日本承諾年底關閉福島核電站
Japan says it will shut down reactors at the Fukushima-1 power plant by the end of the year. The announcement comes despite revelations that a natural disaster in March damaged the nuclear facility worse than earlier believed.
日本表示，將在今年年底關閉福島核電站的一號核反應堆。在上述計劃宣佈的同時，有消息披露， 日本三月大地震對核設施的損毀要比早前認爲的更爲嚴峻。
Serious troubles continue to beleaguer the operators of the Japanese nuclear power plant in Fukushima prefecture that was crippled by an earthquake and tsunami. But Prime Minister Naoto Kan told parliament Monday the damaged reactors will be shut down sometime this year.
福島縣核電站在地震和海嘯中遭到破壞，核電站至今仍然面臨嚴峻問題。但是，日本首相菅直人星期一告訴國會，今年晚些時候將關閉被損毀的核電站。
Kan says the timeline for bringing the four damaged reactors into a state of cold shutdown will not be changed. He insists that will happen in six to nine months.
菅直人說，會按照原定時間將四個被損毀的核反應堆冷關閉。他堅定地表示，這項任務在未來6到9個月內會完成。
That timetable is consistent with a plan Tokyo Electric Power Company announced one month ago. But since then it has become apparent that the reactors suffered worse damage than earlier thought. The number one reactor, it is now acknowledged, suffered a meltdown soon after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami devastated northeastern Japan.
這個時間表與東京電力公司（TEPCO）一個月前宣佈的計劃是一致的。但是，自計劃公佈以後，一個越來越明顯的事實是，核反應堆遭受的損失要比先前以爲的要嚴重的多。有關方面承認，3月11號席捲日本東北部的大地震和海嘯發生後不久，核電站的一號反應堆被融毀。
Japanese experts say the fuel rods inside the reactor were fully exposed to the air and melted. However, the fuel apparently dropped to the bottom of the containment vessel, preventing it from going into a full meltdown stage.
日本專家說，反應堆內的燃料棒完全與空氣接觸並融毀。不過，由於燃料棒看起來落到反應堆的底部，避免了完全融毀。
Recent attempts to keep the reactor cool by filling the containment chamber with water have run into difficulty. The power company, known as TEPCO, says thousands of tons of highly radioactive contaminated water have leaked through holes created by melted fuel into the reactor basement.
但是，近來試圖通過向反應堆容器注水來降溫的努力似乎遇到了困難。東京電力公司說，融毀的燃料棒造成多處穿孔，數千噸含高輻射物質的污染水已經泄漏到底部。
TEPCO is scheduled to release a review of its shutdown plan on Tuesday.
東京電力公司預計星期二公佈關閉計劃的細節。On Sunday, the utility acknowledged that the fuel cores of two additional reactors at Fukushima-1 had also been substantially damaged and cooling water is leaking.
星期天， 這家公司承認，福島核電站的另外兩個核反應堆的堆芯燃料棒也遭到相當的損毀，冷卻水也在泄漏。
High radiation levels near the units are hampering critical repairs as workers can spend only a limited amount of time there to avoid overexposure.
由於核反應堆附近的核輻射強度太大，影響到重要的修復工作。爲了防止過度輻射，工人們呆在那裏的時間有限。
The world’s worst nuclear accident in a quarter of a century was triggered by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and huge tsunami that devastated Japan’s northeastern Pacific coast. Police say 25,000 people were killed or are still missing.
日本東北部太平洋沿岸發生的9級地震和巨大的海嘯導致了這場大約四分之一個世紀以來全球最嚴峻的核事故。 警方說，大約25000人在地震和海嘯中死亡或是失蹤。
Concerns about radiation emanating from the plant forced the evacuation of numerous communities.
由於擔心核電站的輻射，很多社區被迫撤離。
On Sunday, thousands more residents beyond the previously established 20-kilometer evacuation zone left their homes. Authorities say atmospheric conditions have raised long-term safety concerns about radiation levels in their towns and villages.
星期天，居住在最初設定的核電廠方圓20公里範圍撤離區外的數千名居民離開了家園。有關當局說，這些城鎮和村莊的空氣環境是否安全將是一個長期擔憂的問題。
About 80,000 people were initially forced out of their homes within the original no-go zone. They have yet to be informed when they might be able to reside there again.
大約有8萬人被迫離開了他們在最初確定的撤離區的家。他們什麼時候能夠重返家園，還在等待進一步的消息。
Analysts say the nuclear crisis alone could cost Japan between $50 billion and $100 billion. Beyond that, the country, which has been in the economic doldrums for years, needs to figure out how to pay for the equally significant cost of rebuilding hundreds of coastal communities that were washed away by tsunami and other cities that suffered substantial quake damage. Some economists predict that will cost an additional $200 billion.
分析人士說，僅核危機一項就有可能給日本帶來500億到1000億美元的損失。除此之外，由於沿海地區數百個社區被海嘯沖毀，其他一些城市也在地震中也受到了嚴重損害，日本還需要想辦法支付這些地方的巨大重建開支。 日本經濟已經停滯了數年。一些經濟學家預測， 重建災區可能另外需要2000億美元。
