Workers Continue Efforts to Prevent a Nuclear Disaster in Ja

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.
这里是美国之音慢速英语时事新闻节目。
A huge earthquake and tsunami¹ destroyed a large part of northeastern Japan last week. Survivors² and rescue workers stopped for one minute on Friday to remember the hour when the earthquake struck.
上周，一场大地震和海啸摧毁了日本东北部大部分地区。周五，幸存者和救援人员默哀一分钟，纪念地震来袭的那一刻。
The quake and tsunami killed at least six thousand people. More than nine thousand others are missing. About three hundred eighty thousand people have left their homes after they were heavily damaged or destroyed. Those displaced are now living in more than two thousand shelters.
这次地震和海啸造成至少6千人丧生，9千多人失踪。大约38万人在家园遭受重创后流离失所，住进了2千多处避难所。
There are shortages of food, water and fuel. Each day more roads are being reopened for trucks to take supplies to the survivors. But some communities remain cut off.
灾区食物、水和燃料都出现短缺。每天不断有道路抢通以便于将生活必需品运到幸存者身边。但一些社区仍与外界隔绝。
On Friday night, Prime Minister Naoto Kan spoke³ of the problems in a speech to the nation. The Prime Minister said he understands that people in shelters are cold and do not have enough food. But he said the government is doing all it can. And he said he hopes to return a sense of security to the survivors soon.
上周五，日本首相菅直人在一次全国讲话中谈到了这一问题。他表示，他知道避难所的人们又冷又饿，但政府已经竭尽其能。同时他表示希望尽快还幸存者以安全感。
Mister Kan also said the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power center is the worst Japan has ever faced. He said police, firefighters and military workers were risking their lives to prevent a wider disaster. On Friday, workers continued to direct water on the damaged reactor⁴ buildings. It was an attempt to cool the highly radioactive fuel rods from overheating. Workers used powerful hoses to shoot fifty tons of water on the buildings. But the military and civilian⁵ firefighters had to keep their distance and limit the time they could be in the area because of the radiation.
菅直人还表示，福岛第一核电站危机是日本有史以来面临的最糟糕的一次。他表示，警察、消防队员和军方人员冒着生命危险阻止事故恶化。周五，工作人员继续向受损核反应堆注水，试图冷却高放射性燃料棒防止其过热。工作人员使用高压水枪向核电站注入了50吨水。但由于辐射，军、民两类消防队员不得不保持距离并限制在事故现场的时间。
Fires, explosions and a partial melting of cores have taken place at four of the six reactors⁶ at the Fukushima nuclear center.
福岛核电站6个反应堆已经有4个发生火灾、爆炸和堆芯部分熔毁事故。
Officials say the situation in the number three reactor is the most serious. Mixed oxide⁷ fuel rods are partly made of plutonium. These fuel rods are partly exposed. Without water, they will continue to heat up and possibly release a large amount of radiation.
有关官员称，3号反应堆情况最为严重。混合氧化物燃料棒含钚，这些燃料棒已经部分暴露。如果缺水，它们将继续升温，并可能释放出大量放射性物质。
On Friday, the government raised the severity rating of its nuclear disaster from four to five on a seven-point international nuclear event scale. Level five means an accident with wider results, including some release of radioactive material. It also means a high possibility of the material making contact with people.
周五，日本政府在七级国际核事故分级表基础上，将福岛核泄漏事故等级从四级提升至五级。五级是指影响广泛的事故，包括一些放射性物质的释放。这也意味着人类接触到这些物质的可能性非常高。
In Washington on Thursday, President Obama said the United States will stand with Japan as it contains its nuclear crisis, recovers and rebuilds.
奥巴马周四在华盛顿表示，当日本面临核危机、灾后恢复重建时，美国将和日本站在一起。
PRESIDENT OBAMA: "The Japanese people are not alone in this time of great trial and sorrow. Across the Pacific, they will find a hand of support extended from the United States as they get back on their feet."
奥巴马：“在这次巨大的考验和悲伤中，日本人民并不孤单。他们会发现，在他们重新站起来的时刻，美国会从大洋彼岸伸出援手！”
The president noted⁸ some of the steps the United States has taken to help.
奥巴马指出了美国已经采取的一些援救措施。
PRESIDENT OBAMA: "Search and rescue teams are on the ground in Japan to help the recovery effort. A disaster assistance and response team is working to confront the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. The U.S. military, which has helped to ensure the security of Japan for decades, is working around the clock."
奥巴马：“美国搜救队已经在日本当地帮助灾后恢复。一个灾后援救和快速反应部队正致力于处理地震和海啸次生灾害。数十年来帮助日本维护安全的美国军方正夜以继日地工作。”
Mr. Obama said the military has completed hundreds of flights to bring food and water to Japan.
奥巴马表示，美国军方已经完成数百架次飞行将食物和水运往日本。

1 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

2 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

5 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

6 reactors   

起反应的人( reactor的名词复数 )； 反应装置； 原子炉； 核反应堆

参考例句：

• The TMI nuclear facility has two reactors. 三哩岛核设施有两个反应堆。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The earliest production reactors necessarily used normal uranium as fuel. 最早为生产用的反应堆，必须使用普通铀作为燃料。

7 oxide   

n.氧化物

参考例句：

• Oxide is usually seen in our daily life.在我们的日常生活中氧化物很常见。
• How can you get rid of this oxide coating?你们该怎样除去这些氧化皮？

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。