ride-hailing driver joined a group of volunteers ferrying medical staff to and from overcrowded hospitals. "In this time of need, we Wuhan people have to save ourselves. Everyone has got to do their own part," he said.

state /steɪt/ n. 国家、政府
impose /ɪmˈpəʊz/ v. 强制实行
lockdown /ˈlɒkdaʊn/ n. 活动限制、禁闭
transport /ˈtrænspɔːt/ n. 交通、运输
halt /hɒlt/ n. 停止、暂停
spring /sprɪŋ/ v. 突然移动、突然出现(sprang是过去式)
action /ˈækʃ(ə)n/ n. 行动
hail /heɪl/ v. 招手叫车(ride-hailing指打车)
volunteer /ˌvɒlənˈtɪə(r)/ n. 志愿者
ferry /ˈferi/ v. 运送、接送
medical /ˈmedɪk(ə)l/ adj. 医疗的
overcrowded /ˌəʊvəˈkraʊdɪd/ adj. 过度拥挤的(由crowded加上表示过度的前缀over-)
time of need 需要帮助的时候

Wan is among hundreds of volunteers who have formed a lifeline for the residents of Wuhan, a sprawling(占地广的) metropolis(大都市) of 11 million people. He is in four WeChat groups, each with more than 100 members – including drivers and health care workers. Most rides are arranged the night before, but someone in the group will usually step forward to accept emergency requests.

lifeline /ˈlaɪflaɪn/ n. 生命线、救助手段
resident /ˈrezɪd(ə)nt/ n. 居民
WeChat 微信(WeChat group就是微信群)
health care 医疗卫生
step forward 站出来、提供帮助
emergency /ɪˈmɜːdʒ(ə)nsi/ n. 紧急情况

In addition to driving health care workers, some volunteer groups are delivering medical resources and supplies to hospitals. Others specialize in providing accommodation and hot meals to overworked doctors and nurses.

in addition /əˈdɪʃ(ə)n/ to 除了…之外
resource /ˈriːsɔːs/ n. 资源
supplies /səˈplaɪz/ n. 用品、物资
specialize /ˈspeʃ(ə)laɪz/ v. 专门做某事(由special加后缀-ize变成动词)
accommodation /əˌkɒməˈdeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 住处
overworked /ˌəʊvəˈwɜːkt/ adj. 工作过量的(由work的过去分词加上表示过度的前缀over-)

For Chen Hui, a 53-year-old manager of a transport business in Wuhan, the company's refrigerated(冷藏) truck has come in handy. Her first volunteer assignment was to deliver 900 meals from a restaurant to nearby hospitals. Since then, she has delivered hundreds of boxes of meals and fruit, as well as face masks, goggles(护目镜) and protective suits.

handy /ˈhændi/ adj. 有用的、方便的
assignment /əˈsaɪnmənt/ n. 分配的任务
as well as = and also
face mask /mɑːsk/ 口罩
protective /prəˈtektɪv/ adj. 保护的、防护的(由protect加后缀-ive变成形容词)

Chen is also the organizer of a group of more than 24 car owners, liaising(联络) with donors and recipients before dispatching volunteer drivers to deliver supplies. She is in 10 volunteer groups on WeChat. She receives thousands of WeChat messages a day – often late into the night, and wakes up early to reply and make calls.

organizer /ˈɔːɡ(ə)naɪzə(r)/ n. 组织者(由organize加上表示人的后缀-er)
donor /ˈdəʊnə(r)/ n. 捐助者
recipient /rɪˈsɪpiənt/ n. 接收者
dispatch /dɪˈspætʃ/ v. 派遣

Due to their busy schedule, Chen and others often have to skip meals on the road, relying on crackers and snacks instead. "It has been really difficult work for us volunteers. All we relied on is our hot blood," she said. "Wuhan is sick, and we all want to cure it by pulling everyone's effort together."

schedule /ˈʃedjuːl/ n. 日程安排
skip /skɪp/ v. 不做某事
rely /rɪˈlaɪ/ on 依靠
cracker /ˈkrækə(r)/ n. 饼干
snack /snæk/ n. 零食
cure /kjʊə(r)/ v. 治愈
pull together 把…合在一起

The sprawling(不规律增长的) network of volunteers has extended beyond Wuhan into wider Hubei province. Fan, an insurance broker in his early thirties, returned to his village in Xiangyang, 320 kilometers from Wuhan, days before the city banned nearly everyone from leaving. On WeChat he organized 30 drivers from northwestern Hubei to drive health care workers, who had also returned to their villages for Lunar New Year, hundreds of kilometers back to Wuhan to relieve their overstretched(忙不过来的) colleagues.

network /ˈnetwɜːk/ n. 网络
extend /ɪkˈstend/ v. 扩展、延伸
province /ˈprɒvɪns/ n. 省
insurance /ɪnˈʃʊər(ə)ns/ n. 保险
broker /ˈbrəʊkə(r)/ n. 经纪人
ban /bæn/ v. 禁止
northwestern /ˌnɔːθˈwest(ə)n/ adj. 西北部的(northwestern Hubei指湖北的西北部)
Lunar /ˈluːnə(r)/ New Year 阴历新年、春节
relieve /rɪˈliːv/ v. 接替、换班

Major highways in the province have been closed as part of the draconian(严苛的) measures to stop the virus from spreading, and Fan often had to apply for special permits for his volunteers ahead of their long journeys. Every car is disinfected before setting off, and again after doctors and nurses disembark(下车) along the highway entrance to Wuhan. Volunteers in Wuhan – such as those from Wan and Chen's teams – take over from there, driving them downtown to hospitals.

major /ˈmeɪdʒə(r)/ adj. 主要的
highway /ˈhaɪweɪ/ n. 干线公路、高速公路
measure /ˈmeʒə(r)/ n. 措施
virus /ˈvaɪərəs/ n. 病毒
spread /spred/ v. 传播、扩散
permit /ˈpɜːmɪt/ n. 通行证
disinfect /ˌdɪsɪnˈfekt/ v. 消毒(由infect加上表示否定的前缀dis-)
set off 出发
take over 接手
downtown /ˌdaʊnˈtaʊn/ adv. 往市中心

Since January 25, Fan's team has helped to send nearly 300 health care workers back to Wuhan from other parts of the province. But last Tuesday, he said the team could not continue to work because they had run out of masks. He would resume the service if he was able to get enough masks and goggles for his team. "As soon as we get our protective gear, we will be on our way again," he said.

run out of something 用完某物
resume /rɪˈzjuːm/ v. (中断后)恢复
gear /ɡɪə(r)/ n. 装备

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