the www.engvid.com comments section. Some people wanted to know about natural disasters.

有些人想要知道關於天災的相關英文

So what I have here is a bit of a combination of climate vocabulary and natural events.

所以我這裡有一些氣候與自然現象的單字集合

I don't call them "disasters" because, realistically, they're only disasters to humans; to nature,

我不把他們稱為「災害」，因為，事實上，他們只有對人類來說是災害，對於大自然，

they are just events. Okay?

他們只是一些小事而已，對吧?

Before we begin, I want to make sure we understand the difference between "climate" and "weather".

在我們開始之前，我需要確定我們了解「氣候」與「天氣」的不同

"Weather" is the occurrence of nature every day. Today is sunny, tomorrow is raining,

「天氣」發生在大自然的每一天，今天是晴天，明天是雨天

today is a little bit chilly, tomorrow is going to be nice and warm. Every day's situation

今天有一點寒冷，明天會變好一些和溫暖一些。所有每天的狀況都稱為天氣

is the weather. "Climate" is the pattern over usually we talk about a year. So if a country

「氣候」通常都是我們以一年為討論的形式

or a place has four seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter - each season has its own climate;

所以如果有一個國家或一個地方有四季：春、夏、秋、冬，每個季節都有他們的氣候

rainy, hot, humid, whatever the case may be. So we're going to look at climate and natural

下雨、熱、潮濕，或是其他任何形式。所以我們現在要來看氣候跟自然現象，他們通常是一起發生的

events that usually go together. Now, this last year or the past 2 or 3 years have seen

目前，在去年的時候，或是過去兩三年，

some very crazy weather-or sorry-climate events. So I'm going to give you some words to be

有一些非常瘋狂的氣候，噢不對，是氣候現象。所以我現在要跟你們說一些字，

able to discuss these amongst yourselves.

讓你們能自己討論這些

First, we're going to start with: "flood" and "drought". Okay? The "h", the "gh" not

第一，我們要從「洪水」和「乾旱」開始。還行嗎?「h」和「gh」

pronounced. "drought", "flood", like going up. So "flood" is when there's too much water.

不發音，來一起念「drought」、「flood」，所以「flood」是代表當時有太多水了

Very heavy rain, sometimes it's because snow melts too quickly in hills or mountains. All

非常大的雨，有時候是因為丘陵或山上的雪融化的太快了

the water comes into a low place or a flat place, the earth doesn't absorb it quickly

所有的水來到低處或是平坦的地方，土壤沒辦法快速的吸收它們，

enough or the sewage can't take all of it, the pipes, et cetera so all the water rises

或是水溝無法承受所有的水，還有水管也是，所以所有的水升到

up above the ground, goes into your houses, into the subway stations, everywhere. That's

地面，跑進你的房子、跑進地鐵站，或是到處竄

a flood, a flood. "Drought" is the complete opposite. A "drought" is what happens when

這是洪水、洪水。「乾旱」則是完全相反，乾旱發生在當

a region or a place doesn't get water, doesn't get any rain for a very long period of time.

一個範圍或地方沒有水，長期都沒有下任何的雨

Everything dries out, all the crops, all the wheat, and rice, and everything dies. Sometimes

所有東西都乾掉了，所有農作物、所有麥子、米，所有東西都死掉了。有時候，

this leads to a famine. Okay? A "famine" is when there's a lot of people starving. Okay?

這會導致饑荒。可以嗎?「饑荒」是有很多的人們正在受飢餓所苦。可以嗎?

So this is a natural disaster because human beings and animals are starving because everything

所以這是天災，讓人們和動物因為所有東西都死了而受飢餓所苦

died in the drought, there's nothing to eat.

沒有任何東西吃

Okay, next we have: "earthquake". "Quake" basically means shake. An "earthquake" is

好，接下來我們要來談「地震」。「震」基本上代表搖晃的意思。「地震」是

when the earth shakes. Okay? Now, what often happens is when there's an earthquake in the

地球正在震動。可以嗎?目前，地震通常發生在

sea or near the sea, there's often a "tsunami". Now, this is actually a Japanese word. Actually,

海底或是臨海地區，也常常會有「海嘯」，這實際上是日本的字，實際上，

it's two Japanese words, but they are used so commonly that we just take them as an English

這是兩個日本的字，但現在我們通常把它們當作英文字

word now. "Tsunami" means harbor wave. Not so important for you guys right now, but it's

「海嘯」是海港的大波浪的意思。現在對你們並不是很重要，但它

basically a big wave or a big series of waves that after the earthquake, all the water in

基本上是在地震後發生的一個大波浪或是一連串的大波浪，所有

the seas or the oceans starts moving around, sometimes it moves on to the land and just

海裡的水或是海洋開始移動，有時候它會移動到陸地上或是

destroys everything. I think everybody probably remembers the tsunami from 2006 or so in Indonesia,

毀滅所有東西。我想大家可能會記得發生在大約2006年的南亞大海嘯

in that area, very destructive, in Japan a couple of years ago - huge tsunamis.

在那個地區，是非常有毀滅性的，在幾年前大海嘯也發生在日本

Next, this is what we're experiencing lately with climate change, global warming, whatever

再來，是最近我們正在經歷的氣候變遷，全球暖化，或是

you want to call it: "heat waves" and "cold fronts". Now, if you watch the news, the weather

你想要叫它「熱浪」和「冷鋒」。現在，如果你有在收看新聞、

channel, for example, sometimes you'll see something like this, you'll see lines with

天氣頻道，舉例來說，你會看見一些像這樣的，你會看到有線

semicircles moving. Other times, you'll see red lines with triangles moving. The blue

以半圓的方式移動。其他時間，你會看到紅色的線以三角形的方式移動。藍色線，

lines, these are cold fronts, means a very cold mass of air, the cold amount of air is

它們是冷鋒，代表非常冷的區塊或是空氣，大量的冷空氣

moving. The red one, same thing but heat, a lot of heat. Heat waves are very dangerous

正在移動。紅色線，是相同的，但是代表熱，大量的熱。熱浪是非常危險的

because they come very suddenly; it gets very, very hot. A lot of people suffer from it,

因為它來的很突然，它非常、非常的熱。很多人因此受災，

a lot of people die from it. Same with a cold front, suddenly the temperature really, really

很多人因此死亡。冷鋒也一樣，突然間溫度下降的非常非常快，

drops: minus 20, minus 30, minus 40. And again, very, very dangerous; you don't want to be

負20、負30、負40，還有，非常、非常危險

outside when that happens.

在那發生時你不會想要外出的

Next, we'll talk a little bit about snow. Now, the Inuit, that's the natives of Canada

再來，我們來討論一些關於雪。目前，因紐特人，他們是居住在遙遠的加拿大北邊的當地居民

in the far north, they have I think maybe 50 different words for "snow". I'm only going

我認為他們有超過50個「雪」的不同單字，我現在只會

to give you a couple other than "snow". A "blizzard" is a very heavy snowstorm. Okay?

給你們一些。「大風雪」代表非常大的暴風雪。可以嗎?

Lots of, lots, and lots, and lots, and lots of snow. Very white. If you live in a hot

非常多、非常多、非常多、非常多的雪。非常白，如果你住在炎熱的

country, you don't know what this is, but it's actually very beautiful but very dangerous,

國家，你不會知道那是什麼，但事實上它是非常美麗的卻也很危險

not fun to drive in, not fun to walk in. Just fun... Nice to look at, that's it. A "squall"

駕駛是不好玩的、走路也是不好玩的，就只有,,,看起來好玩，就這樣。「颮」

is like a blizzard except that it's very sudden, very short, and very intense. So sometimes

它就像「blizzard」但它發生的非常突然、非常短、非常強烈。所以有時候

a squall will come in. You have like sunshine, pretty day. It's cold, but, you know, it's

颮來的時候，你正享受一個陽光、美好的一天。很冷，但你知道，這是

winter, but sunny. Then suddenly, you can't see anything, everything is white. Just snow,

冬天，不是晴天。然後，突然間，你看不到任何東西，所有東西都變成白色。就在這時，

snow, snow, like you can't see past two feet in front of you. And then, 10 minutes later,

雪、雪，你無法看見前方兩呎以內的任何東西。然後，十分鐘過後、

half an hour later, it's gone and it's sunny again. We call this a "snow squall".

半小時後，它走了，天也再次放晴。我們叫它「雪颮」

Okay. I know all of you know this word: "storm", but do you know the different types of storms

好，我知道你們都知道「風暴」這個字，但你知道你曾經經歷的不同型態的風暴嗎?

that you can experience? You can have an "icestorm". An "icestorm" is when it seems to be raining,

你可能有過「冰雪風暴」。「冰雪風暴」是似乎要下雨了，

except that it's not rain drops, it's little, little tiny ice particles. They fall on a

但降下來的不是雨，而是小小的、小小的冰粒。他們會降在

tree and become ice. They fall everywhere and become ice. So in Toronto, that's where

樹上然後變成冰。他們降在任何地方然後變成冰。所以在多倫多，就是我們現在在的地方，

we are today, in Toronto this winter, we had an icestorm. Overnight, all the ice fell.

在多倫多的冬天，我們會有冰雪風暴。前一晚，所有冰降下來，

In the morning, trees started falling down. Why? Because all the branches were covered

在早上的時候，樹開始倒塌。為什麼呢?因為所有的樹枝都被冰覆蓋

in ice and became so heavy that it-boom-crashed on top of cars, on top of people, on top of

然後變的太重了，所以它們墜落在車子上、掉到人身上、砸在

everything. Power was out for a long time. Not much fun.

任何東西上。會停電很長一段時間，不是很好玩。

In desert places, like in the Sahara Desert, you have a "sandstorm" where suddenly a big

在沙漠地區，像是撒哈拉沙漠，你會經歷「暴風沙」，突然間一陣

wind carries all this sand, and you can't see anything, and it gets in your eyes, and

大風帶來所有沙，你看不到任何東西，然後它會跑進你的眼睛，

not much fun. "Thunderstorm", lots of thunder. "Lightningstorm", lots of lightning. "Hail",

不是很好玩。「雷暴雨」有很多雷聲，「閃電風暴」有很多閃電，「冰雹」

"hail" are little pieces of ice about this big, and they drop, and they hit you on the

「冰雹」是一些小粒的冰，大概像這樣大，然後它們降下來，它們會打到你的

head and they're a little painful. "Rainstorm", "duststorm", all kinds of storms. Always one

頭，會有點痛。「暴雨」、「沙塵暴」，各式各樣的風暴。都是一個字的，

word. "Icestorm", one word. "Sandstorm", one word. Not two separate words.

「Icestorm」，一個字，「Sandstorm」，一個字。不將他們拆為兩個字

Now, students often ask me: "What is the difference between a hurricane, a typhoon, and a cyclone?"

現在，學生常常問我:「颶風、颱風、和暴風有什麼不同?」

Sometimes tornado and monsoon. "Hurricane", "typhoon", and "cyclone", same idea, it's

有時候還有龍捲風和季風。「颶風」、「颱風」、「旋風」，是相同的意思，

a big circling storm that comes over land and destroys everything. A "hurricane" happens

它是一個大的盤旋風暴入侵陸地並且毀滅一切。「颶風」發生在

in the Atlantic Ocean and sometimes in the Northeast Pacific. Mostly it's in the Atlantic

大西洋，有時候也在太平洋的東北方。大多數在大西洋，

and that's why it hits the States and Mexico all the time. "Typhoon" is in the Northwest

這也是為什麼它總是侵襲美國和墨西哥。「颱風」發生在

Pacific Ocean, hits Japan, Philippines, all those countries there. A "cyclone" happens

太平洋的西北方，侵襲日本、菲律賓，和所有在那裡的國家。「旋風」發生在

in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, hitting India and countries in that area. A "tornado",

太平洋南邊和印度洋，侵襲印度和在那個區域的國家。「龍捲風」

a "tornado" is like a tiny little hurricane except it's very localized, very small area,

「龍捲風」就像個小型的颶風，但它是非常本地的、非常小範圍的

happens on land. These all happen... These all begin in the ocean. This happens on land

發生在陸地上。它們通通都發生，它們通通都從海上開始。它們在陸地上時

like a little wind spins really, really fast and just destroys everything on its way. Mostly

就像個旋轉小風，非常、非常快速，並且摧毀路徑上的所有東西，大部分

it happens in the U.S. in the middle of the United States. And a "monsoon", a "monsoon"

發生在美國的中部。還有「季風」，「季風」

is like a very, very heavy wind and rainstorm. Usually hits India and Southeast Asia, those

有非常大的風和暴風雨。通常侵襲印度和東南亞，

areas there.

那些在那裡的地方

Then, sometimes... These are natural events, they're not necessarily connected to climate,

然後，有時候，有先自然現象，它們不需要和氣候有關聯

but the climate does help. A "mudslide", sometimes you see like there's too much rain or too

但氣候也有幫到忙。「山崩」，有時候你看到降雨量很大，或是有太多的

much deforestation, too many trees have been cut down from a mountain. These trees, the

森林濫砍，山上有很多樹都被砍掉了。這些樹，

roots of these trees hold the earth together. Not enough trees or too much water and half

樹根一起抓住土壤。樹不夠或太多水

the mountain-vloop-just slides off the mountain. It's mud, you know mud like sand and water

一半的山，(咻~)就從山上滑下來了。這是泥，你知道泥是沙和水變成的，

becomes mud just slides off and buries everything underneath it. An "avalanche" is like a mudslide

滑下來和埋住了下面的所有東西。「雪崩」很像山崩，

except that it's snow. In the mountains, you have lots of snow, lots of snow. Then eventually

只是它是雪。在有很多雪的山上，很多雪。它們最終

gets too thick and heavy, and just starts falling down and burying everything underneath it.

變的太厚而且太重，就開始滑下來並且埋住下面的所有東西

And then you have a "volcanic eruption". A "volcano" is like a... Sort of like a little

再來是「火山爆發」。「火山」就是...有點像小山，

mountain, but very hot inside with magma or lava is another way to say it. Then just-poof-blows.

但裡面有非常熱的岩漿和熔岩，是另外一種說法。然後，(噗~)，充氣。

In Iceland a few years ago, a volcano exploded, all the ash covered the air-woop, sorry-all

很多年以前在冰島，有個火山爆發，所有的火山灰覆蓋住空氣，抱歉，

the ash and you couldn't see anything, and flights couldn't take off from Northern Europe.

所有的火山灰，然後你看不到任何東西，飛機不能從北歐起飛

Very bad situation.

非常糟糕的狀況

So this is what happens. This is the Earth we live on, we deal with it, but we also like

就是這樣的情況。這就是我們所住的地球，我們和它相處著，我們也喜歡現在討論它、

to talk about it now and again, and now, hopefully, you have some vocabulary to use in that discussion.

不斷討論它，現在，希望，你有以些在討論中能使用的單字

Of course, you can test yourself at www.engvid.com, there's a quiz, come by and try it out. And

當然，你也可以在www.engvid.com上測驗你自己，那裡有個小考試，過來試試吧

we'll see you again soon.

然後，我們下次見囉