英语新闻丨Flooded Guangdong acts swiftly

Rescuers evacuate stranded residents on Saturday in the flood-hit city of Shaoguan, Guangdong province.2024年4月20日，广东省韶关市的救援人员疏散被困居民。

Relevant departments in Guangdong province are making all-out efforts to combat severe flooding, with their top priority being safeguarding people's lives and property, as torrential rainfall over the past few days left several areas inundated and meteorologists warned of further devastation due to rising water levels in arterial rivers.广东省有关部门正在全力抗击严重的洪水，他们的首要任务是保护人民的生命和财产，因为过去几天的暴雨导致一些地区被淹没。气象学家警告说，由于主要河流的水位上升，进一步的破坏。

Calling the situation "grim", local weather officials said that sections of the Beijiang and Xijiang rivers are hitting water levels in a rare spike that has just a one-in-50 chance of happening in any given year, state broadcaster China Central Television reported on Sunday.据中国中央电视台周日报道，当地气象官员称形势“严峻”，称北江和西江部分地区的水位达到了罕见的峰值，这种情况在任何一年都只有五十分之一的可能性。

The southern province started a Level II emergency response for flood control on Saturday night, when water in the Pearl River tributaries including the Beijiang reportedly rose up to 5.58 meters above their warning levels due to continuous downpours, according to a statement on Sunday by the Guangdong Department of Water Resources.据广东省水利厅21日发布的一份声明称，由于持续暴雨，包括北江在内的珠江支流的水位超过警戒线5.58米，广东省于20日晚启动了二级防洪应急响应。

China has a four-tier flood-control emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe.中国有四级防洪应急响应系统，其中一级是最严重的。

Wu Xiaolong, director of the Pearl River Water Resources Commission, said this round of heavy downpours is characterized by high intensity, a wide impact area, concentrated rainstorm areas and the rapid rise of water levels in the Beijiang and other rivers, resulting in a situation that demands measures for severe flood control.珠江水利委员会主任吴小龙表示，本轮暴雨具有强度大、影响范围广、暴雨区集中、北江及其他河流水位迅速上升等特点，需要采取严厉的防洪措施。

With heavy downpours forecast in the central and eastern parts of the Pearl River basin, the Beijiang River water level is expected to rise further, so the Pearl River commission will continue to guide local authorities to prepare for floodwater storage and discharge on Monday and Tuesday.随着珠江流域中部和东部地区的强降雨预报，北江水位预计将进一步上升，因此珠江委员会将在22-23日继续指导地方当局为蓄洪和泄洪做好准备。

A 12-hour stretch of heavy rain, starting from 8 pm on Saturday, battered the central and northern parts of the province, including the cities of Zhaoqing, Shaoguan, Qingyuan and Jiangmen, according to Xinhua News Agency.据新华社报道，从20日晚上8点开始，持续12小时的暴雨袭击了该省中部和北部地区，包括肇庆、韶关、清远和江门等城市。

The Guangdong Department of Emergency Management has urged relevant departments to launch special emergency response measures for timely distribution of disaster relief funds and daily necessities to people affected by the flooding.广东省应急管理部门已敦促有关部门启动专项应急措施，及时向受灾群众发放救灾资金和生活必需品。

Located in northern Guangdong, Shaoguan and Qingyuan have been the hardest hit, with many highways, streets, houses and farmland flooded or damaged over the weekend. In Shaoguan's Jiangwan township, landslides reportedly buried some houses.位于广东北部的韶关和清远受灾最严重，周末期间，许多高速公路、街道、房屋和农田被淹或受损。据报道，在韶关江湾镇，山体滑坡掩埋了一些房屋。

A total of 14,779 residents from 4,502 households in Yangshan county and another 19,349 people in Yingde were evacuated to safety on Saturday and Sunday. Both areas are administered by Qingyuan.20-21日，阳山县4502户14779名居民和英德县19349名居民被疏散到安全地带。这两个地区都由清远管理。

All kindergartens, primary schools and middle schools in Qingyuan's Qingcheng district, the city of Yingde and Fogang county have been advised to suspend classes on Monday.清远市青城区、英德市和福冈县的所有幼儿园、小学和中学已被建议在周一停课。

In Zhaoqing, the organizing committee had to terminate an ongoing cross-country race on Saturday. The event, which began at 7 am, was called off at noon following heavy downpours and a flooding alert. All 1,250 participants were evacuated to safety by 5 pm, according to the organizing committee.在肇庆，组委会不得不终止20日正在进行的越野赛。该活动于上午7点开始，由于暴雨和洪水警报，该活动于中午取消。据组委会称，所有1250名参与者在下午5点前被疏散到安全地带。

Affected by heavy rainfall, Zhongshan in Guangdong also terminated an ongoing marathon on Sunday, while Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, called off a half marathon for women.受强降雨影响，广东中山市21日暂停了正在进行的马拉松比赛，广西壮族自治区首府南宁也取消了女子半程马拉松比赛。

In the provincial capital Guangzhou and the industrial hub Shenzhen, downpours led to large-scale flight cancellations and delays over the weekend, stranding many passengers at airports.在广东省省会广州和工业中心深圳，暴雨导致周末大规模航班取消和延误，许多乘客滞留在机场。devastation毁坏，荒废downpour倾盆大雨