如果我們用核武轟炸一座城市會怎樣？：英語精讀講義

Playing around with nuclear weapons in videos is fun. 片語動詞

在影片裡玩弄核武器很有趣。

There's a visceral joy in blowing things up and a horrifying fascination with things like fireballs, 片語動詞

炸毀東西會帶來一種發自內心的快感，而火球、

shock waves,

衝擊波，

and radiation.

和輻射等事物也會讓人產生一種令人膽寒的癡迷。

And while it does help put our destructive power in perspective, 慣用語

雖然這確實有助於我們正確看待破壞力，

it's not the best way of understanding the real impact of a nuclear explosion.

但這並不是了解核爆炸真實影響的最佳方式。

This isn't about silly stacks of TNT

這不是關於愚蠢的成堆TNT炸藥，

or about how bright an explosion is.

也不是關於爆炸有多耀眼。

Nuclear weapons are about you.

核武器攸關你我。

So we've partnered with the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement 片語搭配

因此，我們與紅十字會與紅新月會國際聯合會合作，

to explore what would really happen if a nuclear weapon were detonated in a major city today. 文法

來探討如果今天在一座大城市引爆核武器會發生什麼事。

Not nuclear war,

不是核戰爭，

just one explosion.

僅僅是一次爆炸。

We begin our story in the middle of downtown in a major city. 表達脈絡

我們的故事從一座大城市的市中心開始。

People are going to work,

人們正在去上班，

studying for exams,

準備考試，

are lost in their thoughts and daily lives. 慣用語

沉浸在各自的思緒和日常生活中。

Right here,

就在這裡，

a nuclear weapon is detonated and time freezes. 慣用語

一枚核武器被引爆，時間彷彿靜止。

The first phase of the explosion happens within less than a second.

爆炸的第一階段在不到一秒鐘內發生。

In a millisecond,

在一毫秒內，

a ball of plasma hotter than the sun appears

一顆比太陽還要熱的電漿球出現了，

and grows in a fireball to more than 2 km across.

並在火球中擴展到直徑超過兩公里。

Within this ball,

在這個火球內，

everyone is just gone.

所有人瞬間化為烏有。

Think of water dripped onto a very hot pan.

想像一下把水滴到非常燙的平底鍋上。

A sizzle and then there's nothing.

噝的一聲，然後什麼都不剩了。

Most buildings,

大多數建築、

cars, trees,

汽車、樹木、

tacky sculptures,

俗氣的雕塑，

and people all evaporated.

還有所有的人都蒸發了。

First, the flash,

首先是閃光，

an intense tsunami of light washes over the city in an instant. 慣用語

強烈的「光海嘯」瞬間席捲全城。

If you happen to have your head pointed in the direction of the explosion, 片語搭配

如果你的頭剛好轉向爆炸的方向，

it renders you blind for a few hours. 用詞

它會讓你失明幾個小時。

The heat of this light produces a thermal pulse

這道光的熱量會產生熱脈衝，

so energetic and hot that it just burns everything as far as 13 km from the detonation site. 文法

它的能量和溫度極高，會將距離引爆點13公里內的所有東西全部燒毀。

What this means is that everything in an area of 500 square km 表達脈絡

這意味著在一個500平方公里的區域內，

that is able to burn starts burning.

所有能燃燒的東西都開始燃燒。

Plastic, wood,

塑膠、木頭、

fabric, hair,

織物、頭髮，

and skin.

還有皮膚。

If you happen to be in reach of the thermal pulse,

如果你正好在熱脈衝的範圍內，

one moment you're on your way to work, 表達脈絡

前一秒你還在去上班的路上，

the next moment you're on fire.

下一秒你就渾身起火了。

Now the second phase begins.

現在第二階段開始了。

It happens in a few seconds.

發生只需幾秒鐘。

Most people will now first notice that something is wrong,

現在大多數人會最先察覺到不對勁，

but it's already too late for hundreds of thousands.

但對數十萬人來說已經太遲了。

The flash is followed by the shock wave. 文法

閃光之後是衝擊波。

The heat and radiation of the fireball

火球的熱量和輻射

create a bubble of superheated and super-compressed air around it that's now expanding explosively,

會在其周圍形成一個過熱和超壓縮的空氣泡，現在正呈爆炸性膨脹，

faster than the speed of sound,

速度超過音速，

creating winds stronger than hurricanes and tornadoes.

產生比颶風和龍捲風更強的狂風。

Human infrastructure is no match for its power. 慣用語

人類的基礎設施在它的威力面前不堪一擊。

Most major buildings within a kilometer of the fireball

距離火球一公里範圍內的大多數主要建築

are just ground up down to their base. 片語動詞

被瞬間夷為平地。

Only steel-reinforced concrete is able to partially resist the pressure.

只有鋼筋混凝土才能部分抵抗這種壓力。

In the surrounding parks where retirees feed the ducks,

在退休老人餵鴨子的周邊公園裡，

trees blackened and smoldering from the heat

前一秒因高溫而變得焦黑冒煙的樹木，

a second before snap like toothpicks. 慣用語

下一秒就像牙籤一樣折斷。

If you're outside,

如果你在室外，

you get tossed away like a grain of dust in a tornado. 慣用語

會像龍捲風中的一粒塵埃一樣被拋向遠方。

The shock wave weakens as it travels outwards,

衝擊波向外傳播時會逐漸減弱，

but still about 175 square kilometers of houses collapse

但仍有大約175平方公里的房屋

like they're made of cards,

會像紙牌一樣倒塌，

trapping tens of thousands of people who didn't have any time to react. 文法

將數萬名根本沒有時間反應的人困在其中。

Gas stations explode and fire spread throughout the rubble.

加油站爆炸，大火在廢墟中蔓延。

A mushroom cloud made from the remains of the fireball,

一朵由火球殘骸、

dust, and ash rises kilometers into the sky in the next few minutes

灰塵和灰燼組成的蘑菇雲在接下來的幾分鐘內升騰至幾公里高空，

and casts a dark shadow over the ruined city. 片語搭配

給化為廢墟的城市投下黑暗的陰影。

This violently pulls in fresh air surrounding the city,

這猛烈地吸入城市周圍的新鮮空氣，

destroying more buildings,

摧毀更多的建築，

and providing an abundance of oxygen.

並提供充足的氧氣。

It depends on the city what happens next.

接下來發生的事情取決於城市本身。

If there's enough fuel,

如果有足夠的可燃物，

fires may turn into a firestorm that burns the rubble, 片語動詞

大火可能會演變成一場火災風暴，燒毀廢墟，

everybody trapped in it,

燒死被困其中的人，

and people trying to flee the devastation.

以及試圖逃離災難的人們。

Up to 21 km from the explosion,

在距離爆炸點21公里以內的地方，

people just like you rush to their windows to take pictures of the mushroom cloud,

像你一樣的人們衝向窗戶拍下蘑菇雲的照片，

unaware that the shock wave is still coming at them,

沒有意識到衝擊波仍在向他們襲來，

about to shatter their windows and create a blizzard of sharp glass. 文法

即將震碎他們的窗戶，製造一場鋒利的玻璃風暴。

The third phase begins in the coming hours and days.

第三階段將在接下來的幾小時和幾天內開始。

We're used to the idea that help will come, 文法

我們已經習慣了救援終會到來，

no matter the disaster.

無論是什麼樣的災難。

This time is different.

但這次不同。

A nuclear explosion is like every natural disaster at once.

核爆炸就像是所有自然災害同時發生。

There are hundreds of thousands or millions of people with serious injuries,

會有幾十萬或數百萬人受重傷，

lacerations,

包括撕裂傷、

broken bones,

骨折、

serious burns.

嚴重燒傷。

In the next few minutes and hours,

在接下來的幾分鐘和幾小時內，

thousands more will die because of these injuries.

還會有數千人因這些傷勢而死亡。

Countless people are trapped in collapsed buildings like in earthquakes

無數人像在地震中一樣被困在倒塌的建築物中，

or blinded by the flash,

或者因閃光而失明，

deaf from the blast wave,

被爆炸波震聾，

and unable to flee through streets impassable with rubble and debris.

無法通過佈滿廢墟和瓦礫的街道逃生。

They're terrified, confused,

他們感到恐懼、困惑，

and don't know what's happened to them or why.

不知道自己到底怎麼了，也不知道為什麼會這樣。

Most likely,

很有可能，

many hospitals have been leveled along with all the other buildings, 用詞

許多醫院已和其他所有建築一樣被夷為平地，

and most medical professionals are either dead or injured along with everyone else.

大多數醫療專業人員也和其他人一樣非死即傷。

The survivors lucky enough to have been in metro tunnels 文法

那些有幸躲在捷運隧道裡

or standing in the right place to be unburned and unhurt

或者站在沒有被燒毀和未受傷害的地方的倖存者，

won't have truly escaped harm yet.

還沒有真正逃脫傷害。

Depending on the type of weapon,

取決於武器類型、

where it explodes,

爆炸地點，

and even the weather,

甚至天氣情況，

an awful black rain can begin, 文化背景

一場可怕的黑雨可能會降臨，

with radioactive ash and dust descending on the city,

帶有放射性的灰燼和塵土降落在城市上空，

covering everything and everyone.

覆蓋了所有人、所有物。

The invisible,

看不見的、

malicious,

惡毒的、

silent horror of radiation takes its turn. 慣用語

無聲的輻射恐怖隨後登場。

Every breath carries poison to the lungs of the survivors.

倖存者的每一次呼吸都會將毒素吸入肺中。

Over the coming days,

在接下來的幾天裡，

the people who receive the highest doses of radiation exposure will die.

受到最高劑量輻射的人將會死去。

There will be no help,

不會有任何救援，

not for hours or maybe even days.

幾個小時甚至幾天內都不會有。

Civilization doesn't operate when there is a total breakdown of infrastructure. 用詞

當基礎設施全面崩潰時，文明就無法運轉。

Roads are blocked,

道路被阻斷，

train tracks warped,

鐵軌扭曲，

runways cluttered with rubble.

跑道上堆滿瓦礫。

No water,

沒水，

no electricity,

沒電，

no communication,

沒通訊，

no stores to replenish supplies from. 片語搭配

沒有商店可以補充物資。

Help from surrounding cities will have a hard time entering the disaster zone, 片語搭配

周邊城市的救援人員很難進入災區，

and even if they can, 文法

即使他們能進去，

the radioactive contamination will make it risky to get too close. 文法

放射性污染也會讓靠近變得非常危險。

After a nuclear attack,

遭受核打擊後，

you're on your own. 慣用語

你只能靠自己。

So bit by bit,

於是，漸漸地，

people emerge from the rubble on foot,

人們徒步從廢墟中走出，

contaminated with radioactive fallout,

身上沾滿了放射性塵埃，

carrying what little they may have left. 文法

帶著他們可能僅存的一點點東西。

They are slow,

他們行動遲緩，

in pain,

痛苦不堪，

traumatized,

身心受創，

and they all need food,

他們都需要快速獲得食物、

water, and medical treatment fast.

水和醫療救治。

And the damage done by a nuclear weapon doesn't end when the fires burn out 片語動詞

而且，當大火熄滅、

and the smoke clears. 慣用語

硝煙散盡時，核武器造成的破壞並未結束。

The hospitals in the neighboring cities are under-equipped for a disaster of this scale 講解

鄰近城市的醫院也沒有能力應對如此規模的災難，

and overwhelmed with tens or hundreds of thousands of patients with serious injuries. 片語搭配

數以萬計或十萬計的重傷患者會讓醫院不堪重負。

In the weeks,

在接下來的幾週、

months,

幾個月，

and years to come, 片語搭配

乃至幾年裡，

many of those who survived will succumb to cancers like leukemia. 用詞

許多倖存者將死於白血病等癌症。

The reason no government wants you to think about all this is because

為什麼沒有政府希望你想這些呢，因為

there is no serious humanitarian response possible to a nuclear explosion.

面對核爆炸，根本不可能有像樣的人道主義救援。

There's no way to really help the immediate victims of a nuclear attack. 文法

根本無法真正幫助核襲擊的直接受害者。

This is not a hurricane,

這不是颶風、

wildfire,

野火、

or earthquake,

地震、

or nuclear accident.

或核事故。

It is all of these things at once, 表達脈絡

它是所有這些災難的集合體，

but worse.

甚至更糟。

No nation on earth is prepared to deal with 片語動詞

地球上沒有任何一個國家準備好應對

it.

它。

The world has changed in the past few years

過去幾年，世界發生了變化，

with world leaders again explicitly and publicly threatening each other with nuclear weapons.

強國領導人們又開始明確且公開地互相進行核威脅。

Many experts think the danger of a nuclear strike is higher than it has been in decades. 文法

許多專家認為，核打擊的危險性處於幾十年來的最高水準。

Governments tell their citizens that it's good that we have nuclear weapons, 表達脈絡

政府告訴公民，擁有核武器是好事，

but it's bad when anyone else gets them.

但別人擁有就是壞事。

That it's somehow necessary to threaten others with mass destruction to keep us safe. 語氣意圖

似乎有必要用大規模殺傷性武器威脅他人來保障我們的安全。

But does this make you feel safe? 表達脈絡

但這能讓你感到安全嗎？

It only takes a small group of people with power to go crazy or rogue, 文法

只要一小撮掌權者發瘋或失控，

a small misstep or a simple misunderstanding to unleash a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions. 片語搭配

一個小小的失誤或簡單的誤解，就足以引發一場難以想像的災難。

Exploding stuff in videos is fun. 表達脈絡

在影片裡引爆東西很好玩。

Exploding things in real life,

在現實生活中引爆東西，

not so much. 語氣意圖

就不那麼好玩了。

There is a solution, 表達脈絡

不過，還是有

though.

解決辦法的。

Eliminating all nuclear weapons and vowing never to build them again. 用詞

那就是銷毀所有核武器，並發誓永不再造。

In 2017,

2017年，

almost two-thirds of all the world's countries,

世界上幾乎三分之二的國家，

supported by hundreds of civil society organizations 用詞

在數百個民間社會組織

and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, 文化背景

以及紅十字會與紅新月會國際聯合會的支持下，

agreed to prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons. 片語搭配

同意禁止並徹底消除核武器。

It's not about who has nuclear weapons 表達脈絡

這與誰擁有核武器無關，

and who doesn't.

與誰沒有也無關。

The weapons themselves are the problem.

武器本身才是問題所在。

They are deeply immoral and an existential threat to all of us. 用詞

它們極不道德，對我們所有人都是生存威脅。

No matter what country you come from, 文法

無論你來自哪個國家，

no matter what political side you find yourself on,

無論你的政治立場如何，

we need to demand that they disappear forever.

我們都需要要求它們永遠消失。

This will not happen without pressure.

如果沒有壓力，這就不會發生。

If you want to be part of this pressure,

如果你想成為施加壓力的一員，

there are things you personally can do too.

你個人也有可以做的事。

Visit notonukes.org

請造訪notonukes.org

to learn more about nuclear weapons

了解更多關於核武器的資訊，

and what you can do about them.

以及你可以做些什麼。