ELIZA: There is a tornado warning on. My mother just told me she heard it on the radio.
LEE: What is a tornado warning?
ELIZA: It means that a tornado has been seen somewhere in the area.
LEE: Really? In New Berlin?
ELIZA: No. Not necessarily in town. But in southern Wisconsin somewhere.
A tornado has been spotted. They have two stages here.
This is what is called a "tornado watch."
That means that the weather conditions are perfect for a tornado.
LEE: I understand. They think a tornado might come.
ELIZA: Yes. People should look out, because maybe there will be tornadoes coming.
So it's called a "watch."
LEE: And the second stage is called a "tornado warning".
ELIZA: Yes. If a tornado has been spotted, they announce a "tornado warning".
So if there's a tornado warning on, it means a tornado is out there somewhere.
LEE: It's scary.
ELIZA: Well. Tornadoes can be dangerous, it's true.
If we hear something like a loud train coming, then we have to go in the basement.
LEE: What do you mean "a loud train"?
ELIZA: That is what tornadoes sound like. They sound like trains. They're very loud.
LEE: But if you hear them coming, isn't it already too late?
ELIZA: Maybe. It depends on the tornado.
Some can move across the ground at 200 miles an hour.
That is very fast. Others aren't so fast.
LEE: Have you seen a lot of them?
ELIZA: I've only seen one in my life. I was looking out the window.
It was around two miles away. It was very interesting to watch.
But it was heading toward my friend's house. So I quickly called them on the phone.
LEE: Did it hit their house?
ELIZA: No, it didn't. But they are glad I called them.
LEE: What were they doing when you called?
ELIZA: They were all sitting in the living room watching TV.
They had no idea a tornado was coming toward their house.
If it had hit them, they could have all been killed.
LEE: That's terrible. Do many people die in tornadoes?
ELIZA: Not so many really. But a lot of houses are destroyed sometimes.

艾麗沙：有一個龍卷風的警報，我媽剛剛告訴我她從收音機聽到的。
李：什么是龍卷風警報？
艾麗沙：就是有一個龍卷風已經在這個區域出沒。
李：真的？在新柏林？
艾麗沙：不，并不一定在城里，但在南威斯康辛州某處。
有一個龍卷風已經被監控。他們分為兩個等級，
現階段稱做“龍卷風警戒”，
表示天氣狀況是形成龍卷風的最佳狀態。
李：我懂了，他們認為龍卷風可能會來襲。
艾麗沙：是的，大家要當心，因為也許龍卷風就要來襲，
所以稱做警戒。
李：而第二等級稱做“龍卷風警報”。
艾麗沙：是的，如果龍卷風已經被監測到，他們就會宣布“龍卷風警報”。
因此，若已提出龍卷風警報，那表示一個龍卷風已在某處。
李：真可怕。
艾麗沙：嗯，龍卷風可以很危險的，是真的。
如果我們聽到什么像轟隆的火車接近聲的，我們必須進入地下室。
李：什么是“轟隆的火車”？
艾麗沙：那就是龍卷風聽起來的聲音，他們聽起來像火車聲，非常大聲。
李：但是如果你聽到它們來臨了，不是已經太晚了嗎？
艾麗沙：很可能，要視龍卷風而定。
有些一小時可以在地面橫越兩百里。
那是非常快的，其他的沒這么快。
李：你看過很多龍卷風嗎？
艾麗沙：我這生只看過一次，從窗戶望出去的，
大概在二里外的地方，觀看是很有趣的。
但是它直掃向我朋友的房屋，所以我趕緊打電話給他們。
李：它有打中他們的房屋嗎？
艾麗沙：沒有，但是我朋友很高興我打電話給他們。
李：你電話時，他們在做什么？
艾麗沙：他們全都坐在客廳看電視，
一點也不知道龍卷風正向他們的房子接近。
如果當時真打中他們，他們可能全都一命嗚呼。
李：真是太可怕了。有很多人喪生于龍卷風嗎？
艾麗沙：是不太多啦，但是有時候很多房屋被摧毀。