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進入《中英對照讀新聞》Billion-dollar weather disasters smash US record 逾10億美元天災數量 創美國新紀錄
◎俞智敏
America smashed the record for billion-dollar weather disasters this year with a deadly dozen, and counting.
美國今年造成逾10億美元損失的致命天災數量已達12個，不但創下新紀錄，而且還可能繼續增加。
With an almost biblical onslaught of twisters, floods, snow, drought, heat and wildfire, the U.S. in 2011 has seen more weather catastrophes that caused at least $1 billion in damage than it did in all of the 1980s.
美國2011年連遭龍捲風、洪水、暴風雪、乾旱、熱浪與野火等幾乎類似聖經內容的災難襲擊，造成至少10億美元損失的天災數量，遠超過整個1980年代重大天災的總和。
Scientists blame an unlucky combination of global warming and freak chance. Another factor in the rising number of billion-dollar calamities : "More people and more stuff in harm’s way," such as in coastal areas, said NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco.
科學家認為，全球暖化加上反常機率的不幸組合，是造成美國天災頻傳的主因。造成逾10億美元損失的天災數量持續增加的另一項原因：「愈來愈多人事物位於危險地帶，」 如沿海地區，美國國家海洋和大氣管理局局長盧布千柯女士說。
"What we’re seeing this year is not just an anomalous year, but a harbinger of things to come," with heat waves, droughts and other extreme weather, Lubchenco said.
盧布千柯說，「我們今年所看到的現象並非是反常的一年，而是未來情勢的先兆，」如熱浪、乾旱及其他極端氣候。
The number of weather catastrophes that pass the billion-dollar mark is increasing with each decade. In the 1980s, the country averaged slightly more than one a year. In the 1990s, it was 3.8 a year. It jumped to 4.6 in the first decade of this century. And in the past two years, it has averaged 7.5.
損害超過10億美元門檻的天災數量，每10年持續增加中。1980年代全美每年天災平均數量僅略多於一個，1990年代則為每年3.8個，本世紀第一個十年則上升至4.6個。過去兩年的平均數量則為7.5 個。
Other years had higher overall damage figures because of one gargantuan disaster, such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and a 1988 drought.（AP）
其他年代的整體天災數字較高，則是因為出現一次超級天災所致，如2005年的卡崔娜風災和1988年的大旱。（美聯社）
新聞辭典
in harm’s way：片語，指容易受到傷害，如Soldiers are expected to know what to do when they are in harm’s way.（士兵們應該知道身處險境時該怎麼辦。）
anomalous：形容詞，指不規則的、異常的、破例的，如Researchers could not explain the anomalous test results.（研究人員無法解釋這些異常的測驗結果。）名詞為anomaly，指違反規則，或反常的人事物、現象等。
gargantuan：形容詞，指龐大的、巨大的，如He has a gargantuan appetite.（他的胃口奇大無比。）此字源於法國十六世紀作家哈伯雷小說「巨人傳」中食量驚人的巨人Gargantua。
