双语新闻：桑迪飓风造成至少45人死亡奥巴马将视察灾区 Obama, Christie to View NJ Damage

31 October, 2012

奥巴马总统星期三将前往遭到桑迪飓风蹂躏的新泽西州。桑迪飓风是新泽西州自有记录以来所遭受的最大自然灾害之一，目前当地居民正在努力救灾。

预计奥巴马和新泽西州州长克里斯蒂将一道视察灾情，并感谢紧急救援人员做出的努力。星期二，克里斯蒂赞扬奥巴马政府对桑迪飓风做出了“杰出的”反应。奥巴马是民主党人，而克里斯蒂是共和党人，通常两人都是意见相左。

目前大批救援人员和公共设施工人正在应对桑迪飓风造成的破坏。这场风暴在北美地区造成至少45人死亡。星期一晚间，新泽西州沿海地区遭到猛烈的热带风暴侵袭，导致了大面积的水灾、猛烈的大火以及让整个大纽约地区瘫痪的断电。

奥巴马总统宣布东北部的纽约和新泽西两州为“重灾区”。当地的低洼地区因风暴而遭水淹，建筑物和基础设施受损。桑迪还造成大面积断电。

白宫星期二宣布纽约和新泽西为重灾区后，拨出了旨在抵销东海岸的财产损失数十亿美元的联邦资金。奥巴马总统在星期二的白宫记者会上誓言，将向受灾严重的地区提供更多资源。

星期二，纽约证券交易所连续第二天闭市。自从1888年以来，这是纽约证券交易所首次由于天气原因而连续两天休市。纽约证券交易所星期三将恢复正常运营。

U.S. President Barack Obama will visit the storm-battered state of New Jersey Wednesday as residents struggle to recover from one of the worst natural disasters ever to hit the region.

Mr. Obama and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie-- a Democrat and Republican normally at odds with one another -- are expected to view the damage together and thank emergency workers for their efforts. On Tuesday Christie praised the Obama administration for what he said is an "outstanding" response to the powerful storm, Sandy.

A vast army of rescue and utility workers are now confronting the wreckage from Sandy, which has killed at least 45 people in North America. The storm hit the New Jersey shore late Monday as a powerful tropical storm, causing massive flooding, raging fires and power outages that crippled the New York metropolitan area.

The president has declared "major disasters" in New York and New Jersey, freeing up federal funds aimed at offsetting billions of dollars in East Coast property damage.

Trading at the New York Stock Exchange is expected to reopen Wednesday, after being closed Monday and Tuesday -- the first time since 1888 that trading has been suspended two days in a row because of weather.