马泰暴雨成灾

Malaysia, Thailand hit with epic flooding; threat of landslides loom

By Holly Yan  (CNN)

Dec. 28, 2014

Even by Malaysian standards, this flooding is epic.

flooding in the state of Sabah，Malaysia

Neighborhoods turned into islands surrounded by a sea of murky brown water. Streets doubling as rivers. Cars swept away and toppled over.

（epic 特大的,  landslide 山体滑坡,   murky 浑浊的,   double as 兼扮角色）

The flooding has forced more than 132,000 people to evacuate, Malaysia's official Bernama news agency said.

（evacuate 疏散,撤离,  loom 隐现,迫近）

Strong currents and interrupted power supply are adding to the chaos, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak told reporters.

"Clean water supply too cannot be delivered, and flood victims at the temporary relief centers had to endure darkness without electric supply," he said, according to Bernama.

（power supply 电力供应，temporary relief centers 临时救援中心）

The flooding ravaging Malaysia started more than a week ago. While the region is accustomed to monsoons, the "northeast monsoon" that has gripped Malaysia, Indonesia and southern Thailand is particularly harsh.

Here's how it works, CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam said Saturday:

（ravage 毁坏,  monsoon 雨季,   grip 控制, 强烈影响, meteorologist  气象学家）

Strong high pressure develops over Eastern Europe and China and strengthens northeasterly winds from the South China Sea, bringing heavier rainfall over Malaysia, Indonesia and southern Thailand.

And it's going to get worse. Another 100 millimeters (4 inches) of rain could fall over the next two days near the Malaysia-Thailand border, he said.

"That leaves open all kinds of possibilities -- more flooding, and the possibility of landslides and mudslides," Van Dam said.

Kota Bahru,  an eastern city in Malaysia

Across the Bay of Bengal, Sri Lanka has been hit hard, too.

( mudslide 泥石流, Bay of Bengal 孟加拉湾 )

Kandy, in the center of the island nation, received more than twice the average monthly rainfall in just the past eight days, Van Dam said.

(Kandy 康提, 斯里兰卡中部城市）