纪录片《为何无法预测地震》 第36期:地震预警

You could shut down critical computer facilities,

你可以关闭重要的电脑设备

we could also be stopping any rail lines,

我们还可以停止铁路运行

we could be flashing the messages up on freeways,

和在高速公路路边屏幕上打出信息

you know, "Earthquake coming, slow down. "

那你就明白 "地震即到 请慢行"

Earthquake prediction doesn't come any more high-tech¹ than this,

实时预警不但比地震预测更高科技

and now casting is not only possible, it's surprisingly affordable².

而且它可行 费用十分合理

Well, I think the public expects us

民众期望我们

to be able to predict earthquakes,

能够预测地震

and of course, we really can't.

我们实在是有心无力

But this is something that we can do,

我们只能做好力所能及的事情

we have the technology,we've tested it,

我们掌握了技术 并进行测试

we've developed systems that work

开发出一套可行的系统

and we know that we could build an early-warning system,

其实我们有能力建立一个预警机制

at this point in time,

但在目前的情况下

we don't have nearly the instrumentation in place

我们连做地震预警

to be able to do that kind of earthquake early warning,

所需的基本设备都没有就位

some estimates³, we think it could cost about $100 million in all.

估计整个预警系统耗资约一亿美元

And the price tag⁴ we're looking at

而我们估计圣安地列斯的一次大地震

for a big earthquake on the San Andreas is, er, 200 billion and up,

所造成的财产损失高达二千亿美金

so a $100 million system to help reduce the damages

所以一亿美元换取一个能减少损失的系统

seems like a good investment⁵.

还是相当划算的

This kind of early-warning system

这种预警系统

might work for California one day,

或许有天会在加州用上

but for most places in the world,

但对于世界大多数地区而言

science's best answer to the threat of earthquakes

面对地震威胁的最科学答案还是

is to construct better buildings

修建更牢固的建筑

and map all the faults in potential disaster zones.

以及标注出断层 确定潜在灾区

1 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

2 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

3 estimates   

估计

参考例句：

• Unofficial estimates put the figure at over two million. 非官方的估计数字为200万以上。
• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 tag   

n.标签，附属物，名称，谚语；vt.附以签条，尾随，添饰，指责，连接；vi.紧随，尾随

参考例句：

• Please tag your baggage.请在你的行李上贴上标签了。
• The clerk attached a price tag to each article.店员给每一件商品系上标价签。

5 investment   

n.投资，投资额；(时间、精力等的)投入

参考例句：

• It took two years before I recouped my investment.我用了两年时间才收回投资。
• The success of the project pivots on investment from abroad.这个工程的成功主要依靠外来投资。