Now to China and a race against time to drain so-called quake lakes. These are large bodies of water formed by earthquake debris that dammed up rivers in China. The Chinese government is spending millions to deal with them and says 28 of the 34 newly created lakes could burst through the debris threatening more than a million people below. ABC’s Stephanie Sy went to the quake lakes today.
It’s one natural disaster spawning another. This is one of about three dozen lakes created by the earthquake now in danger of overflowing. Downstream, thousands of homes are at risk. “Before the earthquake”, he says, “the mountains were not like this at all.”
The powerful earthquake caused mountainsides to crumble into rivers, blocking them and forming so-called quake lakes. Now hundreds of troops and engineers are using heavy equipment and explosives to remove debris and release water. They’ve had some success at this lake, but local authorities say it may be more than a week before they can get the TongjaShan lake under control.
There’s enough water in there to fill 50,000 Olympic sized swimming pools and it is rising more than six feet a day. Right now the river looks placid, but if that quake lake thirty miles upstream suddenly bursts its barrier, authorities say this city of more than a million people could face a devastating flood. Many have already fled to higher ground.
We met the Hwang family in the hills. “We were in a hurry” she says, “so we just brought these few things.” Among her few things, two inner tubes. “These could save my life” she says, “I can’t swim.” We met Nan-Chu Ching with her three-month old grandson living out of the back of a truck.
Their house lies one hundred yards from the river, too close for comfort. “We will only move back” she says, “when the lake is no longer a danger.” Many of those who felt lucky for surviving the earthquake now fear another catastrophe. Stephanie Sy, ABC News Mianyang, China
※ time * a race against time : ex. An Air Force spokesman said the rescue operation was a race against time. 시간과의 싸움 * against the clock : 일정한 시간까지 일을 마칠 수 있도록, 될 수 있는 대로 빨리, 시간을 다투어 ex. The entire department is working against the clock to meet the deadline. * around the clock : all day and all night ex. Rescuers worked around the clock to free people trapped in the wreckage. * the clock is ticking : used for saying that someone must do something quickly because there will soon be no more time left ex. Hurry up, the clock is ticking! * on the clock : the amount of time on the clock is the amount of time since something started. The amount of time left on the clock or still on the clock is the amount of time before something finishes. ex. She has been on the clock for two hours. 그녀는 두 시간째 계속하고 있다. ex. We still have five hours on the clock. 아직 5시간 남아있다.
※ It will be ... years before~ ex. It will be a few more years before there is that capability. ex. Now it will be another year before it hits store shelves. ex. I met her hundreds of times before falling love with her. ex. You should spend a lot of time before you can get to know her better.
※ under ~ : ~ 중인, ~ 하에 있는 under consideration 고려중인 under deliberation 심의중인, 심리중인 under construction 공사중인, 건설 중인 under investigation 수사 중인, 수사를 받고 있는 under an embargo 수출입 금지하에 있는 under pressure 압력을 받고 있는, 압박(감) 을 받고 있는 under control 통제하에 있는, 장악되어 있는 under obligation 의무하에 있는 under fire 공격을 받고 있는 under the direction of~ : ~ 의 지휘[지시] 하에 있는 under watch 감시를 받고 있는
race against time : 시간과의 싸움 drain : 배수[방수]하다, 고갈시키다, <재물 인재를> 국외로 유출시키다, <액체가> 흘러나가다, 배수되다, <체력 등이 > 차츰 쇠진하다, 배수로, 하수구 (sewer), [pl.] 하수(시설), 유출, 고갈시 키는 것, 〈외과〉배농관 (排膿管) * go down the drain <노력 등 이> 수포로 돌아가다 body of water : a large area of water debris : 파편, 잔해, (파괴물의) 부스러기 dam : 댐, 둑, ~에 댐을 만들다(up), 둑으로 막다 (up) ex. dam up a stream 개울을 둑으로 막다 deal with : ~ 다루다, ~ 을 처리하다, ~ 을 감당하 다 / If you deal with an unpleasant emotion or an emotionally difficult situation, you recognize it, and remain calm and in control of yourself in spite of it. ex. She's dealing with her father's death very well. ex. Chapter 5 deals with this issue. burst : 파열하다, 폭발하다, 파열[폭발]시키다, 파열, 폭 발, 돌발, (감정의)격발 ex. a burst of applause 별안간 터지는 박수 갈채 * the bubble bursts : If the bubble bursts, a very happy, pleasant or successful time suddenly ends ex. Three years into her marriage, the bubble burst. natural disaster : 자연 재해 (opp. man-made disaster) spawn : [물고기·개구리 따위의] 알, (경멸적) 우굴거리는 자식, 새끼 들, [물고기·개구리 따위가] 알을 낳다, vt. 〔알〕을 낳다, ~ 을 많 이 낳다, ~ 을 생기게 하다, 일으키다 be in danger of ~ : ~할 위험이 있다 ex. The peace talks are now in danger of collapse. downstream : 1. 흐름을 따른 [따라], 하류의 [로]( in the direction that a river or stream is flowing), 2. 나중에 발생하는 (relating to or happening at a later stage in a process), 판매 부문의 [에 서] (Closer to the point of sale than to the point of production or manufacture.) ex. Breaking the dam could submerge downstream cities such as Wuhan. ex. downstream effects mountainside : 산허리, 산중턱 crumble : 부스러뜨리다, 가루로 만들다, 부스러지다, <건 물 세력 희망 등이> 힘 없이 무너지다 ex. The old wall is crumbling away at the edges. 낡은 담의 가장자리가 무너져 가고 있다 heavy equipment : 중장비 release : <사람 동물을> 풀어주다, 석방[방면] 하다, <폭탄을> 투하하다, <영화 등을> 개봉 하다, <레코드 등을> 발매하다, <뉴스 등을> 발표하다, 공개하다, 석방, 공개, 발표, 개봉, 발매 ex. release a bomb from an airplane 비행기에서 폭탄을 투하하다 ex. Managers have released few details from yesterday's meeting. ex. They have just released their second album. placid : 평온한, 조용한, 차분한 ex. the placid waters of the lake / ex. a placid baby/horse/child barrier : 방벽, 방책, 장벽 ex. tariff barriers 관세 장벽 / ex. a barrier to progress 진보를 가로막는 것 ex. The greatest barrier between them was the language barrier. 그들 사이에 가장 큰 장벽은 언어의 장벽이었어. * put a barrier between …의 사이를 갈라놓다 devastating : 파괴적인 , 황폐시키는 , 충격적인 , 끔찍한 , 지 독한 ( very shocking or upsetting) ex. a devastating fire/storm/flood ex. It is always devastating to be diagnosed with a terminal illness. * devastate : ~ 을 유린하다, 황폐시키다, (사람을) 압도하다, 망연자실케 하다 * devastated : 1. completely destroyed, 2. very shocked and upset ex. devastated villages / ex. She was utterly devastated when her husband died. be in a hurry : 서두르다 inner tube : (타이어의) 튜브 comfort : 위안하다, 위로하다, 위로, 위안, [a ~] 위로가 되는 사람 [것], [pl.] 생활을 편리하고 즐겁게 해주는 것 ex. words of comfort 위로의 말 * home comforts : ex. I miss my home comforts when I'm away. survive : 1.~ 보다 오래살다, ~ 에서 살아남다. 2. ~ 을 견 디어 내다, 극복하다 ( to manage to deal with something difficult or unpleasant) ex. Just eight passengers survived the plane crash. ex. Of all the museum's paintings, only one survived the fire. ex. I don't know how I ever survived school. ex. Santos is survived by his wife and two sons. catastrophe : 대참사, 큰 재앙 (disaster), (큰) 불행, 불운, 재난
