France is facing the “toughest(最艰难的) situation since the second world war”, declared Emmanuel Macron on July 27th on a visit to firefighters in the Gironde area around Bordeaux. He was referring to the scale of the wildfires, but at times it felt as if he was referring to a crisis of any sort. Even in a country well used to(习惯于) rebellion and riot his words felt only slightly excessive(过分的，过度的). Images of the wildfires that began five days earlier in one of south-west France’s most forested areas have shaken the country.(五天前在法国西南部森林最茂密的地区之一开始的野火图像震撼了整个国家。) Firefighters called the scenes apocalyptic(世界末日的) and Dantesque(但丁式的，指像但丁《神曲》中描绘的地狱景象). The area destroyed, 42,000 hectares, is four times the size of Paris. Over 200,000 people have been evacuated(被疏散). A week after they broke out, the fires were still not under control and were just 15km from the city of Bordeaux itself.
7月27日，埃马纽埃尔·马克龙在视察波尔多附近的吉伦特地区消防员时宣称，法国正面临“二战以来最严峻的局面”。他指的是野火的规模，但有时感觉他像是在指任何一种危机。即使在一个习惯了叛乱和骚乱的国家，他的话也只显得略微夸张。五天前在法国西南部森林最茂密的地区之一开始的野火图像震撼了整个国家。消防员称这些场景为“世界末日”和“但丁式”的。被毁面积达4.2万公顷，是巴黎面积的四倍。超过20万人被疏散。火灾爆发一周后，火势仍未得到控制，距离波尔多市区仅15公里。
The wildfires started in the village of Saumos, west of Bordeaux, possibly when a motorised device used for brush-clearing caught alight(着火). That they spread so fast was the result of exceptional(异常的，罕见的) conditions. In June and July France had two canicules(极端高温期), or spells of extreme heat, with temperatures at 40°C and above; this parched(使干裂) the land and turned pine forests into tinder(火绒，易燃物). At one point intense heat created a weather phenomenon known as pyrocumulonimbus, whereby smoke from the fire generated its own thunderclouds and lightning that struck the ground and set off new fires.(有一次，高温产生了一种名为“火积雨云”的天气现象，火灾产生的烟雾形成了自己的雷雨云和闪电，闪电击中地面并引发了新的火灾。) France has never witnessed one before.
野火始于波尔多以西的索莫斯村，可能是一台用于清理灌木的机动设备着火所致。火势蔓延如此之快是极端条件的结果。6月和7月，法国经历了两次“canicules”（极端高温期），气温达到40°C及以上；这使土地干裂，松树林变成了火绒。有一次，高温产生了一种名为“火积雨云”的天气现象，火灾产生的烟雾形成了自己的雷雨云和闪电，闪电击中地面并引发了新的火灾。法国以前从未目睹过这种现象。
The evacuations have been anguished(痛苦的) but orderly(有序的). Despite traffic jams on the narrow Cap Ferret peninsula, motorists were able to leave; others were evacuated by boat. Some 7,000 people have been housed on camp beds in a vast exhibition hall, thanks to(多亏了) the Bordeaux town hall. Thomas Cazenave, the mayor, told evacuees(被疏散者) the shelter was temporary and that they would be given beds in student accommodations or rooms offered by volunteers. Some will not be returning home at all. In the village of Le Porge, 183 homes were burnt to the ground(被烧成平地); twisted(扭曲的) remains of bicycles and garden chairs lay beside the ruins.
疏散过程令人痛苦但有序。尽管狭窄的费雷角半岛出现交通堵塞，驾车者仍能离开；其他人则乘船疏散。大约7000人已被安置在一个巨大展厅的行军床上，这要感谢波尔多市政厅。市长托马斯·卡泽纳夫告诉疏散者，避难所是临时的，他们将获得学生宿舍的床位或志愿者提供的房间。有些人将再也无法回家。在勒波尔日村，183所房屋被烧毁；扭曲的自行车和花园椅残骸散落在废墟旁。
