What about a Richter 0? Or 25?

那麼芮氏規模 0 級呢？ 還是 25 級地震？

Well, given that a magnitude 25 quake would destroy the sun if one happened there, it would certainly destroy New York City.

好吧，考慮到如果那裡發生 25 級地震，太陽就會被摧毀，紐約市肯定也會被摧毀。

But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

不過，我們說得太遠了。

The Richter scale, which has technically been replaced by the "moment magnitude" scale, measures the strength of an earthquake.

芮氏規模在技術上已被「矩震級」震級所取代，用於測量地震的強度。

Since we usually hear about earthquakes with ratings somewhere between 3 and 9, a lot of people probably think of 10 as the top of the scale and 0 as the bottom.

由於我們通常聽到的地震等級在 3 到 9 之間，因此許多人可能認為 10 級為最高等級，0 級為最低級。

In fact, there is no top or bottom to the scale!

實際上，該地震等級並沒有最高或最低級！

But even if 10 isn't the top of the scale, it might as well be.

但即使 10 級不是最高級，也可能是。

A magnitude 9 earthquake already measurably alters the rotation of the Earth; the two magnitude 9-plus earthquakes this century both altered the length of the day by a tiny but measurable fraction of a second.

一場 9 級地震已經顯著改變了地球的自轉； 本世紀的兩次 9 級以上地震都將一天的長度改變了微小但可測量的幾分之一秒。

In order to get to magnitude 10, you'd need a ruptured fault line three and a half thousand kilometers long, and a magnitude 11 quake would require a fault that went half way around the world!

為了達到 10 級地震，需要一條長達三千五千公尺的斷層線，而 11 級地震則需要一個繞了半個地球的斷層！

A magnitude 15 earthquake would be a million times more powerful than that, and involve the release of enough energy to evaporate all the water on earth, though, if that happened,

一場 15 級地震的威力將是其一百萬倍，並且會釋放出足夠的能量來蒸發地球上所有的水，不過，如果發生這種情況，

we can rest easy knowing the earthquake couldn't cause any tsunamis!

知道地震不會引發海嘯，我們就可以放心了！

Going a few steps further, a magnitude 18 earthquake would release nearly ten to the thirty-two Joules of energy, which is roughly the gravitational binding energy of the Earth.

再進一步，一場18級地震會釋放近十到三十二焦耳的能量，這大約是地球的引力結合能。

To put it another way, the Death Star caused a magnitude 18 earthquake on Alderaan.

換句話說，死星在奧德蘭引發了18級地震。

You could in theory talk about a "more powerful" earthquake on Earth, but in practice all it would mean is that the expanding cloud of space debris would be faster and hotter.

理論上，你可以談論地球上的一場「更強大」的地震，但實際上這只會意味著空間碎片的擴散速度更快、溫度更高。

The Sun, with its higher gravitational binding energy, could have up to a magnitude 24 quake.

太陽的引力束縛能較高，可能會發生高達 24 級的地震。

This is about the energy release you would get if you packed the entire volume of Jupiter with hydrogen bombs and detonated them all at once.

這是關於如果將氫彈裝滿木星的整個體積並立即引爆它們所釋放的能量。

The most powerful quakes in the known universe, which occur in superheavy neutron stars, are about this magnitude.

已知宇宙中最強烈的地震發生在超重中子星中，其震級大約是這個震級。

A magnitude 25 quake would explode the sun.

25 級地震將使太陽爆炸。

Hold on – we're spending a lot of time talking about things that are large and violent.

等等，我們花了很多時間來討論那些巨大而暴力的東西，

What about the bottom end of the scale?

那地震等級的底端呢？

Is there such a thing as a magnitude 0 earthquake?

有沒有 0 級地震？

Yes!

有的！

In fact, the scale goes all the way down past zero.

事實上，這個地震等級有零級。

Let's take a look at some low-magnitude "earthquakes," with a description of what they would be like if they hit your house.

讓我們來看看一些低強度的「地震」，並描述一下如果它們襲擊你的房子會是什麼樣子。

A magnitude 1 quake releases the same energy as dropping a partially loaded cement truck from 10 meters onto the street in front of your house.

1 級地震釋放的能量相當於將一輛部分裝載的水泥卡車從 10 公尺高處扔到你家門前的街道上。

A magnitude 0 earthquake is equivalent to the Dallas Cowboys American football team running at full tilt into the side of your neighbor's garage.

0 級地震相當於達拉斯牛仔隊的美式足球隊全速衝進鄰居車庫的一側。

A magnitude negative one quake is like a single American football player running into a tree in your yard.

負 1 級地震就像美國橄欖球運動員撞到了你院子裡的一棵樹。

A cat falling off a dresser would have a magnitude of negative two.

一隻貓從梳妝台上掉下來，其震級為負二。

A cat knocking your cell phone off your nightstand would have magnitude negative three.

一隻貓把你的手機從床頭櫃上打下來，震級為負三級。

Magnitude negative four is like a penny falling off of a dog.

震級為負四就像一分錢從狗身上掉下來。

Magnitude negative five is a key press on an IBM model M mechanical keyboard.

震級負五是 IBM M 型機械鍵盤上的按鍵。

Negative six is a key press on a lightweight keyboard.

負六是輕按鍵盤上的按鍵。

Negative seven is a single feather fluttering to the ground.

負七是一根飄落在地上的羽毛。

A fine grain of sand falling onto the pile at the bottom of a tiny hourglass would be a magnitude negative eight quake.

一粒細沙落到小沙漏底部的沙堆上，將引發芮氏負八級地震。

And let's jump all the way down to magnitude negative fifteen: a drifting mote of dust coming to rest gently on a table.

讓我們一路跳到負十五級：一粒漂浮的塵埃輕輕地落在桌上。

Sometimes it's nice not to destroy the world for a change.

有時候，不破壞世界也是件好事。