01
马老师有话说
Imagine that the Spring Festival just ended, and you finally return to the city where you live after spending some time with family. All of a sudden, your phone starts blowing up with notifications that you need to evacuate（撤离）…NOW.
想象一下，你刚在老家跟家人一起过完春节,回到了你现在居住的城市。突然间，你手机开始不停地响：你需要马上撤离……现在就得走！
You pack up some vital things and go stay with a friend nearby. But the next morning, you wake up and hear the news… Your house burned down（烧掉；烧没）. Everything you own, all your memories… gone.
你快速收拾了一些重要的东西，到附近的朋友家住一个晚上。但是第二天早上醒来，你收到信息…你的房子烧没了。你拥有的一切、所有的记忆……全都消失了。
Sounds like a nightmare, right? I have tons of friends who live in L.A., and recently, many of them were in harm’s way（身处危险之中）. I’ve heard so many heartbreaking（令人心碎的）stories of people driving through flames, desperately trying to save their pets or grab a few personal belongings, navigating around police blockades and downed powerlines—all while holding onto the slim hope that something might be left to salvage.
听着像个噩梦，对吧？我有很多住在洛杉矶的朋友，最近他们很多人都身处危险之中。我听到了太多令人心碎的故事：有人开车穿过火海，拼命想要救出宠物或者找回几件重要物品；有人绕过警察的封锁线和倒塌的电线，只希望还能挽回点什么。
（撤离前，我最好的朋友在他家门口拍的照片，两只宠物猫也安全带走了）
My best friend and business partner had been back in L.A. for less than 24 hours before he had to evacuate. The fires were only 3 kilometers from this house. He’s one of the lucky ones. The wind changed directions, and his house was saved.
我合伙人，也是我最好的朋友刚回到洛杉矶不到24小时就不得不撤离了。那场大火离他房子只有3公里远。不过他算是幸运的那些人，风向变了，他房子保住了。
But remember the Spring Festival hypothetical? That’s what happened to two of my friends who lived in Altadena. They lost their home and, tragically（悲剧的是）, everything they owned.
不过你还记得刚刚的春节假设吗？这正是我的两个住在阿尔塔迪纳的朋友所经历的悲剧。他们失去了家，他们所有的财产都没了。
（我朋友第二天回阿尔塔迪纳看看房子的情况）
You’ve probably seen pictures or videos of celebrities’ homes, but that’s just part of the picture. A significant number of those who lost their homes were working-class families.
那你可能看过一些关于名人豪宅的照片或视频，但那只是冰山一角。事实上，失去房子的人中有相当一部分是普通上班组的家庭。
My friends just bought their house a few years ago, and now they face the impossible burden of paying a mortgage（房屋贷款） and property taxes on a home that no longer exists. They also have to rent somewhere to live now—essentially doubling their housing costs.
我那两个朋友几年前才刚买的房子，而他们现在不得不面对的现实是：为一座不再存在的房子还贷款、缴房产税。同时，他们还得租房子住，就相当于他们住房的支出基本上翻了一倍。
What’s crazy is that they’re actually some of the lucky people. They have fire insurance（火灾保险）, whereas many other homeowners recently lost it and might not have had coverage lately.
更离谱的是，他们其实算是幸运的，因为他们有火灾保险。而最近有很多其他房主却摸莫名其妙失去了保险，可能根本没有任何保障。
My friends will supposedly（据说；按理说） get money from insurance, but it might be 3 or 4 years before their house is rebuilt. Wealthier homeowners can pay a lot more money, so construction companies are going to be very busy building homes for the rich. Normal people can’t compete against（与…竞争） the Hollywood elite, so they’re stuck at the back of the line.
我的朋友据说会从保险公司那儿拿到赔偿，但他们的房子可能得等三四年才能重建。那些更富有的房主可以花更多钱，因此开发商会优先为这些有钱人建房子。普通人没办法跟好莱坞的精英竞争，只能排在队尾。
Many people might have already been struggling tomake ends meet（维持生计）. And the true impact of this all is hard to describe in this short article. For many people I know, and even more that we don’t know, their lives will never be the same.
很多这些人本来就已经在为生计发愁。这一切的真正影响，这么短的文章根本无法完全描述。对我认识的许多人来说，以及更多我们不认识的人，他们这辈子会彻底改变了。
Vocab
Evacuate
v.疏散；撤离
The residents were told to evacuate the building because of a gas leak.
居民被告知由于煤气泄漏要撤离建筑物。
The city was evacuated before the hurricane hit.
在飓风来袭之前，城市已经被疏散了。
Burn down
v. 烧掉
The entire house burned down in the fire last night.
昨晚火灾中整座房子被烧毁了。
They watched helplessly as the barn burned down.
他们无助地看着谷仓被烧成平地。
Heartbreaking
Adj.令人心碎的
It was heartbreaking to see so many people lose their homes in the disaster.
看到这么多人在灾难中失去家园，真是令人心碎。
The story of the abandoned dog is absolutely heartbreaking.
那只被遗弃的狗的故事非常令人心碎。
Mortgage
n.房屋贷款
They paid off their mortgage in just 12 years.
他们十二年就把房屋贷款还清了。
Mortgage rates have gone up a lot lately.
贷款利息率最近涨了很多。
Fire Insurance
n. 火灾保险
The family had fire insurance, so they were able to rebuild their home.
这家人有火灾保险，所以他们得以重建家园。
Fire insurance is essential for protecting your property from unexpected fires.
火灾保险对保护您的财产免受意外火灾非常重要。
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