VOA常速英语2014--Earthquakes Remind Californians to Prepare for Disasters 地震提醒加州人预备应对灾难

 

Earthquakes Remind Californians to Prepare for Disasters 地震提醒加州人预备应对灾难

A series of moderate earthquakes that rocked Los Angeles recently have reminded residents to be ready for a disaster.  Safety experts say every household needs a plan, supplies of food and water, and emergency equipment.

最近发生在洛杉矶的一连串中强度地震提醒当地居民做好灾难应急准备。安全专家表示，每家每户都要有应急计划、足够的粮食和水，以及急救工具。

An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 shook the southeastern suburbs of Los Angeles on Friday, causing some damage, but no major injuries.  Nerves were on edge as smaller aftershocks rumbled¹ through the region.

上周，洛杉矶东南部郊区发生5.1级地震，造成一些破坏，但没有重大人员伤亡。多次小型余震使得当地居民十分紧张。

At the Los Angeles County emergency operations center, young people sort through supplies, the kind we should all have on hand for any disaster, from flashlights and batteries to emergency blankets.  They are training with FEMA Corps², under the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the national service program AmeriCorps.

在洛杉矶县应急中心，年轻人在展示救灾器材，从手电筒、电池到急救毯。他们在接受联邦紧急事务管理局旗下的工作队和全国服务项目美国军团的训练。

Ongoing³ training at this hilltop command center also ensures coordination⁴ among emergency responders.  L.A. County has 88 cities and scores of agencies, and Leslie Luke of the Office of Emergency Management said the region had to be ready for any kind of disaster.

这些正在进行的训练也保证了各个应急反应队伍的协调能力。洛杉矶县内有88个市和众多机构，应急管理办公室的卢克表示，他们必须准备好应对各种灾害。

“Just here in the last month, we have had a wildfire, we have had a severe rainstorm which caused mudflows and debris⁵ flows.  We have had an earthquake,” said Luke.

洛杉矶县紧急管理办公室卢克说：“上个月，就在这里，发生过一次森林大火，一次大暴雨导致泥石流，还发生了地震。”

At the Red Cross in nearby Long Beach, the message is also preparedness, since experts say people should expect to be on their own for at least three days after a disaster.  They will need their medications, a first aid kit⁶, food and water.  Red Cross official Margaret Arbini-Madonna said their emergency kit should also include a radio, ideally one with several functions, like an alarm, a light and an AM-FM radio.

附近长滩的红十字会传达的信息也是要做好准备，因为通常在灾难发生后的三天里，人们需要靠自己。他们要准备药品和急救箱。

She said people should keep copies of important documents in a waterproof⁷ package, and it should all be accessible in an emergency kit.  She added that, in an earthquake, people needed to react when the shaking started.

“You go under a counter or something to protect your head and neck from falling objects.  So drop, cover and hold on until the shaking stops,” she said.

她说：“赶快躲在台面或者其他什么东西下面，保护头和脖子，不要被下落的东西砸到。卧倒，躲避，直到地震停止。”

Earthquakes are a fact of life in California, and a quake of magnitude eight or higher could strike along the San Andreas Fault in coming decades.  The fault runs north to south through the state, and thousands died in its last major rupture⁸ near San Francisco in 1906.  Scientists say it could well wreak⁹ havoc¹⁰ again in northern California, or closer to Los Angeles in the southern part of the state.

地震在加州很常见，在未来的几十年，圣安第列斯断层可能发生8级或8级以上的地震。这条断层自北向南纵贯加州。上一次大地震发生在1906年，震中靠近旧金山，数千人死亡。科学家说，未来的大地震可能发生在同一地区，也可能在洛杉矶附近。

But smaller earthquakes can be deadly if they strike close to cities, like the magnitude 6.7 quake that hit Northridge, California, 20 years ago.  It killed more than 50 people.

稍小型的地震如果距离城市较近，也非常危险，比如20年前，加州北岭发生的6.7级地震就导致50多人死亡。

Seismologist Kate Hutton of the California Institute of Technology said an early warning system was in development, similar to ones now in place in Japan and Mexico City. It would give precious seconds of warning after a temblor has struck the region, as ground waves are approaching.

加州理工学院的地震学家赫顿称，现在正在研制一种预警系统。它可以在震波逼近的时候发出预警，为人们争取几秒钟的珍贵时间。

“And get under the desk or get out of the elevator or slow the trains down or all these different things that could be done in that short amount of time,” said Hutton.

加州理工学院地震学家赫顿说：“躲在桌子下面，或者从电梯里面出来，减慢火车的速度，所有这些事情都可以在短短的几秒钟内完成。”

But she said there was no way to predict earthquakes, so being prepared was the best defense¹¹.

 

但是她说，地震是无法预测的，所以现在，时刻做好准备就是最好的防御。

1 rumbled   

发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋）

参考例句：

• The machine rumbled as it started up. 机器轰鸣着发动起来。
• Things rapidly became calm, though beneath the surface the argument rumbled on. 事情迅速平静下来了，然而，在这种平静的表面背后争论如隆隆雷声，持续不断。

2 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

3 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

4 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

5 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

6 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

7 waterproof   

n.防水材料；adj.防水的；v.使...能防水

参考例句：

• My mother bought me a waterproof watch.我妈妈给我买了一块防水手表。
• All the electronics are housed in a waterproof box.所有电子设备都储放在一个防水盒中。

8 rupture   

n.破裂；(关系的)决裂；v.(使)破裂

参考例句：

• I can rupture a rule for a friend.我可以为朋友破一次例。
• The rupture of a blood vessel usually cause the mark of a bruise.血管的突然破裂往往会造成外伤的痕迹。

9 wreak   

v.发泄；报复

参考例句：

• She had a burning desire to wreak revenge.她复仇心切。
• Timid people always wreak their peevishness on the gentle.怯懦的人总是把满腹牢骚向温和的人发泄。

10 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

11 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。