China's President Arrives in Quake Zone as Concern Turns to Survivors

胡锦涛抵四川 救灾焦点转向生者

　



China's President Hu Jintao arrived in Sichuan province Friday to support earthquake relief efforts. The death toll, now at more than 22,000, is expected to pass 50,000. Concern is now turning to providing for survivors.

　

中国国家主席胡锦涛星期五抵达四川省，支援抗震救灾工作。目前统计的死亡人数为2万2千多人，预计会超过5万。目前关注焦点正在转向地震的生存者。

After arriving in Sichuan Mr. Hu went directly to the earthquake disaster zone. China's president joins Premier Wen Jiabao, who greeted him on arrival, in touring areas devastated by Monday's 7.9 quake.

　

胡锦涛主席抵达四川省后直接赶赴地震灾区，和迎接他的温家宝总理一起视察了遭受地震严重破坏的地区。星期一的地震为里氏7.9级。

Mr. Wen called the earthquake the most destructive since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

　

温家宝总理称这次地震是中国1949年建国以来破坏性最大的一次地震。胡锦涛在飞往四川的飞机上评估了救灾的情况。

Speaking on the plane to Sichuan, Mr. Hu assessed the relief situation. He said the challenge is still severe, the task remains extremely difficult and time is pressing.

　

胡锦涛说，面临的挑战仍然很严峻，任务仍然非常艰巨，而且时间非常紧迫。

Thousands of people are believed still buried beneath collapsed homes, offices, and schools. Few of them are expected to still be alive.

　

据信仍有上万人被埋在倒塌的房屋、办公楼以及校舍下面。幸存者恐怕寥寥无几。

In the town of Dujiangyan, a large mechanical digger scoops slabs of concrete and twisted metal rods from a massive pile of rubble.

　

在都江堰，一台大型挖掘机正在从一大堆废墟中铲走混凝土石板和扭曲的金属条。

Volunteers and rescue workers dig through what used to be an apartment building in hope of finding survivors.

　

志愿者和救援人员正在一个公寓楼的废墟中挖掘，希望找到幸存者。

China's leaders have vowed to continue rescue work, but as each day passes the odds of finding survivors go down.

　

中国领导人誓言继续救援工作，但是每过一天，发现幸存者的机会就会减少一些。

Rescue workers have reached the epicenter of the quake, bringing much needed medical, food, and temporary housing supplies.

　

救援人员已经抵达震中地区，带去急需的药品、食品和临时房屋搭建物资。

But, supplies are short and China's weak health care system is struggling to cope with the large number of wounded.

　

但是救援物资依然短缺，中国脆弱的医疗系统正奋力处置大量的伤员。

Tens of thousands of survivors are now living on the streets in tents.

　

数万名幸存者目前栖身在街头搭建的帐篷里。

Jiang Weixin is China's Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

　

中国住房与城乡建设部部长姜伟新谈到这次地震造成的损失。

He says more than four million homes in Sichuan collapsed or were damaged.

　

姜伟新说，四川省有四百多万住房倒塌或毁坏。

Hundreds of thousands more homes collapsed in neighboring provinces.

　

附近省份还有数十万住房倒塌。

Jiang says water, sewage, and electricity networks were severely damaged.

　

他说供水、排污和供电网络都严重受损。

Thousands of aftershocks have set back efforts to clear roads to quake-hit areas.

　

清理通往灾区道路的工作也因为数千次余震而受到影响。

On Friday afternoon a 5.9 magnitude aftershock hit Lixian, near the epicenter of the quake, cutting off roads and severing communications.

　

接近震中的理县星期五下午发生5.9级余震，切断了道路交通和通讯。