很远的地方，地动了：一个国家，发生了大地震

这个事，很不好。

It is a very bad one.

它不在中国。

It did not happen in China.

它在很远很远的地方。

It happened in a very, very faraway place.

那个地方，有很多人。

That place has many people.

现在，很多人都没有了。

Now, many of them are gone.

他们的家，也没有了。

Their homes are gone too.

我们听了，心里都很不好。

Hearing it, our hearts ache.

为什么会这样？

Why did this happen?

为什么这么多人，都没有了？

Why are so many people gone?

我们都很想知道。

We all want to know.

那个地方，到底怎么了？

What exactly happened to that place?

我们一个一个，慢慢说。

Let's take it one thing at a time, slowly.

先说，那是哪里。

First, where is it?

那是一个国家，离我们很远。

It is a country, far away from us.

它的名字，叫委内瑞拉。

Its name is Venezuela.

就在这个月，一个晚上，那里出大事了。

Just this month, one night, something terrible happened there.

那天晚上，人们都在家里。

That night, people were all at home.

突然，地动了起来。

Suddenly, the ground began to shake.

房子在动，水也在动，人站也站不住。

The houses shook, the water shook too, and people couldn't even stand.

这个，就叫地震。

This is called an earthquake.

地震，就是地在动。

An earthquake is the ground moving.

有的地震很小，我们不太能知道。

Some earthquakes are small; we barely notice them.

但是这一次的地震，非常大，也非常可怕。

But this earthquake was very big, and very frightening.

而且，它一来就是两次。

And it came twice.

第一次刚过，第二次马上又来。

The first had just passed when the second came right after.

两次都很大。

Both were big.

很多房子，都没能站住。

Many houses could not stay standing.

它们一层一层地，塌了下来。

They collapsed, floor by floor.

有的房子很高，有二十层。

Some buildings were tall — twenty floors.

但是一下子，就全塌了。

But in an instant, they collapsed completely.

里面的人，跑都来不及。

The people inside had no time to run.

这次地震，死了一千多人。

This earthquake killed more than a thousand people.

还有很多人，到现在也找不到。

And many more still cannot be found.

那么，为什么这么多房子会塌呢？

So, why did so many buildings collapse?

我们说一个原因。

Let me give one reason.

那里的很多房子，又老又不结实。

Many houses there were old and not sturdy.

盖的时候，也盖得不太好。

They weren't built very well, either.

所以地一动，房子就站不住了。

So when the ground moved, the houses couldn't hold.

地震以后，最重要的事，就是救人。

After an earthquake, the most important thing is saving people.

人埋在下面，时间越长就越危险。

People are buried below; the longer it takes, the more dangerous it is.

所以大家都在抢时间。

So everyone is racing against time.

很多国家都来帮忙。

Many countries came to help.

他们带来了人，也带来了东西。

They brought people, and they brought supplies.

大家一起，去找还活着的人。

Together they search for those still alive.

这件事，看起来离我们很远。

This may seem far from us.

但是你知道吗？

But did you know?

死的人里面，也有中国人，有八个。

Among the dead were Chinese people too — eight of them.

所以，它其实也离我们很近。

So it is actually close to us as well.

最后我想问你。

Finally, I want to ask you.

在你住的地方，如果地震来了，你知道应该怎么做吗？

Where you live, if an earthquake came, would you know what to do?