A Volcano Wakes Up

Before 1980, Mount St. Helens, in Washington, was just another volcano in the Ring of Fire. That’s the huge circle of volcanoes that ring the Pacific Ocean. The volcano had not erupted in over a hundred years. It was green and rich with wildlife. Spirit Lake, below the mountain, was full of fish and plants. But then this volcano woke up!

1980年之前，华盛顿的圣海伦火山只是火环中的另一座火山。 这是环太平洋的巨大火山圈。 这座火山已有一百多年没有喷发了。 这里是绿色的，野生动物丰富。山下的灵湖，到处都是鱼和植物。 但随后这座火山苏醒了！

Hot melted rock, called magma, had created lots of gas deep underground. This gas had built up, causing pressure within the volcano. On May 18, 1980, an earthquake struck the area—and Mount St. Helens finally erupted. When the volcano exploded, its entire north side collapsed.

被称为岩浆的热熔融岩石在地下深处产生了大量气体。 这种气体已经积聚起来，在火山内部造成了压力。 1980年5月18日，该地区发生地震，圣海伦斯山最终爆发。 当火山爆发时，它的整个北侧都坍塌了。

This created the biggest landslide in modern history. Lava, which is magma that has reached the surface, blasted out of the mountain. The lava mixed with rock, ash, and melted snow. It flowed over the landscape. Clouds of hot gases and rocks burst out too. They knocked down entire forests. The violent eruption left a huge crater at the top of the mountain—nearly three kilometers wide.

这造成了现代史上最大的滑坡。 熔岩是到达地表的岩浆，从山上喷出。 熔岩与岩石、火山灰和融化的雪混合在一起。 它流过大地。热气体和岩石的云也爆发了。 他们摧毁了整个森林。 猛烈的喷发在山顶留下了一个近三公里宽的巨大火山口。

Mount St. Helens was now four hundred meters shorter than before the eruption! This wasn’t the most serious damage. Fifty-seven people died in the eruption. Roads, bridges, and hundreds of homes were destroyed.

圣海伦斯山现在比火山爆发前短了四百米！ 这不是最严重的损害。57人在火山爆发中死亡。 道路、桥梁和数百所房屋被毁。

Right after the eruption, scientists began to study the scene. Ash and volcanic rock covered most of the landscape. Spirit Lake was filled with ash and rock too. Broken trees covered the surface of the lake. There was nothing alive in sight. The entire area looked as lifeless as the moon! Scientists believed decades would pass before animals and plants returned to the area.

就在火山爆发后，科学家们开始研究这一景象。 火山灰和火山岩覆盖了大部分景观。 灵湖也充满了火山灰和岩石。 破碎的树木覆盖着湖面。 看不到任何活着的东西。整个地区看起来像月亮一样死气沉沉！ 科学家们相信，几十年后，动物和植物才会返回该地区。

Yet only three months later, scientists spotted something incredible. A gopher was digging out of its tunnel! The animal had stayed safe underground during the dangerous eruption. By the next spring, a plant was growing! After ten years, plants had grown back and animals had returned.

然而仅仅三个月后，科学家们发现了一些不可思议的事情。 一只地鼠正在挖掘隧道！ 在危险的火山爆发期间，这只动物一直安全地呆在地下。 到了第二年春天，一株植物正在生长！ 十年后，植物又长回来了，动物又回来了。