【雅思趣味阅读】尼泊尔发生8.1级地震：为受难者默哀

双语：2015年4月25日14时11分,尼泊尔发生8.1级地震,震源深度20千米。中国西藏地区震感明显。目前有多名中国公民遇难，无数人受伤。近年来世界各地发生过很多造成重大人员伤亡地震，那些废墟、断裂的道路无时无刻提醒着人们地震灾难的恐怖与生离死别的痛苦。

A 8.1 magnitude earthquake centered less than 50 miles from Kathmandu rocked Nepal with devastating force early Saturday, killing at least 688 people -- and probably more -- in Nepal’s capital city, authorities said。

官方称，周六早些时候尼泊尔发生了8.1级大地震，震中距加德满都不足50英里，至少688人遇难，遇难人数可能会继续上升。

Kathmandu, which sits in a valley surrounded by the Himalayas, has a population of 1 million people. Historic buildings in Kathmandu lay in rubble on the ground. The injured were being treated outside hospitals in chaotic scenes. Residents, terrorized by a seemingly endless series of aftershocks, huddled outdoors。

加德满都位于山谷中，被喜马拉雅山脉环绕，人口100万。加德满都的古建筑已变为废墟。伤者只能在嘈杂的医院外面进行救治。人们受到了这看似永无止境的余震的惊吓，在外面缱绻着身子。

The death toll was reported by Laxmi Dhakal, a spokesperson for Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs. But given that the rescue effort is still in its early stages and that people in outlying areas may well have been affected, as well, it seems probable that the number will rise。

尼泊尔内政部发言人拉克西米·达卡尔公布了遇难人数，但是考虑到救援工作依旧处于初级阶段，偏远地区人民很可能也受到了影响，所以，遇难人数很有可能继续上涨。

CNN’s Manesh Shrestha said he saw five bodies at a hospital to which he walked to seek treatment for his own injuries. People with severe injuries were lying outside, with doctors administering CPR to at least one person, Shrestha said. "It’s quite chaotic," he said by phone. "People are wailing, crying."

CNN记者马内什·雷斯塔说，在他去医院看伤时，他看到五具遗体，重伤员在外面躺着，医生们正在给至少一名伤员做心肺复苏。“这里太混乱了，”他打电话说，“人们在痛苦在大喊。”

Shrestha, who needed stitches, was turned away because other people were in more dire need of care. He said he saw people with broken bones and severe head injuries。

雷斯塔只需要缝合，所以就被转移了，因为其他人更需要迫切的照顾。他说他看到有人骨折有人头部严重受伤。

The quake, which struck at 11:41 local time (05:51 GMT).occurred at a depth of 9.3 miles, which is considered shallow and more damaging than a quake centered deeper under the earth’s crust. It was reported by people in the area as having lasted a very long time. On person said he felt as if he were on a ship in rough seas。

地震发生于当地时间11:41(格林威治时间5:51)，震源深度9.3英里，属浅源地震，比震源深入地壳破坏性更大。据报道，上次当地发生地震已是很多年前了。有人说，地震时，感觉自己仿佛在一条小船上，海上风大浪急。

The U.S. Geological Survey had at first rated the temblor at 7.5 magnitude but later upgraded the strength. It reported aftershocks of 6.6 and 5.1 magnitude, among many others others. In all, the USGS said, at least 15 aftershocks of magnitude 4.5 or greater had been felt in Nepal so far。

美国地质调查局起初测量震级为7.5级，后来又更新了地震强度。据报道，随后又有多次余震，有的达到6.6级和5.1级。美国地震调查局称，迄今为止，尼泊尔可感知的4.5级及以上余震至少有15次。

One witness told CNN by phone that people were gathered outdoors in fear. Another said via Facebook that power was out and people were listening for news on their car radios。

一位目击者打电话告诉CNN，人们在户外聚集起来，十分害怕。另一个人在Facebook上说，电路切断了，人们只能通过车载录音机收听新闻。

"We are scared and waiting for the tremors to end," one said on Facebook chat from Kathmandu. "We are all sitting outside because there is more news of another quake. "There is no power and families are listening to the FM radio inside their cars," he said. "News of multiple building collapses. I’ve seen many cracked walls and roads and buildings. There are police everywhere trying to move rubble to make space on the roads for ambulances. Everyone is very scared."

“我们很害怕，等待这场地震的结束。”一位来自加德满都的朋友在Facebook上说，“我们都坐在外面，因为新闻说还会有地震发生。”“没有电，大家都在车里听广播，”他说，“新闻报道很多大楼都倒塌了，我看到好多墙面，马路和大楼都有裂缝。到处都是警察，他们设法将碎石移开，为救护车腾出空间。所有的人都吓坏了。”