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On April 26, 1986, Unit 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in northern Ukraine, then a part of the Soviet Union, was shut down for an unauthorized safety test. When the nuclear fuel rods hit the cooling water, the fission reaction accelerated out of control due to a sudden power surge. This caused the reactor to overheat and build up pressure until its structure failed and it blew up, releasing large amounts of radiation. It took officials a whole day to comprehend the scale of the disaster and to order an evacuation of the surrounding area. Some 50,000 people had to leave, not knowing that they would never return.
译文：1986年4月26日，当时属于苏联的乌克兰北部切尔诺贝利核反应堆4号机组因未经授权的安全测试而关闭。当核燃料棒撞击冷却水时，由于突然的能量激增，裂变反应加速失控。这导致反应堆过热，压力不断增加，直到其结构崩溃并爆炸，释放出大量辐射。官方花了一整天的时间来了解这场灾难的规模，并下令疏散周围地区。大约5万人在不知情的情况下被迫离开。
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In the following months, massive efforts were made to decontaminate the area while increased radiation levels were detected across much of Europe. Fallout from the disaster continues to this day, decades later, and long-term effects such as cancers are still being investigated. Estimates of the number of deaths that will eventually result from the accident vary enormously.
译文：接下来的几个月，在欧洲大部分地区检测到辐射水平上升的同时，政府做出了大量努力去除核污染。直至今日，灾难的余波仍在继续，癌症等长期影响仍在调查中。对这次事故最终造成的死亡人数的估计相差很大。
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The forest area near the reactor site is one of the most radioactive places on Earth. Named the Red Forest because its trees turned a reddish-brown color as they died, the forest is trying to make a recovery. Animals such as elk and eagles have been seen in the area. And birch trees grow where the radioactive trees of the forest were bulldozed and buried by the Soviet government.
译文：反应堆附近的森林地区是地球上放射性最强的地区之一。这片森林之所以被命名为“红色森林”，是因为这里的树木死后变成了棕红色，森林正在努力恢复。该地区曾出现过麋鹿和鹰等动物。而桦树就生长在曾经苏联政府铲平和掩埋森林放射性树木的地方。
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Some people have returned as well, mostly former residents who returned illegally after the evacuation. The old company town of Pripyat, once home to 50,000 plant workers is still deserted, but is slowly being reclaimed by the forest. It seems that nature can recover and even thrive where humans cannot. Let's hope that humans can learn from this experience. Chernobyl, and more recently, Fukushima in Japan, have lessons to teach us.
译文：有些人也已经回来了，大多数是撤离后非法返回的前居民。昔日的公司镇——普里皮亚特(Pripyat)曾是5万名电厂工人的家园，如今仍是一片荒芜，但森林正在慢慢地将其收回。似乎大自然可以恢复，甚至在人类无法生存的地方茁壮成长。让我们期待人类能够从中吸取教训。切尔诺贝利，以及最近的日本福岛，都给了我们一些教训。
Exercises:
1. — What is one of lessons we should learn from Chernobyl?
— Never underestimate the danger of nuclear technologies.
2. — What is the purpose of this text?
— It's to educate.
3. Fallout from a nuclear explosion contains radioactive particles carried into the atmosphere.
4. Something is authorized if it is officially permitted.
5. To reclaim something means to take it back from where it was lost or stolen.
6. — What do we know about the old company town of Pripyat?
— It is still deserted.
Please tap the first correct sentence to appear:
1. What caused the reactor to overheat?
2. What is one of the most radioactive places on Earth?
Fill in the blanks:
1. In the following months, massive efforts were made to decontaminate the area while increased radiation levels were detected across much of Europe.
2. When the nuclear fuel rods hit the cooling water, the fission reaction accelerated out of control due to a sudden power surge. This caused the reactor to overheat and build up pressure until its structure failed and it blew up, releasing large amounts of radiation. It took officials a whole day to comprehend the scale of the disaster and to order an evacuation of the surrounding area.
Put the sentences below in order:
(1) Named the Red Forest because its trees turned a reddish-brown color as they died, the forest is trying to make a recovery.
(2) Animals such as elk and eagles have been seen in the area.
(3) The forest area near the reactor site is one of the most radioactive places on Earth.
(4) And birch trees grow where the radioactive trees of the forest were bulldozed and buried by the Soviet government.
Correct Order: (3) (1) (2) (4)
Repeat & Read Sentences:
1. It's clear that officials were completely unprepared for the accident.
2. Let's hope that humans can learn from this experience.
3. It seems that nature can recover and even thrive where humans cannot.
4. Fallout from the disaster continues to this day, decades later, and long-term effects such as cancers are still being investigated.
5. When the nuclear fuel rods hit the cooling water, the fission reaction accelerated out of control due to a sudden power surge.
