尼泊爾地震後現狀及救援情況

A cloud of brown dust filledwith rock doves rose over Kathmandu, the Nepali capital, when theearthquake struck on April 25th. The ground shook so violently as theIndian tectonic plate lurched three metres (10 feet) northward thatpeople struggled to stand. The earthquake rattled windows in Delhi, the Indiancapital, 1,000 kilometres (625 miles) away.

4月25日一場地震侵襲了尼泊爾首都加德滿都。一羣野鴿在漫漫褐色塵霧中慌亂飛起。印度板塊向右傾移了3米（10英尺），以致發生了劇烈地震。這場地震甚至使得1000公里（625英里）之外的印度首都新德里的房屋都發生了顫動。

Older parts of Kathmandu arenow rubble. A 62-metre tower put up in the 19th century, Dharahara, buildings fell in Durbar square, a UNESCO world-heritage site that ishome to temples that are hundreds of years old. Both sites had been thickwith locals as well as foreign visitors. Many were trapped and died. Atleast one newish hotel also folded, killing dozens. But for the most part,the city's concrete-and-glass structures stayed up, despitenotoriously poor enforcement of building codes. Some credit is due topublic campaigns by non-governmental groups and the UN. They have trainedbuilders to strengthen the joints of concrete beams. Hundredsof schools in Kathmandu have been retrofitted in recent years. Thanks to that, experts' worst fears of a big earthquakeflattening three-fifths of the capital and killing 100,000 were notfulfilled.

加德滿都的舊建築現如今已變爲了一片廢墟。19世紀建立的62米高塔達拉哈拉塔已經崩塌（達拉哈拉塔又被稱爲比姆森塔，是爲紀念尼泊爾抗英民族英雄比姆·森·塔帕而建。比姆森生前曾築高塔兩座，另一座已於1834年大地震時倒坍，此塔則經受了兩次強烈地震考驗。1934年大地震時，塔附近的房屋倒毀殆盡，而它卻只是受到一些損傷——譯者摘自百度百科）。在被聯合國教科文組織列入世界遺產的，匯聚了衆多擁有百年曆史的寺廟的杜巴廣場還有更多的建築在地震中被摧毀。在這兩個景點都擠滿了當地人和外國遊客，許多人在這次地震中被困並且死去。同時至少有一家較新的賓館也在地震中損毀，造成了數十人死亡。但是儘管在尼泊爾建築規範執行力度出奇的差，大部分混凝土—玻璃結構的建築仍挺過了這場地震。部分功勞要歸於非政府組織和聯合國所展開的公共宣傳。他們訓練了建築師來加強混凝土樑的關節部位。在加德滿都的數百所學校在最近幾年都重新翻新了一遍。多虧於此，專家們最擔心的情況——這場地震將會使首都的五分之三被夷爲平地，並且使10萬人喪生——沒有發生。

Thanks, too, to luck: themain earthquake (there were aftershocks) came at noon on a Saturday, when schoolsand offices were closed and many people were up and aboutoutside. Even so, the suffering is horrendous. By mid-week over 5,000were confirmed dead. The prime minister, Sushil Koirala, predictsthat the toll could reach 10,000. Most victims are in the Kathmanduvalley, which has seen rapid and haphazard urban growth over the pastcouple of decades, partly because a civil war that ended in 2006 pushedvillagers towards the capital. The valley's buildings are especiallyvulnerable since they rest on sediment layers that are prone toliquefaction. Rebuilding the stricken areas could cost $10 billion—a hugebill for one of Asia's poorest countries.

同樣非常幸運的是，主震（主震後還有幾場餘震）發生在一個星期六的正午，那時學校和政府機關都關閉了，許多人都已經起牀並且不在家中。即便如此，地震所導致的後果還是十分可怕的。半個星期過去了，已經超過5000人被證實死於這場災難。尼泊爾總理蘇希爾·柯伊拉臘預言死亡人數可能會達到1萬人。大部分遇難者集中在加德滿都谷地。在過去的幾十年時間裏，加德滿都谷地迅速，毫無計劃地走向城市化，其中部分原因在於2006年結束的內戰導致大量村民涌入了首都。加德滿都谷地的建築非常容易受到損害，因爲它們都建立在容易液化的沉積層上。重建災區需要耗費100億美元，這對於亞洲最貧困國家之一的尼泊爾來說是一筆鉅額賬單。

Three days after the quake, theroads from Kathmandu were thronged with people taking food and tents tonearby villages. In Kavrepalanchok district, an hour's drive from thecapital, villagers camped in fields under plastic complained of the stench from human corpses and dead badly needed water, food and medicine. Two parents digging inthe rubble for the body of their 16-month-old daughter saidlocal police would not help.

地震發生三天後，加德滿都外的道路擠滿了來取食物和帳篷到附近村莊的人。在距離首都一小時車程的加雷帕藍恰克區域，村民們在由塑料布紮成的帳篷裏住着。他們抱怨來自人類屍體和死掉的牲畜發出的惡臭。他們急需要水，食物和藥物。一對父母在廢墟里尋找他們16歲女兒的屍體。他們說，當地的警察是不會來幫忙的。

Next door in Sindhupalchokdistrict, every mud-and-stone house was cracked, and many hadcollapsed outright. The government guesses that 530,000 houses are damagedin all, and over 70,000 destroyed. Almost no one has insurance. The UNsays 8m people in a population of nearly 30m are affected in someway. The epicentre was 80km north-west of the capital, in a steep andmountainous area. Landslides reportedly swept entire villages offhillside. Aerial footage shows houses that have collapsed into circlesof dust. Unseasonal rain and cold, and continuing aftershocks, includingone with a magnitude of 6.9, have left survivors exposed.

臨近的辛杜帕爾喬克地區，每一所由泥土和石頭砌成的房子都出現了裂痕，許多已經完全倒塌。政府預計共有53萬所房子損壞，超過7萬所房子被完全毀壞。而幾乎所有人都沒有保險。聯合國稱3千萬人中有8百萬人在某種程度上遭受損失。震中位於首都西北方向80公里外的陡峭山區。據報道，山體滑坡席捲了依山而建的整個村莊。航拍畫面顯示，所有房子都已經崩塌，成了一片廢墟。非季節性降雨、寒冷和持續不斷的餘震（其中還有一場6.9級的地震）都使倖存者處於危險中。

On Mount Everest, east ofKathmandu, tremors set off an avalanche that crushed at least 18climbers and Sherpas. It has been a bad time for Nepali tourism. InOctober freak snowstorms killed 43 on a lower-altitude trail. And a year agoan avalanche on Everest killed 16. Nothing puts off themost determined climbers, but a tourism industry that is central to thelivelihoods of many looks troubled.

在加德滿都以東的珠穆朗瑪峯，地震帶來的震顫導致了雪崩，致使至少18位登山者和夏爾巴人遇難。現在非常不適合去尼泊爾旅遊。十月份一場反常的暴風雪導致低海拔火車上的43人遇難。一年前一場發生在珠穆朗瑪峯的雪崩使16人喪命。沒有什麼能夠阻擋那些意志最爲堅定的登山者，但是這些天災終究使得對許多人的生計來說至關重要的旅遊業陷入困境。

In India the quake killed over70 people, but concern was directed largely at the neighbour. In a radioaddress heard in both countries, India's prime minister, Narendra Modivowed to "wipe the tears of every Nepali", adding that Nepal's painwas also India's. Millions of Nepali migrants live and work in India,sending remittances home. These will now be badly needed.

這場地震造成印度70多人死亡。但大家將更多的關注集中在印度的鄰國尼泊爾。在一場兩國都能收聽到的廣播演講中，印度總理納倫德拉莫迪發誓"爲每個尼泊爾人抹去淚水""尼泊爾人的痛苦就是印度人的痛苦"。數以百萬計的尼泊爾移民在印度生活工作，然後匯款回家。目前來講這些錢是急需的。

Mr Modi wants to be seenleading and appears to be guiding the relief effort better thanNepal's own leaders. Within hours of the first jolts, the Indian armybegan delivering aid. There is a geopolitical dimension to the help. AModi adviser talks of an Indian strategy of becoming "moreconfident abroad". That starts with winning influence in the region. MrModi has twice visited Nepal since he came to office a year ago, after agap of 17 years during which no Indian prime minister deigned to go. Hepromotes Indian investment in Nepali hydropower. And Nepal is a mainbeneficiary of India's trebling of aid over the past three years, to94 billion rupees ($1.5 billion). China presumably features in Mr Modi'scalculations. It influence has often appeared to be in the ascendant inNepal, which India traditionally considers to be its own back yard.

莫迪總理想要被看做領導了這次救援工作，並且比尼泊爾領導人做了更多努力。在幾個小時的顛簸路程之後，印度軍隊到達尼泊爾開始展開援助。這種援助有出於地緣政治方面的考慮。一位莫迪顧問曾講到過印度的一項政策是要在國外變得更加自信。而印度首先要在這塊地區贏得影響力。自從一年之前莫迪上臺之後，他已經兩次訪問了尼泊爾，打破了17年來沒有印度總理願意屈尊訪問尼泊爾的僵局。莫迪力促印度對於尼泊爾水力發電方面的投資。在過去的三年時間裏印度對尼泊爾的援助增加了兩倍，達到了940億盧比（15億美元），這使得尼泊爾成了主要的受益者。（印度的援助增加了這麼多）中國大概在其中佔了很大的因素。尼泊爾向來被印度視爲是自己的後花園，而中國在尼泊爾的影響力日漸升高。

Several countries and UNagencies quickly promised financial and other help. So many donors rushedsearch-and-rescue teams, field hospitals, blankets, tents and medicalequipment that the main airport in Kathmandu grew overwhelmed. Within aday of the earthquake China delivered a military rescue team, 13 tonnes ofaid and promised over $3m in immediate help. It also played down talk ofrivalry, as a foreign ministry official later spoke of a wish to"coordinate positively with India in our assistance efforts"stan sent tents and a military hospital, and Israel provided 95 tonnesof medical and other assistance.

許多國家以及聯合國都迅速給予了資金及其他方面援助的承諾。衆多捐助者迅速組建搜尋救援隊伍，建立野外醫院，捐贈毛毯、帳篷和醫藥設備，加德滿都的主機場都已不堪重負。地震當天，中國就派出了一支救援軍隊，捐贈了13噸的救援物資，並且承諾將迅速提供超過300萬美元的救援物資。與印度之間的競爭中國也輕描淡寫。一位外交部官員後來說"希望在援助工作上與印度積極配合。"巴基斯坦捐贈了帳篷並且支援了一所軍事醫院，以色列提供了95噸的醫藥救援物資以及其他的援助。

As for Nepal's own government,it faces huge challenges. Rescue and immediate relief operations are nowmaking way for more sustained help for survivors. Distributing materialsfor proper shelter and ensuring good sanitation are urgent priorities beforethe monsoon rains arrive in a couple of months. The sowing seasonalso starts soon, so distributing seeds and farm supplies ispressing.

對於尼泊爾政府來講，它面臨了巨大的挑戰。任何救助和緊急救援行動都沒有爲倖存者們提供持久的幫助來得重要。在合適的避難所分發各種材料，確保避難所良好的衛生條件——在幾個月後將要來臨的季風降雨之前做好這些纔是當務之急。播種的季節也很快就要到了，所以分派種子和務農工具的任務也十分緊迫。

Jamie McGoldrick, who leads theUN in Nepal, worries that it is the most rural and remote areas, thosewhere the poorest,lowest-caste Nepalis live, that are at risk of gh the needs of the country side's poor are greatest, the lion's shareof foreign attention and aid goes to Kathmandu, home to the politicalelite, the bulk of foreign workers and much of the country's richcultural heritage. Mr McGoldrick also warns about weak governing already sees bureaucratic rivalries as well as sloth asimpediments to the country's relief efforts. Others point out thatpoliticians have long been interested mainly in their own well-being,fruitlessly debating a new constitution for the past sevenyears while paying little attention to governing.

聯合國駐尼泊爾國家協調員傑米·麥戈德里克擔心那些最偏遠的，居住着最貧窮，最低種姓的鄉村可能會被忽略。儘管尼泊爾國家邊緣的貧窮地方對救援物資纔是最迫切需要的，但是國外的大部分關注度還是集中在了加德滿都，提供的救助也大部分集中在了這裏。因爲這個地方聚集了政治精英，聚集了大部分的外國工作者和這個國家大部分的文化遺產。同時，麥戈德里克警告稱，尼泊爾政府管理能力十分差勁。他已經將官僚鬥爭、懶惰視爲國家救援工作的障礙。還有人指出尼泊爾的政治家們一直更關注於他們自己的幸福以及長達七年徒勞無獲的關於新憲法的爭吵，而在此期間，卻很少把心思放在對國家的管理上。

Effective local councils wouldsurely be most useful administration to have in place now. Yet Nepalhas had no local elections since 1999. Instead civil servants run are notorious for being unaccountable, corrupt and prejudicedtowards the lowest castes. Donors face a quandary, wondering how muchto trust questionable partners while rushing to help. Nepal has never beenan easy place in which to make aid useful. In this grievous emergency, itwill be harder yet.

有能力的地方議會自然而然成爲最有效的管理機構並在此刻應當準備就緒。然而，自從1999年之後尼泊爾就已經沒舉行過地方選舉了。取而代之的是政府官員來掌管一切。許多政府官員因毫無責任感、腐敗以及對最低種姓的歧視而臭名昭著。各捐助國都面臨着窘境，他們都想要知道在自己匆忙趕來援助時，能在多大程度上信任這些問題不斷的政府官員。尼泊爾從來不是一個可以使援助發揮其有效作用的國家。在如今這樣一種緊急而又及其糟糕的狀況下，想要使援助行動順利展開就更難了。