CNN 2011-04-13

Parts of Japan were rattled¹ by a recent seismic² event. Not the massive earthquake that hit last month. We're talking about a new quake that struck on Thursday. The U.S. Geological Survey said this one had a magnitude of 7.1. It's not as powerful as last month's quake, but it did happen in the same area, off the northeast coast of Japan. This new quake was closer to the coast and it led to some tsunami³ warnings, but those were canceled within 90 minutes. There were no reports of any casualties inside the quake zone. We've reported on the original quake and tsunami disaster's impact on Japan's economy, on its young people. But it's also had a devastating⁴ impact on some of the nation's fishermen. Paula Hancocks has that story for us now.

Boat carcasses litter the coastline of northeast Japan. The country's biggest earthquake ever, followed by a devastating tsunami, followed by a raging fire in at least two port cities. And now, radioactive water is being pumped into the sea. The Japanese government says it was an unavoidable emergency measure, but Japan's fishermen are desperate.

Kazuo Sato inspects his oyster⁵ floats, forced almost a kilometer inland by the tsunami, to see what can be salvaged⁶. Only the rope is of any use. For three generations, his family has been farming oysters⁷ and scallops in the shallow waters of the Pacific Ocean. He puts little stock in government assurances that the release poses no major health risk.

He says, "None of us can trust what the real safety level of radiation in seawater is, because the government keeps changing it based on what nuclear plants need. It makes me so angry."

Sato knows it will take a long time to restore faith in Japanese fish and seafood⁸, even within Japan itself. Authorities estimate that in Iwate prefecture, where we are, around 96% of all boats have either been destroyed or they're still missing after the tsunami. Even without the contamination in the water, fears the fishing industry here has been decimated.

The fish market at the port of Kesennuma is deserted⁹. Locals say they want it open again by July, but don't know if many will be fishing by then. Wataru Ito is cleaning up the fish processing plant he works in.

He says, "It's going to take at least 2 years to get everything back to normal."

Even those whose boats are still intact are not fishing.

This fisherman says, "I can't find where my nets and tools were washed to."

An area once bustling¹⁰ with fishermen, now a boat graveyard¹¹. Paula Hancocks, CNN, Rikuzenkataka, Japan.

1 rattled   

慌乱的，恼火的

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。

2 seismic   

a.地震的，地震强度的

参考例句：

• Earthquakes produce two types of seismic waves.地震产生两种地震波。
• The latest seismic activity was also felt in northern Kenya.肯尼亚北部也感觉到了最近的地震活动。

3 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

4 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

5 oyster   

n.牡蛎；沉默寡言的人

参考例句：

• I enjoy eating oyster; it's really delicious.我喜欢吃牡蛎，它味道真美。
• I find I fairly like eating when he finally persuades me to taste the oyster.当他最后说服我尝尝牡蛎时，我发现我相当喜欢吃。

6 salvaged   

（从火灾、海难等中）抢救（某物）( salvage的过去式和过去分词 )； 回收利用（某物）

参考例句：

• The investigators studied flight recorders salvaged from the wreckage. 调查者研究了从飞机残骸中找到的黑匣子。
• The team's first task was to decide what equipment could be salvaged. 该队的首要任务是决定可以抢救哪些设备。

7 oysters   

牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We don't have oysters tonight, but the crayfish are very good. 我们今晚没有牡蛎供应。但小龙虾是非常好。
• She carried a piping hot grill of oysters and bacon. 她端出一盘滚烫的烤牡蛎和咸肉。

8 seafood   

n.海产食品，海味，海鲜

参考例句：

• There's an excellent seafood restaurant near here.离这儿不远有家非常不错的海鲜馆。
• Shrimps are a popular type of seafood.小虾是比较普遍的一种海味。

9 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

10 bustling   

adj.喧闹的

参考例句：

• The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。
• This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。

11 graveyard   

n.坟场

参考例句：

• All the town was drifting toward the graveyard.全镇的人都象流水似地向那坟场涌过去。
• Living next to a graveyard would give me the creeps.居住在墓地旁边会使我毛骨悚然。