不知为何最近总是噩耗不断，大家知道前天夜里甘肃舟曲县发生了特大泥石流灾难，目前救援工作仍在进行。在此为灾区人民祈祷，祝他们早日度过难关、重振家园！今天我们来学习一下关于“救援”的英语，希望我们每个人都能为舟曲的救援工作献上一份心！
英语中说到“救援”，用得最多的就是 rescue 这个词。它既可以作动词用，也可作名词，有个常用词组叫 come/go to one's rescue 或者 come/go to the rescue of...，就是表示“援救……”。接下来我们来看几个例句：
He made a valiant attempt to rescue the child.
他勇敢地试着去救那孩子。
The rescue is at hand.
救援近在咫尺。
The police car went in full career to the rescue.
警车开足马力前去救援。(in full career 全速地)
The child who fell into the river would have died if the young man hadn't come to his rescue.
要不是那个青年相救， 落水的孩子早就没命了。
另外，“援救人员”就是 rescuer，“援救队”叫 rescue team，“援救行动”叫 rescue operation 或者 rescue mission。例：
Rescuers worked in relays to save the trapped miners.
救援人员轮班工作以营救遇难的矿工。
We were on the brink of disaster when the rescue team arrived.
当救援队到达时，我们已经处于灾难的边缘。(on the brink of 濒于，在……的边缘)
The rescue operation lasted three days.
救援活动持续了三天。
与 rescue 用法非常相似的还有 aid，它也可以同时作名词和动词，同样可以说 come/go to one's aid。例如：
Soldiers went to the earthquake-striken area at top speed to aid the injured person.
军人火速赶往地震灾区展开救援。(at top speed 火速)
The United Nations on Tuesday issued an urgent appeal for emergency aid to Haiti.
周二联合国发表了声明，呼吁(各方)对海地进行紧急援救。
The rescuers came to his aid in time.
救援者及时赶来给予他救助。
最后说一下，first aid 是“急救”的意思，我们每个人都应该掌握一些基本的急救措施，那样也许能在关键时刻拯救一条生命：
You should know how to do basic first aid.
你应该懂得如何实施基本的急救。