纪录片《为何无法预测地震》 第29期:建筑物在地震中不倒

It's going to take a great deal of research

要证实通过观测岩石和动物预测地震的理论

and a lot more earthquakes

科学家们还需要

before theories about rocks or animals are ever proven.

作更多的调查和研究

But mainstream¹ science has practically given up

但实际上 主流科学界已放弃

on funding these kinds of experiments,

资助这些实验

and many geologists² even question the value of prediction.

很多地质学者甚至质疑预测的价值

Well, what would you do with it? Let's imagine I can tell you

你知道后又能怎样 如果我告诉你

there'll be an earthquake in a hour, what would you do?

一小时后将会发生地震 你会怎么做

You'd get your camera out,

拿着你的摄影机

or your tape recorder or something,

或录像机逃生

if you were in a building, you'd probably go outside

你会从身处的建筑物里逃出来

because you might think it's gonna fall down,

因为你认为建筑物会倒塌

that's not particularly useful,

所以说预测的作用并不大

the building is gonna fall down, that is the problem.

建筑还是照样会倒塌 这才是问题所在

Would you rather have an hour to get out of a building

你宁愿有一小时的逃生时间

or a building that didn't fall down in the first place?

还是建筑物在地震中屹立不倒呢

It's a real possibility

当我们作出预测时

that we'd have more people dying on the freeway

死在逃生路上的人数

trying to get away when we made a prediction

很有可能比在地震中

than we would have killed in the earthquake when it happened.

遇害的人数要多

Unable to predict these disasters,

由于无法预测这些灾难

California has turned itself

加州成为了世界上

into one of the most earthquake-proof places on the planet.

最抗震的城市之一

In Los Angeles, every new skyscraper³

在洛杉矶 每一座摩天大厦

has been built following strict construction codes.

都是严格按照建筑法规建造的

Hundreds of freeway flyovers⁴

上百条高架高速路

have been retro-fitted and re-enforced,

都经过翻新和加固

and as the city expands into the surrounding counties,

随着城市向周遭小郡的扩张

the fault lines are what matters

断层线成为房地产选址

when it comes to choosing real estate.

必须考虑的重要问题

1 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

2 geologists   

地质学家，地质学者( geologist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Geologists uncovered the hidden riches. 地质学家发现了地下的宝藏。
• Geologists study the structure of the rocks. 地质学家研究岩石结构。

3 skyscraper   

n.摩天大楼

参考例句：

• The skyscraper towers into the clouds.那幢摩天大楼高耸入云。
• The skyscraper was wrapped in fog.摩天楼为雾所笼罩。

4 flyovers   

n.立交桥，高架公路( flyover的名词复数 )；（单机或编队）低空飞行

参考例句：

• Flyovers have changed the face of the city. 立交桥改变了城市的面貌。 来自辞典例句
• To a limited extent one can compare Beijing to Delhi. Wide roads, flyovers andand formal atmosphere. 在某种程度上，可以把北京与德里做个比较：宽阔的马路、立交桥、城市氛围等。 来自互联网