[ti:‘Preppers’ Have Their Day over Virus Fears] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]During a crisis, some people buy a lot of food and other products because of fear they will run out of them. [00:11.72]This behavior is known as hoarding. [00:15.40]It can cause serious problems for other members of the community. [00:21.92]When people hoard, stores run out of some high demand products. [00:28.32]Suppliers face pressure to replace what has suddenly disappeared. [00:34.96]At the same time, people who want to buy commonly used goods cannot get what they need. [00:44.12]During an emergency, government officials advise people not to hoard goods. [00:53.08]But some people have built up supplies of things like food and fuel over long periods in an effort to prepare for a future crisis. [01:06.80]Curt La Haise is one of these individuals. [01:12.24]Friends of La Haise have made fun of him for years because he keeps an eight-month supply of food in his house. [01:22.88]He also keeps enough fuel to power his generator for almost a whole winter. [01:31.60]But those friends who used to make fun of him are not laughing anymore. [01:39.48]That is because many people have been raiding supermarkets across the United States. [01:47.60]People are worried that they will have to quarantine in their homes for weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak. [01:58.28]Some Americans are buying as much as they can, leaving store shelves empty. [02:07.36]Some foods and basic products including medicines and toilet paper are now hard to find in some places. [02:19.84]"Now my friends are like, ‘What should I do, what should I get?'" Curt La Haise said. [02:29.04]La Haise operates a gun and firearms safety training business in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. [02:38.60]He added, "Prepping doesn't look so bad now." [02:44.04]Prepping is short for preparing. [02:48.92]The nation has a community of "preppers" – people who keep large amounts of supplies in case of a disaster. [02:59.92]Now, their preparations seem like a good idea. [03:05.80]"We're not laughing. We're not saying, ‘I told you so,' [03:10.04]when people are out there fighting over toilet paper and hand sanitizers," said Paul Buescher of Ohio. [03:19.16]He is one of 32 members of a group that shares a farm where large amounts of water and food are stored. [03:30.68]Buescher told the Reuters news agency that he is now getting requests for advice all the time. [03:40.40]John Ramey helped set up a website for preppers, called The Prepared. [03:47.36]It provides information about survival and emergency preparedness. [03:54.92]"Every single business that has to do with emergency preparedness is overloaded," Ramey said. [04:04.52]People who keep a lot of emergency supplies are often shown on television [04:11.20]or in movies as people who also have many weapons. [04:17.76]These individuals are often called "doomsday preppers." [04:24.16]But Ramey said that is not the case for most preppers. [04:30.72]"The vast majority of this is ‘beans and Band-Aids,' not ‘bullets and bunkers," he said. [04:41.12]Jim Cobb is a disaster readiness adviser and directs Prepper Survival Guide magazine. [04:51.12]He dislikes the idea of other preppers gloating about people crowding stores in search of disinfectant products. [05:03.88]But he adds, "...for once they're not laughing and pointing fingers at us." [05:11.88]The new coronavirus is at the heart of the drive to buy and keep large amounts of needed products. [05:22.00]Most people who get infected, however, do recover. [05:27.16]There is a greater danger for older adults with existing health problems. [05:35.48]They may take a long time to recover. [05:41.00]Experts urge everyone to take common sense measures like keeping a distance from people, [05:49.36]wash hands often, and cover your nose and mouth if you sneeze or cough. [05:57.68]If you think you are sick, stay home. [06:02.08]Preppers are offering additional readiness measures. [06:07.04]For one, be ready to stay at home for two weeks and have a lot of food and water supplies saved. [06:17.20]They say do not forget medicine and products needed for dogs, cats or other pets, if you have them. [06:28.12]Keep need extra toilet paper, but make sure you have disinfectant cleaning supplies, [06:35.48]eye protection and protective equipment like gloves. [06:41.20]Make sure your finances are organized and you have enough money to pay bills for a period of time. [06:51.20]Finally, try not to worry too much, but pay attention to news and what is going on around you. [07:03.24]I'm Mario Ritter, Jr. [07:05.76]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM