1、Troubles Mount at Quake-Stricken Japanese Nuclear Reactor 日本核反应堆再次发生爆炸 Workers at a nuclear plant in Japan are battling to prevent a meltdown in one of the reactors, following the massive earthquake that struck the north-east part of the country on Friday. The latest government figures put the death
2、 toll from the earthquake and tsunami at just under 2,000 - but thats likely to increase dramatically n the coming days. 周五，灾难性的大地震袭击了日本东北部地区，核电站的工作人员正在努力采取措施防止其中一座反应堆融化。最新的政府数据披露，地震和海啸造成的死亡人数在 2,000 人以下但是未来几天，死亡人数会急剧上升。 Amateur video footage, taken in a coastal town as the tsunami hit, reveals the
3、full power of the tsunami in horrific detail. 海啸袭击时，人们在海岸小镇拍摄到的业余录像以可怕的细节展示了海啸的巨大威力。 Residents had just minutes to flee before the wall of water came ashore. 巨大的海浪到达海岸之前，居民们只有几分钟的时间逃难。 The town where the video was taken, Miniami Sanriku on the coast of Miyagi prefecture, is now flattened. Authoritie
4、s say 10,000 of its residents are missing. 录像拍摄的宫城县小镇 Miniami Sanriku 现在已经夷为平地。当局表示，现在有 10,000 居民失踪。 Japan has now dispatched 100,000 troops to the area and rescue teams from the U.S, New Zealand, China and other countries have arrived. 日本现在已经向该地区派遣了 100,000 人的军队。来自美国，新西兰，中国和其他国家的救援队也已经抵达日本。 They ar
5、e being greeted with scenes of utter devastation. The death toll is rising steadily; it will be weeks before its known how many people lie buried here, or how many were swept out to sea. 他们见到的是满目疮痍的景象。死亡人数在稳步上升。估计几周之后我们才会知道具体有多少人被埋在废墟之下，或者有多少人被卷入大海。 Reunions bring relief from the horror, but for man
6、y more families the search for loved ones continues. 亲人的团聚使他们从惊恐中获得了一些安慰，但是更多的家庭仍在继续寻找他们失踪的亲人。 The grim rescue efforts are taking place against the backdrop of a threatened nuclear disaster. 此外，日本也正在针对核灾难的危险进行拯救工作。Workers at the Fukushima 1 nuclear power plant are battling to stabilize the reactors
7、after a second explosion on Saturday. 周六，福岛一号核电站发生了第二次爆炸，工作人员正在努力使反应堆稳定下来。Now, technicians are trying to avoid a meltdown in one of the three reactors by pouring in seawater. They say the fuel rods were almost completely exposed - raising fears of a further catastrophe. 现在，技术人员正在向三座反应堆中的其中一座注入海水，避免堆
8、芯融化。他们说，燃料泵几乎已经全部暴露出来引起了人们对进一步发生灾难的担忧。All people within a 20-kilometer radius of the plant are being evacuated to other areas. The Japanese government is playing down fears of a nuclear disaster - but news reports say that a U.S. aircraft carrier in the area has been redeployed, after recording abno
9、rmally high levels of radiation 100 kilometers offshore. 该核电站周围 20 千米范围内的所有人都已经被疏散到其他地区。日本政府淡化了核灾难的担忧 但是新闻报道称，记录到海岸 100 千米内异常高水平的辐射之后，美国已经重新部署了该地区的航空母舰。 Aftershocks continue to rock much of northern and eastern Japan - including the capital. 日本北部和东部，包括首都在内仍然遭受余震的侵袭。 At six pm on a Monday evening, To
10、kyos main train station is normally packed, as millions of commuters head to the suburbs. 周一晚上六点钟，数百万人赶赴郊区，东京主要的火车站仍然非常拥挤。 It appears many workers have heeded the governments call for people to stay home, in an effort to conserve energy. 似乎许多工人都留意到了政府呼吁大家尽量留在家中，以节约能量的要求。 For those who did venture ou
11、t, the sense of fear following Fridays massive earthquake is still present. “Its very scary. Im scared of more earthquakes,” one person said. 对于那些冒险外出的人来说，周五灾难性的地震带来的恐怖的景象依然存在。 “仍然非常提心吊胆的，担心发生更多的地震。 ” “I was in my office on the 33rd floor when the earthquake struck on Friday. It swayed from side to
12、side, everyone was so shocked,” said another. “地震发生时，我在 33 楼的办公室，建筑左右摇晃，每个人都非常震惊。 ” The danger is not yet over. 危险还没有结束。 Japans Meteorological Agency says there is a 70 percent chance of a magnitude 7 or stronger earthquake striking in the next three days. 日本气象厅(Japan Meteorological Agency)表示，未来三周之内
13、，发生七级以上地震的可能性仍然高达 70%。 In this huge urban area of 35-million inhabitants, there is a palpable nervousness over what the coming days may bring. 在这个拥有 3500 万人口居民的城市地区，人们很明显对未来几天可能发生的事情非常紧张。 As Tokyos workers head home - its likely their thoughts are also with the tens of thousands of people further no
14、rth, whose homes and livelihoods have crumbled or been washed away. 随着东京的工人开始回家他们的想法可能和北方的数万人一样。他们的家庭和生计都已经被毁坏或卷走。 词汇学习 1.meltdown n.熔融2.dramatically adv.戏剧性地; 引人注目地;显著的 例句：His tone changed dramatically when he saw the money.当他看到钱时，说话语调发生了戏剧性的变化。Our way of life has changed dramatically over the last
15、 ten years.在过去 10 年里我们的生活方式发生了巨大的变化。3.reveal v.揭示，揭露例句：I should be glad to give you any help if you reveal your thoughts to me.如果你把你的想法透露给我，我愿意尽全力帮助你。disclose，expose，uncover，reveal这些动词都表示“揭露、暴露 ”之意。 disclose 侧重指揭露或泄露鲜为人知或保密的事。expose 多指揭露丑闻、坏人坏事或各种阴谋。也可指某物暴露在外。uncover 主要指移去遮盖物，让东西显露出来。也可指揭露阴谋、秘密等。rev
16、eal 多指揭露一直隐藏或隐秘的东西，或启示超乎常人领导能力的真理。4.flatten vt.vi.变平;使(某物)变平 例句：to flatten a rough surface把凹凸不平的表面弄平The storm flattened the flimsy wooden huts that the villagers lived in.风暴刮平了村民们居住的脆弱的木屋。5.dispatch vt.(常指为了特殊原因或执行特殊任务而迅速地)派遣，派出，调遣(使者或部队等)(to) 例句：A messenger was dispatched to take the news to the so
17、ldiers at the front.一名通讯员被派遣给前线士兵送消息。6.utter adj.彻底的; 完全的; 绝对的 例句：He was in utter despair.他完全绝望了。7.relief n.轻松, 宽慰, （不快过后的）宽慰, 轻松, 解脱 例句：His words provided some comic relief in what was really a dull speech.他的话给极沉闷的讲话增添了几分轻松的气氛。8.conserve vt.保护, 保藏, 保存；节约，节省 例句：Conserve your energy, youll need it!保存
18、你的精力, 你会用得着的！He writes on both sides of the sheet to conserve paper.他在纸张的两面都写字以节省用纸。9.palpable adj.可触知的,摸得出的,明显的;明白的 例句：There is a palpable difference in their ages.他们的年龄有着明显的差别。内容解析 1.The death toll is rising steadily; it will be weeks before its known how many people lie buried here, or how many w
19、ere swept out to sea. sweep out 把 刮走例句：Your first job will be to sweep out the store. 你的第一个工作是打扫店铺。2.The Japanese government is playing down fears of a nuclear disaster - but news reports say that a U.S. aircraft carrier in the area has been redeployed, after recording abnormally high levels of radi
20、ation 100 kilometers offshore.play down 轻描淡写, 故意缩小 的重要性 例句：She tried to play down his part in the affair.她极力贬低他在这一事件中的作用。Somehow Harriet always tried to play herself down to her friends.不知为什么, 哈丽特总是竭力使自己在朋友们中间显得无足轻重似的。3.For those who did venture out, the sense of fear following Fridays massive earth
21、quake is still present.venture out 在天气不好时外出 例句：Id rather not venture out in pouring rain if I dont have to.除非迫不得已, 我才不会冒着大雨外出呢。4.As Tokyos workers head home - its likely their thoughts are also with the tens of thousands of people further north, whose homes and livelihoods have crumbled or been washed away. wash away 冲走 , 清洗 例句：She washed away the stains.她洗去了污迹。A ship got stranded along the shore, but last night sea waves washed it away again.有条船在岸边搁浅了, 可昨天晚上海浪又把它冲走了。
