Chinese Officials Call for Tents to House Earthquake Survivors
中国副总领事促国际间给灾民帐篷

 
Chinese officials are urging the international community to aid earthquake relief efforts by donating tents to shelter the estimated five million Chinese who lost their homes. The 7.9 magnitude quake flattened some 45,000 buildings, not including private homes. The official death toll has climbed to more than 51,000, with more than 29,000 people missing.

中国有关官员敦促国际社会协助地震救灾工作，为在地震中失去家园的大约500万中国灾民提供帐篷。这场7.9级的大地震把四万五千幢建筑夷为平地，这还不包括私人住房。官方统计的死亡人数已经攀升到五万一千多人，还有两万九千多人失踪。

Kuang Weilin, deputy consul-general of the Chinese Consulate in New York, praised the Chinese and international communities for their quick response to the devastating earthquake.

中国驻纽约总领事馆副总领事邝伟林赞扬中国和国际社会对这场破坏性地震作出的快速反应。

"[In] this time, I think that not only the people in China united but also the whole world. The whole world is behind those unfortunate people who are affected by the earthquake," he said.

他说：“我认为，这次不仅中国人民团结一致，全世界也团结行动，支持那些受地震袭击的不幸灾民。”

Kuang says after the quake hit May 12, the Chinese military launched the biggest rescue and relief effort in China's history, sending 120,000 soldiers to the disaster areas. He says the government has allocated $10 million to a special reconstruction fund and cut spending by five percent this year to fund quick relief efforts.

邝伟林说，在5月12号发生地震后，中国军方发起了中国历史上规模最大的营救和救灾行动，向灾区派遣了12万名官兵。他说，中国政府已经拨款700亿人民币建立一个特别重建基金，并且把今年的政府支出削减5%，以便为快速救援工作提供资金。

Kuang says international donors have given more than $280 million. The New York Consulate alone received more than three million dollars in donations.

邝伟林说，国际上已经捐献了两亿八千多万美元，仅中国驻纽约领事馆就收到了300多万美元的捐款。

"On the whole, rescue and relief efforts have been doing very well, and great progress has been made. I think on the whole, the situation in the earthquake-stricken areas is improving. Roads have been repaired and reopened, communications and power [have] been restored in most areas, and even some students have resumed classes in some areas. Having said that, I think we are still faced with very daunting challenges," he said.

他说：“总体来说，营救和救灾工作进行得非常顺利，取得了很大进展。我认为，总体上来说，地震灾区的情况正在改善。道路被修复，重新通车，大部分地区恢复了通讯和供电，一些地区的一些学生甚至已经返回课堂。尽管如此，我们仍然面对非常大的挑战。”

Kuang cites damaged dams and roads, difficulties in transporting relief materials and the dangers of disease in the worst-hit areas as some of the challenges.

邝伟林提到水坝和公路的损毁、运送救援物资的困难以及重灾区可能爆发流行疾病等多种挑战。

He says the biggest need now is for tents to shelter the millions of Chinese who lost their homes. Some 400,000 have already been distributed, but China is calling for more than three million more.

他说，目前最需要的是帐篷，以便为数百万失去住宅的人提供临时庇护。目前已经分发了大约40万顶帐篷，但是中国现在呼吁再提供300万顶帐篷。

Kuang says the Chinese government is determined to save as many lives as possible at whatever cost. He encourages survivors to be strong.

邝伟林说，中国政府决心，不管付出何种代价，都要尽可能多地挽救生命。他鼓励灾民要坚强。

"I think we have to move forward and with the support of the government and people of other parts of the country as well as the whole world, they will surely overcome their difficulties and rebuild their homelands. And we are willing to do anything for them and the government is willing to do anything for them. And the world community will also contribute," he said.

他说：“我想，我们必须继续生活下去，有政府、全国其他地区的人民以及全世界人民的帮助，他们一定会克服困难，重建家园。我们愿意竭尽全力，政府也在竭尽全力帮助他们。国际社会也在尽力相助。”

Kuang says relief efforts are moving into a second phase. He says the government is focused now on resettlement and reconstruction and paying special attention to the emotional needs of the victims, many of them children made orphans by the quake.

邝伟林说，目前救援工作正进入第二阶段。他说，政府目前工作的重心是安置以及重建，特别是注意灾民的心理。许多孩子在震后变成孤儿。