纪录片《为何无法预测地震》 第36期:地震预警（在线收听）

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-tech 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 affordable.

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 estimates, 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 tag 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 investment.

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