After the violent earthquake that shook Los Angeles in 1994, earthquake scientists had good news to report: The damage and death toll could have been much worse.
1994年洛杉矶发生强烈地震后，地震学家们有好消息要报告：破坏和死亡人数本应该更严重。
More than 60 people died in this earthquake. By comparison, as earthquake of similar intensity that shook America in 1988 claimed 25,000 victims.
超过60人在这次地震中丧生，而1988年美国发生的类似强度的地震造成25000人遇难。
Injuries and deaths were relatively less in Los Angeles because the quake occurred at 4:31 a.m. on a holiday, when traffic was light on the city’s highways. In addition, changes made to the construction codes in Los Angeles during the last 20 years have strengthened the city’s buildings and highways, making them more resistant to quakes.
洛杉矶的伤亡人数相对较少，因为地震发生在假日凌晨4点31分，当时该市高速公路上的交通很繁忙。此外，在过去20年中，洛杉矶建筑规范的变化加固了该市的建筑和高速公路，使其抗震能力更佳。
Despite the good news, civil engineers aren’t resting on their successes. Pinned to their drawing boards are blueprints for improved quake-resistant buildings. The new designs should offer even greater security to cities where earthquakes often take place.
尽管有好消息，土木工程师们并没有止步于他们的成功。他们的画板上钉着改进抗震建筑的蓝图。新的设计应该为经常发生地震的城市提供更大的安全保障。
In the past, making structures quake-resistant meant firm yet flexible materials, such as steel and wood, that bend without breaking. Later, people tried to lift a building off its foundation, and insert rubber and steel between the building and its foundation to reduce the impact of ground vibrations. The most recent designs give buildings brains as well as concrete and steel supports. Called smart buildings, the structures respond like living organisms to an earthquake’s vibrations. When the ground shakes and the building tips forward, the computer would force the building to shift in the opposite direction.
过去让结构抗震意味着坚固而灵活的材料，如钢和木材，可以弯曲而不断裂。后来，人们试图将一座建筑从地基上升起，在建筑和地基之间插入橡胶和钢材，以减少地面振动的影响。最新的设计为建筑提供了大脑以及混凝土和钢支撑。这种结构被称为智能建筑，它像生物体一样对地震的振动做出反应。当地面震动，建筑物向前倾斜时，计算机会迫使建筑物向相反的方向移动。
The new smart structures could be very expensive to build. However, they would save many lives and would be less likely to be damaged during earthquakes.
新的智能结构建造起来可能非常昂贵。然而，它们将挽救许多人的生命，并且在地震中减少受损可能。
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