評論
打印
You could shut down critical computer facilities,
你可以關閉重要的電腦設備
we could also be stopping any rail lines,
我們還可以停止鐵路運行
we could be flashing the messages up on freeways,
和在高速公路路邊屏幕上打出信息
you know, "Earthquake coming, slow down. "
那你就明白 "地震即到 請慢行"
Earthquake prediction doesn't come any more high-tech than this,
實時預警不但比地震預測更高科技
and now casting is not only possible, it's surprisingly affordable.
而且它可行 費用十分合理
Well, I think the public expects us
民眾期望我們
to be able to predict earthquakes,
能夠預測地震
and of course, we really can't.
我們實在是有心無力
But this is something that we can do,
我們只能做好力所能及的事情
we have the technology,we've tested it,
我們掌握了技術 并進行測試
we've developed systems that work
開發出一套可行的系統
and we know that we could build an early-warning system,
其實我們有能力建立一個預警機制
at this point in time,
但在目前的情況下
we don't have nearly the instrumentation in place
我們連做地震預警
to be able to do that kind of earthquake early warning,
所需的基本設備都沒有就位
some estimates, we think it could cost about $100 million in all.
估計整個預警系統耗資約一億美元
And the price tag we're looking at
而我們估計圣安地列斯的一次大地震
for a big earthquake on the San Andreas is, er, 200 billion and up,
所造成的財產損失高達二千億美金
so a $100 million system to help reduce the damages
所以一億美元換取一個能減少損失的系統
seems like a good investment.
還是相當劃算的
This kind of early-warning system
這種預警系統
might work for California one day,
或許有天會在加州用上
but for most places in the world,
但對于世界大多數地區而言
science's best answer to the threat of earthquakes
面對地震威脅的最科學答案還是
is to construct better buildings
修建更牢固的建筑
and map all the faults in potential disaster zones.
以及標注出斷層 確定潛在災區
