Upper-Intermediate - An Urgent Call to the Embassy

(D1881)

A: 新西兰三日早晨发生里氏5.7级地震，震中位于
惠灵顿西北160公里处，震源在地表以下200公里
处。北岛许多地区和南岛北部地区均有震感。有
惠灵顿居民说，地震持续了大约7秒钟，震感明
显。
Xı̄nxı̄lán sān rı̀ zǎochén fāshēng lı̌shı̀ wǔ diǎn qı̄ jı́ dı̀zhèn,
zhènzhōng wèiyú Huı̀lı́ngdùn xı̄běi yı̄bǎi liùshı́ gōnglı̌ chù,
zhènyuán zài dı̀biǎo yı̌xià liǎngbǎi gōnglı̌ chù. Běidǎo xǔ-
duō dı̀qū hé Nándǎo běibù dı̀qū jūn yǒu zhèngǎn. yǒu Huı̀-
lı́ngdùn jūmı́n shuō, dı̀zhèn chı́xù le dàyuē qı̄ miǎozhōng,
zhèngǎn mı́ngxiǎn.
On the morning of the third, New Zealand experienced an
earthquake of 5.7 magnitude on the Richter scale. The epi-
center was located 160 kilometers northwest of Wellington.
The hypocenter of the earthquake was located 200 kilome-
ters beneath the earth’s surface. Many areas on both the
northern island and northern part of the southern island
were affected. Residents of Wellington say that the earth-
quake lasted for around seven seconds and that the effects
were very noticeable.

B: 啊，新西兰地震了，而且震中就在惠灵顿附近！
ā, Xı̄nxı̄lán dı̀zhèn le, érqiě zhènzhōng jiù zài Huı̀lı́ngdùn
fùjı̀n!
Hey, there was an earthquake in New Zealand and the epi-
center was near Wellington!

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 C: 赶紧给女儿打电话！
gǎnjı̌n gěi nü
ǔ’ér dǎ diànhuà!
Give our daughter a call quick!

B: 快打快打！
kuài dǎ kuài dǎ!
Hurry up and dial!

C: （嘟嘟嘟...... ）打不通！怎么办？
（ dūdūdū...... ） dǎbutōng! zěnme bàn?
(Beep, beep, beep...) It won’t go through! What should we
do?

B: 要不打给大使馆问问情况？
yàobu dǎ gěi dàshı̌guǎn wèn wen qı́ngkuàng?
Why don’t we give the embassy a call and ask what the
situation is?

C: 好。我心里很慌，你打吧。
hǎo. wǒ xı̄nli hěn huāng, nı̌ dǎ ba.
OK. I’m terrified. You call.

B: 好，我打。（嘟嘟嘟...... ）
hǎo, wǒ dǎ.（ dūdūdū...... ）
OK, I’ll call. (Beep, beep, beep...)

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 D: 你好，中国驻新西兰大使馆。
nı̌hǎo, Zhōngguó zhù Xı̄nxı̄lán dàshı̌guǎn.
Hello, New Zealand China embassy.

B: 你好，我刚听新闻说新西兰发生了地震，我女儿
在惠灵顿留学，我现在联系不到她，我想问问那
边情况怎么样？
nı̌hǎo, wǒ gāng tı̄ng xı̄nwén shuō Xı̄nxı̄lán fāshēng le dı̀-
zhèn, wǒ nüǔ’ér zài Huı̀lı́ngdùn liúxué, wǒ xiànzài liánxı̀ bu-
dào tā, wǒ xiǎng wèn wen nàbiān qı́ngkuàng zěnmeyàng?
Hi, I just heard news that there was an earthquake in New
Zealand. My daughter is studying in Wellington but I can’t
reach her now. I’d like to know what the situation is there.

D: 据消防部门和警方说，目前没有接到地震造成人
员伤亡或较大财产损失的报告。联系不到可能是
由于通讯信号受到了地震影响，请不要太担心，
可能过一会儿通讯就恢复了。
jù xiāofáng bùmén hé jı̌ngfāng shuō, mùqián méiyǒu jiēdào
dı̀zhèn zàochéng rényuán shāngwáng huò jiàodà cáichǎn
sǔnshı̄ de bàogào. liánxı̀ budào kěnéng shı̀ yóuyú tōngxùn
xı̀nhào shòudào le dı̀zhèn yı̌ngxiǎng, qı̌ng bùyào tài dānxı̄n,
kěnéng guò yı̄huı̌r tōngxùn jiù huı̄fù le.

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 According to the fire and police departments, there are cur-
rently no reports of injuries, deaths, or property damages
due to the earthquake. If you can’t reach them it may be be-
cause the communication signal was affected by the earth-
quake. Please don’t worry. If you wait a bit the signal may
return.

B: 好的，谢谢！
hǎo de, xièxie!
OK. Thank you!

C: 别挂别挂，把电话给我。喂，同志，作为家长，
我们真的很着急，你们可以帮忙打听我女儿的下
落吗？
bié guà bié guà, bǎ diànhuà gěi wǒ. wéi, tóngzhı̀, zuòwéi
jiāzhǎng, wǒmen zhēnde hěn zháojı́, nı̌men kěyı̌ bāngmáng
dǎting wǒ nü
ǔ’ér de xiàluò ma?
Don’t hang up. Give me the phone. Hello sir. As parents
we’re really very worried. Could you help us inquire into our
daughter’s whereabouts?

D: 帮助和保护中国公民是我们的职责。把你女儿的
护照号码告诉我一下。
bāngzhù hé bǎohù Zhōngguó gōngmı́n shı̀ wǒmen de zhı́-
zé. bǎ nı̌ nü
ǔ’ér de hùzhào hàomǎ gàosu wǒ yı̄xià.
Helping and protecting Chinese citizens is our job. Tell me
your daughter’s passport number.

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 C: 好，太感谢您了！
hǎo, tài gǎnxiè nı́n le!
OK. Thank you so much!

（嘟嘟嘟......电话响了。）
（ dūdūdū...... diànhuà xiǎng le.）
(Beep, beep, beep...the phone starts to ring)

B: 女儿啊，你没事吧？刚刚联系不到你，我和你妈
都快急死了......
nü
ǔ’ér a, nı̌ méishı̀ ba? gānggāng liánxı̀ budào nı̌, wǒ hé nı̌
mā dōu kuài jı́sı̌ le......
Daughter, are you OK? We were just unable to contact you.
Your mother and I were worried sick...

Key Vocabulary

新西兰 Xı̄nxı̄lán New Zealand

里氏 lı̌shı̀ Richter scale

级 jı́ magnitude

地震 dı̀zhèn earthquake

震中 zhènzhōng epicenter

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 位于 wèiyú to be located at

处 chù area

惠灵顿 Huı̀lı́ngdùn Wellington

震源 zhènyuán hypocenter

地表 dı̀biǎo earth’s crust

均 jūn all

震感 zhèngǎn tremor

持续 chı́xù to continue, to persist

明显 mı́ngxiǎn clear, noticeable

打不通 dǎbutōng to be unable to con-

nect (phone call)

大使馆 dàshı̌guǎn embassy

慌 huāng to be afraid

驻 zhù stationed in

据 jù according to

消防 xiāofáng fire prevention

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 警方 jı̌ngfāng police

造成 zàochéng to cause

伤亡 shāngwáng casualties

财产 cáichǎn property

损失 sǔnshı̄ loss

通讯 tōngxùn communication

信号 xı̀nhào signal

受到 shòudào to receive

影响 yı̌ngxiǎng effect

恢复 huı̄fù to recover

家长 jiāzhǎng parent

打听 dǎting to ask about

下落 xiàluò whereabouts

公民 gōngmı́n citizen

职责 zhı́zé job responsibility

Supplementary Vocabulary

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 强度 qiángdù degree of intensity

单位 dānwèi unit

起始点 qı̌shı̌diǎn point of origin

新闻报导 xı̄nwén bào- news story

dǎo

死亡 sı̌wáng death

首都 shǒudū capital (of a country)

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