dialogue 1

M: the news says storms and floods have hit most of the South this summer.

新闻说,今年夏天南方大部分省份遭遇了洪灾.

L: yes. There has been tremendous damage and many people are homeless.

是啊.好像损失很大,好多人无家可归.

M: meanwhile, the northern provinces are suffering drought . It that abnormal ?

但是北方省份却遭遇了旱灾.那不是反常吗?

L: it’s a global issue, not just in China.

好多国家都这样,不单单是中国.

M: that’s true. There are natural disasters in almost every part of the world every year, but this year seems to be the most disastrous year for China.

是啊,好像每年各个地方都会遭受自然灾害,但是今年中国遭受的自然灾害最多.

L: you said it. There have been so many reports of snowstormm floods, earthquakes, sandstorms and landslides claiming people’s lives.

是的.每天都听到各种各样的报道,不是雪灾,就是洪水和地震,或者是沙尘暴,泥石流,很多人因此丧生.

M: it’s so heartbreaking to see people struggling for help. Have you ever experienced a flood?

看见很多人挣扎着喊救命,我心里特别难受.你经历过洪水灾害吗?

L: No, I live in thw northern part of China.

没有,我生活在中国的北部.

M: you are very lucky. I was in Guizhou three months ago on a business trip when there was a flood.

那你很幸运.三个月之前,我去贵州出差,正好赶上了发洪水.

L: it must have been terrible.

一定很可怕吧?

M: I have never seen so many people wandering in water up to their waists through the streets and waiting on rooftops for help.

是啊,从来没见过那种场面,水到腰那么深.有的人在街上,有的人站在屋顶上,到处都有人喊救命.

L: wow, I can’t imagine!

天啊,真的难以想象.

M: actually, I would have drowned if the rescue team had not come.

事实上,如果救援队不来,我可能都被淹死了.

dialogue 2

M: so far, the quake in Sichuan has killed about 69,172 people and has left 374,159 people injured, 17,420 missing.

到目前为止,四川汶川地震已造成69172人遇难,374159人受伤,17420人失踪.

L: I feel so sorry for those victims. It’s the scariestthing that I have ever seen.

真为那些遇难者感到惋惜.这是我所见过的最恐怖的事情.

M: did you feel the quake?

你当时感受到地震了吗?

L: yes. Actually, I was traveling in Sichuan then.

感受到了,事实上,我当时就在四川省内.

M: oh,really? I didn’t know that. Tell me what it was like.

是吗?我之前没听你说过啊.跟我说说当时怎么回事?

L: well, it was on a Monday afternoon, a little after two o’clock, and I was reading some magazines when there was horrible grinding sound and the floor started bouncing and shaking.

那天是周一,下午两点多一点,我正在看杂志,那时忽然听见剧烈的挤压声,地板开始晃动.

M: oh, my dear! What did you do?

哦,天哪,你当时怎么办的?

L: well, it took me a second or two to figure out what was going on. Then I called mycolleague. It’s unbelievable that she was still asleep and didn’t feel a thing.

我过了一会儿才明白是怎么回事,之后我赶快打电话给我的同事.不可思议的是,她当时还在睡觉,什么都没感觉到.

M: incredible.

太不可思议了!

L: as she realized what was happening, she panicked .

后来明白了怎么回事后,她慌得不知所措.

M: that must have been horrifying.

一定很恐怖吧!

L: oh, it was. Then I managed to open the door and we finally made our way to safety.

是啊.随后我用力打开门,我们拼命跑到了一个安全的地方.

M: oh, thank God. Was anyone hurt?

哦,谢天谢地!有人受伤吗?

L: three people were killed and about fifty people were injured.

死了三个人,受伤的大约有50个人.

M: what a tragedy!

L: it was terrible. I hope it will never happen again!

太惨了! 是很可怕,真希望不要再发生这种事了!