译文赏析：Chinese find strength and hope in earthquake rubble

On May 12, 2008, an earthquake of 8 magnitude struck in Sichuan. Everyone in China was shocked, and quickly became heartbroken as reported deaths climbed from 10,000 to 32,000 to more than 62,000 people. The death toll is still rising, and the number of injured and missing is many times more.

The Chinese people faced this disaster with compassion and courage. I was touched by the teacher who died forming a bridge with his body between two desks, protecting four surviving students under him, by the trapped child who told the rescue workers to save others first, and by the dying mother who texted her baby, "My Treasure: If you survive, always remember I love you." She died using her own body to shield her 3-month-old from harm. But don't worry about this baby growing up without a family. Thousands of families in China have already volunteered to adopt earthquake orphans.

And the Chinese people faced this disaster with resourcefulness and tenacity. A brave executive took his weekend SUV, drove hundreds of miles, started digging, and saved several lives. A child used his hands to dig out two fellow students. His hands were severely injured, but his friends survived. Cab drivers turned their cars into ambulances and delivery trucks. More than 100,000 brave soldiers risked (and some gave) their lives to find every survivor. [ 阅读全文 ]