Upper-Intermediate - An Urgent Call to the Embassy (D1881)

A: 新西兰三日早晨发生里氏5.7级地震,震中位于惠灵顿西北160公里处,震源在地表以下200公里处。北岛许多地区和南岛北部地区均有震感。有惠灵顿居民说,地震持续了大约7秒钟,震感明显。
Xīnxīlán sān rì zǎochén fāshēng lǐshì wǔ diǎn qī jí dìzhèn, zhènzhōng wèiyú Huìlíngdùn xīběi yībǎi liùshí gōnglǐ chù, zhènyuán zài dìbiǎo yǐxià liǎngbǎi gōnglǐ chù. Běidǎo xǔduō dìqū hé Nándǎo běibù dìqū jūn yǒu zhèngǎn. yǒu Huìlíngdùn jūmín shuō, dìzhèn chíxù le dàyuē qī miǎozhōng, zhèngǎn míngxiǎn.
On the morning of the third, New Zealand experienced an earthquake of 5.7 magnitude on the Richter scale. The epicenter was located 160 kilometers northwest of Wellington. The hypocenter of the earthquake was located 200 kilometers beneath the earth's surface. Many areas on both the northern island and northern part of the southern island were affected. Residents of Wellington say that the earthquake lasted for around seven seconds and that the effects were very noticeable.
B: 啊,新西兰地震了,而且震中就在惠灵顿附近!
ā, Xīnxīlán dìzhèn le, érqiě zhènzhōng jiù zài Huìlíngdùn fùjìn!
Hey, there was an earthquake in New Zealand and the epicenter was near Wellington!
C: 赶紧给女儿打电话!
gǎnjǐn gěi nǚ'ér dǎ diànhuà!
Give our daughter a call quick!
B: 快打快打!
kuài dǎ kuài dǎ!
Hurry up and dial!
C: (嘟嘟嘟...... )打不通!怎么办?
( dūdūdū...... ) dǎbutōng! zěnme bàn?
(Beep, beep, beep...) It won't go through! What should we do?
B: 要不打给大使馆问问情况?
yàobu dǎ gěi dàshǐguǎn wèn wen qíngkuàng?
Why don't we give the embassy a call and ask what the situation is?
C: 好。我心里很慌,你打吧。
hǎo. wǒ xīnli hěn huāng, nǐ dǎ ba.
OK. I'm terrified. You call.
B: 好,我打。(嘟嘟嘟...... )
hǎo, wǒ dǎ.( dūdūdū...... )
OK, I'll call. (Beep, beep, beep...)
D: 你好,中国驻新西兰大使馆。
nǐhǎo, Zhōngguó zhù Xīnxīlán dàshǐguǎn.
Hello, New Zealand China embassy.
B: 你好,我刚听新闻说新西兰发生了地震,我女儿在惠灵顿留学,我现在联系不到她,我想问问那边情况怎么样?
nǐhǎo, wǒ gāng tīng xīnwén shuō Xīnxīlán fāshēng le dìzhèn, wǒ nǚ'ér zài Huìlíngdùn liúxué, wǒ xiànzài liánxì budào tā, wǒ xiǎng wèn wen nàbiān qíngkuàng zěnmeyàng?
Hi, I just heard news that there was an earthquake in New Zealand. My daughter is studying in Wellington but I can't reach her now. I'd like to know what the situation is there.
D: 据消防部门和警方说,目前没有接到地震造成人员伤亡或较大财产损失的报告。联系不到可能是由于通讯信号受到了地震影响,请不要太担心,可能过一会儿通讯就恢复了。
jù xiāofáng bùmén hé jǐngfāng shuō, mùqián méiyǒu jiēdào dìzhèn zàochéng rényuán shāngwáng huò jiàodà cáichǎn sǔnshī de bàogào. liánxì budào kěnéng shì yóuyú tōngxùn xìnhào shòudào le dìzhèn yǐngxiǎng, qǐng bùyào tài dānxīn, kěnéng guò yīhuǐr tōngxùn jiù huīfù le.
According to the fire and police departments, there are currently no reports of injuries, deaths, or property damages due to the earthquake. If you can't reach them it may be because the communication signal was affected by the earthquake. Please don't worry. If you wait a bit the signal may return.
B: 好的,谢谢!
hǎo de, xièxie!
OK. Thank you!
C: 别挂别挂,把电话给我。喂,同志,作为家长,我们真的很着急,你们可以帮忙打听我女儿的下落吗?
bié guà bié guà, bǎ diànhuà gěi wǒ. wéi, tóngzhì, zuòwéi jiāzhǎng, wǒmen zhēnde hěn zháojí, nǐmen kěyǐ bāngmáng dǎting wǒ nǚ'ér de xiàluò ma?
Don't hang up. Give me the phone. Hello sir. As parents we're really very worried. Could you help us inquire into our daughter's whereabouts?
D: 帮助和保护中国公民是我们的职责。把你女儿的护照号码告诉我一下。
bāngzhù hé bǎohù Zhōngguó gōngmín shì wǒmen de zhízé. bǎ nǐ nǚ'ér de hùzhào hàomǎ gàosu wǒ yīxià.
Helping and protecting Chinese citizens is our job. Tell me your daughter's passport number.
C: 好,太感谢您了!
hǎo, tài gǎnxiè nín le!
OK. Thank you so much!
(嘟嘟嘟......电话响了。)
( dūdūdū...... diànhuà xiǎng le.)
(Beep, beep, beep...the phone starts to ring)
B: 女儿啊,你没事吧?刚刚联系不到你,我和你妈都快急死了......
nǚ'ér a, nǐ méishì ba? gānggāng liánxì budào nǐ, wǒ hé nǐ mā dōu kuài jísǐ le......
Daughter, are you OK? We were just unable to contact you. Your mother and I were worried sick...

Key Vocabulary

新西兰 Xīnxīlán New Zealand
里氏 lǐshì Richter scale
magnitude
地震 dìzhèn earthquake
震中 zhènzhōng epicenter
位于 wèiyú to be located at
chù area
惠灵顿 Huìlíngdùn Wellington
震源 zhènyuán hypocenter
地表 dìbiǎo earth's crust
jūn all
震感 zhèngǎn tremor
持续 chíxù to continue, to persist
明显 míngxiǎn clear, noticeable
打不通 dǎbutōng to be unable to connect (phone call)
大使馆 dàshǐguǎn embassy
huāng to be afraid
zhù stationed in
according to
消防 xiāofáng fire prevention
警方 jǐngfāng police
造成 zàochéng to cause
伤亡 shāngwáng casualties
财产 cáichǎn property
损失 sǔnshī loss
通讯 tōngxùn communication
信号 xìnhào signal
受到 shòudào to receive
影响 yǐngxiǎng effect
恢复 huīfù to recover
家长 jiāzhǎng parent
打听 dǎting to ask about
下落 xiàluò whereabouts
公民 gōngmín citizen
职责 zhízé job responsibility

Supplementary Vocabulary

强度 qiángdù degree of intensity
单位 dānwèi unit
起始点 qǐshǐdiǎn point of origin
新闻报导 xīnwén bàodǎo news story
死亡 sǐwáng death
首都 shǒudū capital (of a country)

Online Review and Discussion .   ©2012 Praxis Language Ltd.