VOA慢速英语2018 台湾地震：多处建筑倾斜几近倒塌（在线收听）

Taiwan Earthquake: Several Buildings Leaning Near Collapse

A powerful earthquake struck Taiwan late Tuesday, killing at least seven people and leaving several buildings leaning, near total collapse.

上周二台湾地区发生强烈地震，造成至少7人死亡，多处建筑倾斜，几乎完全垮塌。 

The U.S. Geological Survey said the 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit around the middle of the night local time near the coastal city of Hualien. Search and rescue operations continued in an effort to save dozens of people missing.

美国地震调查局表示，当地时间午夜前后海岸城市花莲发生6.4级地震。搜救行动仍在继续努力搜救数十位失踪人员。

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen visited the damaged areas. She promised that every effort would be made to rescue survivors. At least 260 people were reported injured and more than 80 are missing.

台湾地区行政长官蔡英文视察了受灾地区。她承诺尽一切努力营救生还者。据报道至少260人受伤，80多人失踪。

The earthquake split some roads in half and left about 40,000 homes without water. Nearly 2,000 others did not have electricity.

这次地震造成一些路段被拦腰折断，还导致有40000左右户居民断水。另有近2000户居民停电。 

Some of the most powerful pictures and video of the disaster showed high-rise buildings tilting heavily after the earthquake.

一些受灾最严重的图片和视频显示高楼地震后发生严重倾斜。 

Taiwan’s Central Emergency Operation Center said rescue efforts in one area were briefly halted over safety concerns. One residential building continued to lean towards collapse causing rescuers to stop their efforts.

台湾中央应急行动中心称出于安全考虑，一灾区营救行动被迫中止。一座居民楼不断倾斜几近坍塌，导致救援人员停止了工作。

Rescue workers put up steel beams against the building in an effort to prevent it from completely collapsing. Large concrete blocks were also placed against the beams for added support.

救援人员搭起钢梁支撑该建筑，努力避免其完全倒塌。钢梁上还搭有大块混凝土以增加支撑力。 

The building was among at least four in the area that sank and shifted because of the earthquake. Experts say the shifts were likely caused by soil liquefaction. This process can cause the ground underneath a building to lose its solidity under great physical stress.

这座建筑跨越了受地震影响而发生沉降和变形的四块区域。专家表示这些变形很有可能是土壤液化引起。这个过程会引起建筑物地下土壤因为巨大的物理压力而失去坚固性。

Shifting destroyed the lower floors of several buildings, forcing rescue workers to enter windows to reach people trapped inside.

这些变形造成多处建筑物低楼层受到破坏，也因此导致救援人员只能从窗户进去救援被困人员。 

Hualien prosecutors said they had launched an investigation. They want to know about possible negligence in construction of buildings that collapsed or tilted from the earthquake, the Taipei Times reported.

花莲检察官称，他们已经发起调查。他们想要知道地震中倒塌或倾斜的建筑物建造中可能存在的失职问题，台北时报报道。

Government officials are seeking building records and said they would question companies in the buildings’ planning and construction. The investigation will look into whether shortcuts were taken, if poor building materials were used and whether all government rules were followed.

政府官员正在查找建造纪录，还表示他们会质询这些建筑物的规划和建造单位。调查建造是否发生简化，是否使用劣质建筑材料，是否遵守了所有政府条令。

Taiwan sits in a very seismically active area known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. Earthquakes regularly strike the area.

台湾位于一个叫太平洋火环的地震活跃带。该地区经常发生地震。 

Words in This Story

lean – v. to bend or move from a straight position

tilt – v. to move into a position where one end or side is higher than the other

residential – adj. of or relating to the places where people live

beam – n. long and heavy piece of wood or metal used to support parts of a building, ship, etc.

concrete – n. a hard substance used in construction

shift – v. to move to a different place, position, etc.

negligence – n. failure to take the care that a responsible person usually takes

shortcut – n. a faster or easier way to do something

seismically – adv. relating to or caused by an earthquake