05-13-08

震灾未阻止奥运火炬在四川传递 (Quake Disaster Won't Stop Olympic Torch Relay in Sichuan)

北京奥组委说，2008奥运火炬的接力活动将按计划下个月在四川省举行。

北京奥组委发言人今天(星期二)说，四川地震灾区不在定于举行火炬接力的线路附近，因此不影响接力活动。

星期一7.9级地震的震中位于四川。大部分确认的死伤也在该省。

奥运火炬接力活动今天在福建省的城市龙岩继续进行。预计火炬下个月抵达四川，于6月15号到18号期间在7座城市传递。

The organizing committee for the Beijing Olympics says the torch relay for the 2008 Games will go on as planned in China's Sichuan province next month.

Speaking in Beijing today (Tuesday), a spokesman for the committee said the earthquake in Sichuan will not affect the relay because the quake-stricken areas are not along the route.

The epicenter of Monday's seven-point-nine magnitude earthquake was in Sichuan, and most of the confirmed deaths from the quake are in the province.

The Olympic torch relay continued today in the Chinese city of Longyan, in the province of Fujian. The torch is expected to reach Sichuan province next month, touring seven cities between June 15th to June 18th.

震中附近一些中国熊猫安然无恙 (Some Chinese Pandas Near Center of Earthquake Zone Safe)

中国官员说，在星期一强烈地震的震中附近的成都一个熊猫繁殖中心内的大约60只熊猫安然无恙。但是官方的新华社星期二说，目前还不清楚也在灾区的卧龙附近的另外一个研究中心里的熊猫状况。

熊猫属于世界最濒危动物。人们努力维持这一物种的生存，包括建立繁殖中心，繁殖熊猫，把他们放生野外。只有大约一千六百只野生熊猫生活在中国西部山区。

Chinese officials say about 60 giant pandas at a Chengdu breeding center near the epicenter of Monday's devastating earthquake are safe. However, the official Xinhua news agency said today (Tuesday) that there was no immediate word on the status of the pandas at another research center near Wolong, also located in the disaster area.

Pandas are among the world's most endangered animals. The breeding centers are part of efforts to help ensure the survival of the species by breeding them to be released into the wild. Only about 16 hundred pandas live in the wild in China's mountainous west.