BBC 1-2

News Item 1

The Japanese government has played down concern about a possible nuclear meltdown, following a big explosion at a nuclear power station in the north of the country.

play down
贬低；降低；减少
nuclear
adj.原子能的；中心的；细胞核的；原子核的
meltdown
n.彻底跨代

译：日本北部一座核电站发生大爆炸后，日本政府淡化了对可能发生核泄漏的担忧。

The blast occurred a day after the area was hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunami.

blast
n.爆炸；冲击波；一阵
vi.猛攻
vt.使枯萎；损害；爆炸

译：爆炸发生在该地区遭受强烈地震和海啸袭击的第二天。

A top government official, Yukio Edano, said a steel container encasing the nuclear reactor had not been ruptured by the blast.

container
n.容器；集装箱；货柜
encase
vt.把...放入盒内；把...装箱
rupture
n.破裂；决裂；疝气
vi. 破裂；发疝气
vt. 使破裂；断绝；发生疝气

译：日本政府高级官员枝野幸男(Yukio Edano)表示，包围核反应堆的钢制容器在爆炸中没有破裂。

News Item 2

Fifty thousand Japanese military personnel had been ordered to join the huge rescue and relief operation following the earthquake and tsunami.

personnel
n.人员；员工人事部门
relief
n.减轻，解除；救济；安慰

译：地震和海啸发生后，5万名日本军事人员奉命参加大规模的救援行动。

More than 1,000 people are feared dead. About 400 bodies were found in the town of Rikuzentakata, and Japanese media reports say 10,000 people are unaccounted for in Minamisanriku.

fear
n.害怕，恐惧，可能性
vt.畏惧，害怕，担心
vi.害怕，忧虑
be unaccounted for
下落不明的；未予解释的
Account for
对...负有责任；对...做出解释；说明...的原因

译：估计超过1000人已经死亡。在陆前高田市发现了大约400具尸体，日本媒体报道说，南三陆町有1万人下落不明。

Damian Grammaticas in the port of Sendai says the scenes of devastation there are astonishing.

devastation
n.毁灭；破坏
astonishing
adj.使人吃惊的，惊人的

译：仙台港口的达米安·格拉马迪卡斯说，那里的破坏场景令人震惊。