VOA常速英语:寻找洪水频发和不断上升海平面的解决办法

As sea levels rise, the number of floods hit in coastal towns from Florida to New York grows more frequent and serious.
随着海平面不断上升，从佛罗里达到纽约，沿海城镇遭遇洪水侵袭的事件频发，而且情况也越发严重。

Here in Norfolk, Virginia, the nearby sea, bay and rivers brought centuries of prosperity from commercial shipping,a huge navy base and many businesses that support maritime activities.
我们现在是在弗吉尼亚的诺福克，附近海域、海湾以及河流给这里带来了长达数百年的繁荣，而这里之所以能够兴旺如此之久，主要是靠通商航行、一个大型的海军基地以及诸多贸易来支持海上活动。

But rising seas are a growing problem for many low-lying neighborhoods.
然而，这不断上升的海平面，却给地势低洼的地区带来了日益严重的问题。

“So when the water is at this high, it comes to this number here, 710.”
“等水平面有这么高的时候，就达到了这里这个数字，710.”

Three floods hit Karen Speights’ home in the past few years.Her home had been dry for decades.So the rising tide inside her home came as a nasty surprise.
过去几年里，凯伦.史派兹家中一共遭遇了三起洪水。不过在这之前，她们家已经几十年没遇到过这种情况了。所以如今家里涨潮真是让她大吃一惊。

“We started to see items float around.The water came in, just like it does at the beach, you know, when the waves come in, and it would go in and out, but it consistently came in.And we rushed to pick things up.”
“然后我们开始看到，家里的东西都漂到了水面上。水就那么涌进门来，就像是在沙滩上涨潮一样，虽然海浪打进来的时候，那些水也会进进出出，不过基本还是一直在进水。于是我们赶紧抢救东西。”

Old Dominion University researcher Ray Toll says seas have been rising for a while, and worries the problem make it worse faster.
奥多明尼昂大学的研究员雷.托尔表示，水平面已经上升了有一段时间了，因而他担心这会加快情况恶化的趋势。

“Every 20 years, it goes up about that much.That based upon the last 100 years. Now we are worried about the next acceleration.It’s not just the study of line as much as it is, it could start to be asymptotic, you know, accelerate.”
“每过20年，海平面都会上升这么高。这个数字是基于过去100年来的统计得出的。而现在我们担心，下次海平面会加速上升。得出这个推测不仅仅是因为我们对这条线的研究，它已经开始变的渐进了，你知道吧，就是开始加速了。”

Real estate data expert Daren Blomquist says coastal homes offer good climate and views usually getting top prices,but floods hurt buyer demand.
房地产数据专家戴仑.布隆奎斯特称，沿海房屋气候和风景都比较好，所以一般标价都是最贵的，不过这一场又一场的洪水却浇灭了消费者的购买欲。

“This isn’t just something that people are predicting, it’s happening.Homes are getting destroyed in some of these natural disasters.And I think that is why we are starting to see a shift.”
“这不仅仅是人们正在预测的东西。它是真实发生的。很多房屋在一些自然灾害中都被毁了。所以我觉得，这也是为什么我们开始看到这种转变了。”

Some owners raise homes above the likely flood level, cutting high flood insurance costs.Flood vents and drains allow water to harmlessly enter and leave the lowest level. But lifting a structure is a complicated and expensive procedure that is inappropriate for some buildings.
一些住户将自家房屋抬高到洪水位可能在的高度，这样一来便减少了高涨潮保险费用。洪水出口和下水道可以使海水进出最低水位时，不造成任何损害。不过，要想将一座建筑物从地面往上抬高一些，过程会很复杂，而且代价也很昂贵，对于有些建筑物来说可能不太适合。

For a century-old apartment building,vulnerable appliances and utilities will be moved above the predicted water level,according to Flood Mitigation expert, Mike Vernon.
而对于一栋有着百年历史的公寓楼来说，可以将一些很容易损坏的设备和工具挪到预测水位之上，防洪专家迈克.弗农如是说。

“Relocate all the electrical meters, relocate the hot water heaters.Put the drainage system in, put braces around here, clean all of it out.”
“把电表换个地方，热水器也是。把排水系统放到里面。在这四周放上支架。再把这些东西都收拾走。”

Limiting flood damage cuts insurance cost which could otherwise put homes out of the financial reach of buyers.
把洪水造成的伤害降到最低可以减少保险费用，否则买方很有可能因为高额的保险而负担不起。

Financial problems encourage governments, military leaders, home sellers, insurance, and scientists to work together,so smart rules are more likely to guide future development and minimize damage to existing communities.
经济问题促使各地政府、军方领导人、卖房者、保险以及科学家通力合作，而由此制定出的智能规则会更有可能引导未来发展，并为现有社区将损害降到最低。

Jim Randle, VOA news, Norfolk, Virginia.
VOA新闻，吉姆.兰德尔于弗吉尼亚诺福克为您播报。