Los Angeles
Wildfires
Hell.A.（地狱般的洛杉矶）
据外媒报道，美国加州洛杉矶县多地山火持续蔓延，截至当地时间1月9日，大火已造成7人死亡，2000多栋建筑损毁，超过15万人被要求撤离，近30万户家庭和企业停电。
山火肆虐的场面就如同世界末日一般，无数灾民失去家园，连好莱坞的明星们也没能幸免，一座座豪宅化为废墟......
外媒预计这场大火，给洛杉矶造成的损失高达500亿美元。
TMZ获得的视频显示，比利·克里斯托尔、尤金·列维和约翰·古德曼名下的房产被彻底烧毁……每座房屋只剩下地基，周围满是冒烟的废墟。
Paris Hilton shared on Instagram that her Malibu home burned down, writing that "while the loss is overwhelming, I'm holding onto gratitude that my family and pets are safe."
帕丽斯·希尔顿在Instagram上分享了她的马里布家园被大火烧毁的消息，她写道：“尽管失去一切令人心碎，但我感激的是，我的家人和宠物都安全无恙。”
She added that her nonprofit organization, 11:11 Media Impact, is reaching out to other organizations to offer aid. "We're committed to offering help as soon as possible and making a meaningful difference for those who need it most," Hilton wrote.
她还表示，她的非营利组织11:11 Media Impact正在与其他组织联系，提供援助。“我们承诺尽快提供帮助，并为那些最需要帮助的人带去实际的改变，”希尔顿写道。
Billy Crystal shared a statement with CNN on Wednesday saying, "Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here. ... We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this. We pray for the safety of the fire fighters and first responders. The Pacific Palisades is a resilient community of amazing people and we know in time it will rise again. It is our home."
比利·克里斯托（代表作《《当哈利遇上莎莉》》）周三在接受CNN采访时发表声明说：“珍妮丝和我自1979年起便居住在这里，我们的孩子和孙子孙女也在这里成长……当然，我们感到心碎，但有了孩子们和朋友们的爱与支持，我们一定能够度过难关。我们为消防员和急救人员的安全祈祷。太平洋帕利塞德是一个充满韧性的社区，居民们都非常了不起，我们深信，随着时间的推移，这个地方将会重建。这里是我们的家。”
这场山火为何烧得这么猛？
美联社（AP）从自然因素方面分析了火灾的原因，认为当地长期干旱、气温走高、强风肆虐等自然因素为山火肆虐创造了条件：
Southern California is experiencing its most devastating winter fires in more than four decades. Fires don’t usually blaze at this time of year, but specific ingredients have come together to defy the calendar in a fast and deadly manner.
南加州正在经历四十多年来最为灾难性的冬季火灾。通常这个季节火灾并不常见，但一系列特殊因素的结合，打破了季节规律，以一种迅速且致命的方式爆发。
Start with supersized Santa Ana winds whipping flames and embers at 100 mph — much faster than normal — and cross that with the return of extreme drought.
首先是异常强烈的圣塔安娜风，风速达到每小时100英里，远远超过正常水平，将火焰和火星吹得四散飞溅，而加州的极度干旱更是火上浇油。
Add on weather whiplash that grew tons of plants in downpours then record high temperatures that dried them out to make easy-to-burn fuel.
更要命的是，极端天气反复无常：暴雨过后，植被疯长；紧接着，高温炙烤，将这些植物迅速烘干，变成了天然的燃料。
Then there’s a plunging and unusual jet stream, and lots of power lines flapping in those powerful gusts.Experts say that’s what is turning wildfires into a deadly urban conflagration.
此外，还有异常的急流，电线在风中乱舞。专家表示，这些因素正是将野火转变为致命的城市大火的原因。
此外，《纽约邮报》则从政府角度分析了这次火灾的原因。
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faced scorching criticism Wednesday as it was revealed she cut the city’s fire department budget by $17.6 million ahead of this week’s devastating fires — as she prioritized funds for its massive homeless population that largely went unspent, according to a report.
洛杉矶市长卡伦·巴斯在周三遭遇了猛烈的批评，因为有报道称，在本周这场毁灭性大火爆发前，她削减了该市消防部门 1760 万美元的预算，优先将资金分配给了日益庞大的流浪汉群体，然而这部分资金却大多未被使用。
“It’s all about leadership management, that we’re seeing a failure of, and all these residents are paying the ultimate price for that,” said Rick Caruso, an LA developer who lost the city’s 2022 mayoral race to Bass.
洛杉矶开发商里克·卡鲁索表示：“问题出在领导管理的失职，导致了现在我们看到的灾难，所有居民正在为此付出最沉重的代价。”卡鲁索在2022年市长选举中输给了巴斯。
Amid reports that LA fire hydrants have run dry as firefighters battle the flames, Caruso said Bass was directly to blame — and called her out for being literally absent as the city burned.
在有报道称，消防员们在烈火中奋战时，洛杉矶的消防栓已无水可用。卡鲁索指责巴斯负有直接责任，并批评她在城市陷入火海时却仿佛人间蒸发。
希望伤亡人数别再增加。愿平安！
与火灾相关的英语表达积累：
wildfire n.野火
be burned to the ground 被烧成废墟，完全烧毁
rubble n.（倒塌的墙或建筑留下的）瓦砾，碎石；（建房铺路用的）碎石
fire fighter 消防人员
flame n.火焰
ember n.余火，余烬
fuel n.燃料
conflagration n.大火; 火灾
fire hydrant 消防栓
Hitalk商务口语1V1
【测评+学习方案定制】
量身定制，免费体验
适合对象：
1.希望提升口语能力的学习者；
2.希望系统化学习英语的学习者；
3.需要和外教练口语的学习者。
长按识别二维码
1v1制定学习方案
长按识别二维码
1v1制定学习方案
戳【阅读原文】免费领取口语礼包
