VOA慢速英语2015 尼泊尔再次发生强地震,40多人死亡

AS IT IS 2015-05-13 Another Major Quake Hits Nepal, More Than 40 Dead 尼泊尔再次发生强地震,40多人死亡

A strong earthquake struck eastern Nepal on Tuesday. More than 40 people were killed. Nepal's home ministry¹ says more than 1,100 others were hurt. The earthquake also shook other parts of South Asia. At least four people were killed in India, with another death reported in Tibet.

周二时候尼泊尔再次发生强地震，造成40多人死亡。尼泊尔内政部称有1100多人受伤。南亚地区其他国家同样震感强烈，造成印度至少4人死亡，西藏一人死亡。

American scientists say the quake measured 7.3 in magnitude. They said it was centered about 80 kilometers east of the capital, Kathmandu. Within an hour, six more small quakes hit the area. The strongest of these aftershocks measured 6.3 in magnitude.

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美国科学家称此次地震震级有7.3级，还说震源中心距离首都加德满都东部大约80公里的距离。不到一个小时时间里，该地区还发生了6次以上小地震。震级最大的一次余震据测量为6.3级。

Nepal is still recovering from a 7.8 earthquake three weeks ago. It was the strongest quake to hit the mountainous country in 80 years. More than 8,000 people were killed, and thousands of homes destroyed. Rescue workers have yet to reach all of the towns and villages that were damaged by the quake.

尼泊尔仍处于三周前发生的7.8级大地震的恢复中，这是80年来这个山地国家发生的最强烈的地震。大约有8000多人死亡，数千所房屋被毁。救援队伍仍未能进入受灾的偏远山区。

Sudarshan Shrestha works for the international aid group Save The Children. He told VOA he was in a hospital in Kathmandu when the quake hit Tuesday. He said the hospital did not appear to be damaged. But he later saw other buildings near it that had collapsed².

Sudarshan Shrestha为国际救助组织拯救儿童组织工作。他告诉VOA称在周二地震发生时他正在加德满都的一家医院里。他说，医院没有受到影响，但是随后发现医院附近的建筑都倒塌了。

"What we saw was like chaos³ and pandemonium⁴ with all the patients inside the building running out, and maybe 300 to 350 people, patients inside the building running out."

我们看到的是一片混沌，医院里的患者都跑了出来场面非常混乱。大约有300到350人，不停有患者从医院里跑出来。

Mr. Shrestha said Save The Children was already having difficulty meeting the needs of people after the April 25th earthquake. He says the new quake and the coming rainy season will make the group's job even harder.

Shrestha说拯救儿童组织自4月25号发生大地震以后很难与受灾群众见面，他说，新发生的地震和即将到来的雨季给其组织的工作带来了更大的困难。

"It's going to be difficult to get back on our feet just in terms of responding to relief needs as the monsoon⁵ is away in just about four weeks or five weeks time, so we really have to think hard about how we respond to the needs of the people."

单靠我们走路去给灾民救援物资是非常困难的，再加上还有一场季风在四个或者五个星期之后就要来临，给我们的救援工作带来了很大的困难。所以我们真的需要仔细想一想该如何对灾民进行救助。

Rose Foley works for the United Nations Children's Fund. She was also in the capital when the earthquake hit Tuesday. She says aid workers sought safety under tables as their building shook. She says they later went outside.

Rose Foley为联合国儿童基金会工作。周二地震发生时她也在加德满都。她说援救人员在大楼摇晃的时候为了安全躲在了桌子底下，等地震过去之后才出来。

She said the United Nations is worried about the effect of the second quake on children who were already in need.

她说联合国非常担心第二次地震对已经急需物资儿童的影响。

The government and aid agencies have been working to provide food, water and shelter. But rescue efforts have been slowed by aftershocks, bad weather and problems reaching isolated⁶ parts of the country.

政府和援助机构一直就提供食物，水源和庇护所工作着。但是受余震，恶劣天气和孤立地势的影响援救工作进展缓慢。

Last week, the U.N. said it needs $415 million to help the people of Nepal. U.N. officials said they had received only $22 million in donations.

上周，联合国表示其需要41500万美元用于救助尼泊尔难民。联合国官方表示但是他们现在只收到了2200万美元的捐款。

Jamie McGoldrick is the chief U.N. official in Nepal. He says the agency needs more money quickly. He says workers are trying to find shelter for people before the monsoon season begins in June. Monsoon rains often cause avalanches⁷ and flooding.

Jamie McGoldrick是尼泊尔联合国机构的主席。他说其机构继续更多的资金。他说，工作人员正在试图在六月份季风来之前向难民寻找更多的庇护所。季风降雨常常会引发雪崩和洪水。

Words in This Story

magnitude – n. a measurement of an earthquake’s intensity⁸

centered – v. to place in the middle of something

chaos – n. disorder⁹

pandemonium – n. uncontrolled activity

just in terms of - expression

relief needs – n. assistance, including necessities such as water, food and shelter

monsoon – n. a time when heavy rains are common

isolated – adj. separated from others

avalanche(s) – n. landslide; when a large amount of snow, ice, dirt and rocks slide down the side of a mountain

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

3 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

4 pandemonium   

n.喧嚣，大混乱

参考例句：

• The whole lobby was a perfect pandemonium,and the din was terrific.整个门厅一片嘈杂，而且喧嚣刺耳。
• I had found Adlai unperturbed in the midst of pandemonium.我觉得艾德莱在一片大混乱中仍然镇定自若。

5 monsoon   

n.季雨，季风，大雨

参考例句：

• The monsoon rains started early this year.今年季雨降雨开始得早。
• The main climate type in that region is monsoon.那个地区主要以季风气候为主要气候类型。

6 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

7 avalanches   

n.雪崩( avalanche的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The greatest dangers of pyroclastic avalanches are probably heat and suffocation. 火成碎屑崩落的最大危害可能是炽热和窒息作用。 来自辞典例句
• Avalanches poured down on the tracks and rails were spread. 雪崩压满了轨道，铁轨被弄得四分五裂。 来自辞典例句

8 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

9 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。