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Today marks the first observance of World Tsunami Awareness Day. On this day, in 1854, a Japanese village leader recognized the signs of an approaching tsunami and improvised a remarkably effective early warning system – he set fire to his rice sheaves, saving the lives of the many villagers who saw the smoke and ran uphill to help put out the flames.
今天是第一次舉辦世界海嘯意識日紀念活動。1854年的這一天，一位日本村落首領發現了海嘯將至的跡象，自發地采用了一種非常有效的預警系統——他點燃了自家米垛，許多人看到煙霧，跑上山幫助滅火而幸免于難。
Over the years, early warning systems have grown more sophisticated, particularly since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which claimed nearly 226,000 lives. That tragedy prompted the introduction of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System.
多年來，特別是自2004年印度洋海嘯造成226000人喪生以來，預警系統變得越來越復雜。印度洋海嘯的悲劇促使人們建立了印度洋海嘯報警和減災系統。
In September this year, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO invited disaster management officials from 24 countries around the Indian Ocean to participate in one of the largest tsunami simulation exercises ever organized. The importance of simulation exercises and evacuation drills is underlined in a report released today by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. It highlights that population growth has greatly increased exposure to tsunamis and other hazards in many regions.
今年9月，教科文組織政府間海洋學委員會邀請印度洋周圍24個國家的災害管理官員參加了有史以來舉辦的最大一次海嘯模擬演習。聯合國減少災害風險辦公室今天發布的一份報告強調了這次模擬和疏散演習的重要性。報告特別指出，人口增長大大加劇了許多地區遭遇海嘯和其他災患的風險。
Since 1996, 250,900 people have died in 21 countries affected by 30 tsunamis. Tsunamis also pose a significant threat to major infrastructure either already built or planned for coastal areas. The significance of this threat was demonstrated in March 2011 by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, which claimed many lives, left many more homeless and triggered a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
自1996年以來，已有30次海嘯造成21個國家受災，致使250900人喪生。海嘯還對沿海地區已經建成或計劃建造的主要基礎設施構成重大威脅。這種威脅的嚴重程度在2011年3月東日本大地震和海嘯中得到了證明，東日本大地震和海嘯造成多人喪生，使更多的人無家可歸，并引發了福島核電站的熔毀。
World Tsunami Awareness Day serves as a reminder of the importance of reducing current and future levels of risk. This should be a clear guiding principle for all those working in the public and private sectors who have to take decisions on major infrastructure projects in seismic zones and near exposed coastlines. Tsunamis may be rare but, like any other natural hazard, if we fail to prepare and raise awareness, then we risk paying a heavy price.
世界海嘯意識日提醒人們必須降低當前和未來的風險水平。對于那些要決定是否在震區和瀕危海岸線興建重大基礎設施項目的公共和私營部門的所有在業人員來說，這應該成為一個明確的指導原則。海嘯可能很少發生，但與任何其他自然災患一樣，如果我們沒有做好準備和提高意識，我們就可能付出沉重的代價。
