2009/12/16

FEMA suggests Christmas gifts for the disaster age

美國聯邦急難管理署推薦因應災變時期的耶誕禮物

◎魏國金

Imagine tearing open that large present under the Christmas tree with your name on it and finding inside... a fire extinguisher. Or a foldable ladder. Or a smoke alarm in that smaller box.

設想拆開聖誕樹下有你名字的大禮物,結果發現裡面是…一個滅火器。或摺疊式梯子。或在小盒內是煙霧警報器。

Those, plus a home disaster kit including food, water and prescription medications for 72 hours, or a first aid certification course are just some of the gifts that the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is suggesting Americans give their loved ones this holiday season.

那些,加上裝有維持72小時所需的食物、水與處方藥品的家庭急難包,或一期的急救證書課程,正是聯邦急難管理署(FEMA) 建議美國人民在此耶誕假期給予所愛的一些禮物。

"Giving a gift of a fire extinguisher might not be the first thing that springs to mind, but for the guy who has everything, it might be perfect," FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said.

FEMA署長傅格特說︰「送一個滅火器禮物或許不是心裡閃現的第一個想法,但對於什麼都有的傢伙,它可能很理想。」

FEMA also advised that, in addition to reading "The Night Before Christmas" to the kids, you take the occasion of having the whole family together to "develop a family disaster plan."

FEMA也建議,除了給孩子唸「平安夜」的故事外,你可趁此全家團圓的機會,「擬定家庭災難應變計畫」。

"What we’re saying is that the holidays are the only time families really get together. So it’s the ideal time to talk about a family plan in the event of a disaster," Fugate said.

「我們說的是這個假期是家人真正團聚的唯一時刻。所以是討論家庭災難應變計畫的理想時刻,」傅格特指出。

新聞辭典

disaster kit︰急難包。kit即是工具包、用品箱。比如,a first-aid kit(急救箱)。

spring︰在此有突然閃現之意。例句︰A rude remark sprang to my lips, but I managed not to say it.(一句無禮粗話突然來到我嘴邊,可是我總算沒說出來。)

take(seize)occasion︰趁機。例句︰I take occasion to tell him my work.(我趁機對他談談我的工作。)

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