U4W2 Earthquakes

暂无翻译

Earthquakes

地震

Chapter 1 The Earth Moves Millions of people will never feel an earthquake. Millions of others will. Some quakes are minor. No one feels them. Others are stronger. The house might move a little. Windows might rattle. Dishes and glasses might clatter on kitchen shelves. A hanging lamp might start to sway. People notice something strange is happening. But they may not realize it is an earthquake. They may think a big truck just went by. Or they may think that something hit the house. But some earthquakes are hard to miss. A strong earthquake can shake heavy furniture. The worst earthquakes bring down buildings. A serious earthquake struck San Francisco, California, in 1989.

第1章 地球在运动 数百万人从未感受过地震。而另有数百万人却有过这样的经历。有些地震很轻微，没人能感觉到。有些则较为强烈，房子可能会微微晃动，窗户可能会哐哐作响，厨房架子上的盘子和玻璃杯可能会叮当作响，吊灯可能也会开始摇晃。 人们会察觉到有些异样，但他们可能没意识到这是地震。他们或许以为是一辆重型卡车刚刚驶过，又或许以为是有什么东西撞到了房子。 但有些地震是很难让人忽视的。强烈的地震能使沉重的家具晃动起来。而最严重的地震甚至能摧毁建筑物。 1989年，一场严重的地震袭击了加利福尼亚州的旧金山。

Every year, serious earthquakes happen all over the world. Big earthquakes are big news. But earthquakes are not new. People felt them in ancient times but could not measure them. They knew much less about earthquakes than we do. Now we can pinpoint a quake's epicenter and measure its intensity. China was hit hard by an earthquake in 2010.

每年，世界各地都会发生严重的地震。大地震往往成为重大新闻。但地震并非新鲜事。古代的人们也能感受到地震，但却无法对其进行测量。他们对地震的了解远不如我们如今这般深入。现在，我们能够精准定位地震的震源，并测定其强度。 2010年，中国遭受了一场强烈地震的重创。

Millions of North Americans experienced an earthquake in the summer of 2011. On August 23rd, an earthquake shook the eastern United States. The center of the earthquake was in Virginia. It was felt as far north as Canada. Earthquakes are less common in the eastern states than in California. But they do happen. And when they do, they are usually felt over a larger area than earthquakes out west. Understanding the Map The star marks the quake's epicenter. The circles show the area affected. People near the epicenter felt it most. The map shows the effects of the 2011 earthquake.

2011年夏天，数百万北美民众经历了一场地震。8月23日，一场地震撼动了美国东部地区。 震中位于弗吉尼亚州。加拿大的北部地区也能感受到这次地震。 相较于加利福尼亚州，东部各州发生地震的情况较少。不过地震确实会发生。而且一旦发生，在东部地区通常会比西部地区的地震影响范围更大。 解读地图 星号标记的是震中位置。圆圈显示的是受影响的区域。靠近震中的人们感受到的震动最为强烈。 这幅地图展示了2011年那次地震的影响范围。

Japan is an island nation. It is in an area prone to earthquakes. There have been many serious earthquakes there in the past. But the earthquake that struck in March 2011 was the most powerful to hit Japan in recorded history. It was also one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded. It moved the main island of Japan by 8 feet(2. 4 meters). It even shifted Earth on its axis! Japan has many earthquakes that change the way the land looks.

日本是一个岛国。它位于地震多发地带。过去，这里曾发生过许多严重的地震。但2011年3月发生的地震是有记录以来袭击日本的最强地震。它也是有记录以来规模最大的地震之一。 这次地震使日本本州岛移动了8英尺(2.4米)。它甚至使地球的地轴发生了偏移! 日本有许多地震改变了陆地的面貌。