2022年11月30日 VOA慢速英语：世界上最大的火山在夏威夷喷发

 

Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, started erupting late Sunday in the U.S. island state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.
世界上最大的活火山莫纳罗亚火山于周日晚些时候在美国太平洋岛国夏威夷开始喷发。
 
The volcano last erupted 38 years ago. But it is not expected to put people in danger.
火山最后一次喷发38年前爆发。但预计不会将人们置于危险之中。
 
The volcano rises more than 4,000 meters above sea level. It is on the largest of the five main Hawaiian Islands, also called Hawaii or the "Big Island." About 200,000 people live on the Big Island.
这座火山海拔超过 4,000 米。它位于夏威夷五个主要岛屿中最大的一个，也称为夏威夷或“大岛”。大约有 20 万人居住在大岛上。
 
At this point, melted rock, called lava, is not expected to come near populated areas, but officials warned people to be ready to evacuate.
此时，被称为熔岩的融化岩石预计不会靠近人口稠密地区，但官员警告人们准备撤离。
 
The U.S. Geological Survey, or USGS, said the path of lava flows can change quickly. Ken Hon is the chief scientist at the USGS's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. He said the eruption started on Sunday after a number of earthquakes.
美国地质调查局 (USGS) 表示，熔岩流的路径可能会迅速改变。 Ken Hon 是 USGS 夏威夷火山观测站的首席科学家。他说，在多次地震后，火山于周日开始喷发。
 
Island officials warned people to stay away from the areas where lava is coming out because it can shoot 30 to 60 meters in the air. The gas coming from the eruption is also harmful. At the moment, however, the state said air quality on the island is good.
岛上官员警告人们远离熔岩流出的区域，因为它可以射向空中 30 至 60 米。喷发产生的气体也是有害的。然而，目前该州表示岛上的空气质量良好。
 
Hon said the eruption could last one to two weeks if it follows historical patterns.
Hon 表示，如果按照历史模式，火山喷发可能会持续一到两周。
 
Bobby Camara lives on the Big Island. He said he has seen the volcano erupt three times.
Bobby卡马拉住在大岛上。他说他亲眼目睹了火山喷发三次。
 
"I think everybody should be a little bit concerned," he said. "We don't know where the [lava] is going, we don't know how long it's going to last."
“我认为每个人都应该有点担心，”他说。 “我们不知道 [熔岩] 流向何处，也不知道它会持续多久。”
 
Another resident, Gunner Mench, got an alert about the eruption on his phone on Sunday night. He and his wife went outside and could see a red glow over the island.
另一位居民 Gunner Mench 在他的手机上收到了火山喷发的警报周日晚上。他和他的妻子走到外面，可以看到岛上空泛着红光。
 
"Right now, it's just entertainment," he said, but he noted the concern that the lava could reach areas where people live.
“现在，这只是娱乐，”他说，但他指出，人们担心熔岩可能会到达人们居住的地区。
The eruption is a new experience for many people on the island. There are more than twice as many people living there compared to the last time Mauna Loa erupted. State officials are most concerned about an area about 50 kilometers to the south of the volcano where about 5,000 people live.
这次喷发对岛上的许多人来说是一种全新的体验。与上次冒纳罗亚火山爆发相比，住在那里的人数是上次的两倍多。州政府官员最担心的是火山以南约 50 公里的地区，那里居住着约 5,000 人。
 
Hon said the lava could flow toward the city of Hilo, which has about 45,000 people. That could take about a week.
Hon 说，熔岩可能流向约有 45,000 人的希洛市。这可能需要大约一周的时间。
 
Scientists say they hope the lava flows like it did in 1984, when it moved slowly.
科学家们表示，他们希望熔岩能像 1984 年那样缓慢流动。
 
There is some concern about weak areas on the southwestern part of the mountain. If lava escapes from that area, it could threaten places where people live in just hours or days. Hon said the lava has never come up through that area during past eruptions.
有人担心这座山西南部的薄弱区域。如果熔岩从该地区流出，它可能会在几小时或几天内威胁到人们居住的地方。 Hon 说，在过去的火山喷发中，熔岩从未穿过该地区。
 
He said people living in those areas "do not have to worry about lava flows."
他说，生活在这些地区的人们“不必担心熔岩流”。
 
The governor of Hawaii is David Ige. He said there might be some gas, ash and other material in the air due to the eruption. He asked people who have problems breathing to "take precautions."
夏威夷州长是大卫伊格。他说，由于喷发，空气中可能有一些气体、灰烬和其他物质。他要求呼吸困难的人“采取预防措施”。
 
The Big Island mayor is Mitch Roth. He said the eruption "will be spectacular," but he does not think it will cause problems for people visiting Hawaii.
大岛市长是米奇罗斯。他说这次喷发“会很壮观”，但他认为这不会给到访夏威夷的人带来问题。
 
He said many people come to Hawaii to see volcanoes, but they have to travel a long way to a national park. Now, they can see an eruption much more easily.
他说很多人来夏威夷是为了看火山，但他们必须长途跋涉去国家公园的路。现在，他们可以更容易地看到火山喷发。
 
"You can just look out your window at night and you'll be able to see Mauna Loa erupting," he said.
“你只要在晚上向窗外看，就能看到冒纳罗亚火山喷发，”他说。