Untold numbers of Haitians are dead, trapped in rubble or missing after the country's worst earthquake in two centuries. The international community is rushing to provide emergency aid for the impoverished Caribbean nation, where as many as three million people are believed to have been affected by Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude temblor that struck outside the capital, Port-au-Prince.
自海地发生两个世纪以来最严重的地震之后，目前已经有不计其数的当地居民不幸遇难、身陷废墟或者下落不明。国际社会正在加紧对这个贫困的加勒比海国家提供紧急援助。据信星期二在海地首都太子港城外发生的里氏7.0级的地震已经影响到多达300万人。
Haiti's streets have become impromptu morgues, with grief-stricken survivors lining roads with bodies even as trapped survivors continue to scream for help.
海地的街道已经成了临时停尸房，悲痛的幸存者们把遇难者的尸体排放在路上。而被埋在废墟下的人还在不断呼救。
Frank Thorp, the husband of an American aid worker in Haiti, described the scene on NBC television's Today program.
一名在海地的美国救援人员的丈夫索普在美国全美广播公司的“今日”节目中，描述了他看到的景象。
"There are dead people," said Frank Thorp. "There are people dying on the streets. There are injured on the streets. There are so many people here that need help."
他说：“有死去的人。街上有奄奄一息的人。街上有受伤的人。这里有太多的人需要帮助。”
The national palace, Port-au-Prince's main hospital, and the headquarters of the U.N. mission in Haiti are among the thousands of structures that collapsed - inflicting a death toll that could take weeks to compile. Scores of U.N. personnel are unaccounted for.
太子港的主要医院，以及联合国在海地的总部大楼是倒塌的数千座建筑物之一，造成的死亡人数可能要好几个星期才能统计出来。数十名联合国工作人员下落不明。
Nadeje Pamphile, who lives on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, spoke with VOA by telephone.
住在太子港市郊的居民庞菲勒通过电话告诉美国之音说：
"In my house, the walls are cracked," she said. "Thankfully, my immediate family is okay, but my grandmother's house collapsed, and a brother and a nephew are under the rubble. They are trapped. We can hear their voices, but we cannot reach them yet."
“我屋里的墙壁都裂开了。谢天谢地，我们一家还好，但是我祖母家的房子塌了，我的一个兄弟和外甥还被埋在废墟里。他们脱不了身。我们能听到他们的声音，但是还够不到他们。”
Nations around the world are sending aid and rescue teams to Haiti. President Barack Obama pledged the "full support" of the United States to the people of Haiti, and directed his administration to deliver aid as rapidly as possible. The Pentagon says ships, helicopters, transport planes and thousands of U.S. troops are being readied for an emergency mission to provide relief and security in earthquake-ravaged areas.
世界各国正在向海地派遣援助和救援队伍。美国总统奥巴马承诺，美国将“全力支持”海地人民。他已指示美国政府以最快的速度提供援助。五角大楼表示，舰艇、直升机、运输机以及数千名美军正在为这一紧急任务作好准备，为地震灾区提供救援。
Tens of millions of dollars in aid have been promised by the United Nations and a vast array of international groups, along with dozens of nations.
联合国、众多国际组织以及十多个国家已经承诺向海地提供上千万美元的援助。
Already, emergency response teams are en route to Haiti from several locations, including Fairfax County, Virginia, just outside Washington.
从几个地点出发的急救小组已经在前往海地的途中，其中包括华盛顿特区郊外弗吉尼亚州费尔法克斯县的急救小组。
Fairfax County spokeswoman, Renee Stillwell:
费尔法克斯县发言人芮妮.史迪威说：
"We have a doctor on the team, paramedics and firefighters that will be helping with rescue efforts when they get there and treat the wounded," said Renee Stillwell.
“我们的队伍中有一名医生、一些急护人员和消防人员。他们到达那里后可以帮助救援努力并治疗受伤的人。”
Special dogs are also part of the team.
急救小组中还有经过特殊训练的救援犬。
"Cadaver dogs and search and rescue dogs," she said. "They are trained very differently, but the whole purpose is to find victims."
史迪威说：“是寻尸犬和搜救犬。它们接受的训练非常不同，但训练的目的都是为了找到罹难者和伤员。”
And time is of the essence if lives are to be saved, according to Paul Conneally of the International Red Cross.
红十字会的保罗.康奈利指出，想要挽救生命必须争分夺秒。
"The first 48 hours [after a disaster] are extremely important because this is when people who are trapped under the rubble can hopefully be detected and rescued, and emergency attention given to the wounded so that the wounds they have incurred because of the earthquake do not become life threatening," said Paul Conneally.
他说：“(灾后)的第一个48小时是极为重要的，因为在这段时间内，那些被困在废墟中的人有望被发现和救出，伤员也能得到紧急救助，以便在地震中受的伤不至于构成生命危险。”
Haiti's ambassador to the United States, Raymond Joseph, welcomed U.S. pledges of assistance.
海地驻美国大使雷蒙德.约瑟夫对美国的援助承诺表示欢迎。
"It [the quake] is a major catastrophe for Haiti," said Ambassador Joseph. "We have gone through others before. I am quite sure the Haitian people, courageous as they are, will come out of it in unity. In the meantime, I am asking for the international solidarity with Haiti now in our time of distress."
他说：“这次地震是海地遭受的重大灾难。我们以前也遭受过其它灾害。我十分确信，勇敢的海地人民会团结一致。与此同时，我呼吁在我们遭受痛创的时刻，国际社会能团结协作，帮助海地。”
Haiti is the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation, ravaged by frequent hurricanes, centuries of political instability, chronic underdevelopment, and, until recently, one of the world's highest HIV infection rates.
海地是西半球最贫穷的国家，经常遭到飓风破坏，还经历了几个世纪的政局动荡，长期处于不发达状态。直到近期，海地还是世界上艾滋病病毒感染率最高的国家之一。 |