閱讀難度：

A circus elephant has been drafted to help clear debris from the streets of tornado-ravaged Joplin, Missouri, the Daily Mail reported.

When the Piccadilly Circus arrived in Joplin this week, it found the arena it was scheduled to perform in acting as a make-shift hospital for victims of the disaster.

At least 139 people were killed by the tornado that flattened large swathes of the city, and the clear-up is expected to take months.

One circus employee said: "We thought it's either take the day off or give a hand to the people who really need it."

Harnessing their elephant, the circus staff put it to work dragging cars and debris from the city's streets. The unlikely sight brought some cheer to the community still coming to terms with the disaster.

Joplin was struck by the biggest of 46 tornados that hit the United States on May 22.

（點擊英國《每日郵報》查看原文）

大象幫助清理龍卷風殘骸

?????? 英國《每日郵報》消息，在密蘇里州被龍卷風毀壞的喬普林市，一個馬戲團的大象上陣幫助清理街道上的廢墟。

?????? 皮卡迪利馬戲團本周到達喬普林市時，發現他們要表演的地方已經成了一個臨時的醫院，住滿了在龍卷風中受傷的人。

?????? 龍卷風襲擊了城市的大片地區，至少造成139人死亡，清理可能要進行幾個月。

?????? 一位馬戲團的工作人員說：“我們想既然得休息一天，不如幫幫那些需要幫助的人。”

?????? 馬戲團的工作人員駕著他們的大象把車和殘骸從街道上清走。這一罕見的景象給這個仍然飽受災難折磨的城市帶來了一些歡樂。

?????? 美國5月22日遭受了46場龍卷風的襲擊，其中喬普林市受災最嚴重。

(China.org.cn June 3, 2011)