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It's going to take a great deal of research
要证实通过观测岩石和动物预测地震的理论
and a lot more earthquakes
科学家们还需要
before theories about rocks or animals are ever proven.
作更多的调查和研究
But mainstream science has practically given up
但实际上 主流科学界已放弃
on funding these kinds of experiments,
资助这些实验
and many geologists even question the value of prediction.
很多地质学者甚至质疑预测的价值
Well, what would you do with it? Let's imagine I can tell you
你知道后又能怎样 如果我告诉你
there'll be an earthquake in a hour, what would you do?
一小时后将会发生地震 你会怎么做
You'd get your camera out,
拿着你的摄影机
or your tape recorder or something,
或录像机逃生
if you were in a building, you'd probably go outside
你会从身处的建筑物里逃出来
because you might think it's gonna fall down,
因为你认为建筑物会倒塌
that's not particularly useful,
所以说预测的作用并不大
the building is gonna fall down, that is the problem.
建筑还是照样会倒塌 这才是问题所在
Would you rather have an hour to get out of a building
你宁愿有一小时的逃生时间
or a building that didn't fall down in the first place?
还是建筑物在地震中屹立不倒呢
It's a real possibility
当我们作出预测时
that we'd have more people dying on the freeway
死在逃生路上的人数
trying to get away when we made a prediction
很有可能比在地震中
than we would have killed in the earthquake when it happened.
遇害的人数要多
Unable to predict these disasters,
由于无法预测这些灾难
California has turned itself
加州成为了世界上
into one of the most earthquake-proof places on the planet.
最抗震的城市之一
In Los Angeles, every new skyscraper
在洛杉矶 每一座摩天大厦
has been built following strict construction codes.
都是严格按照建筑法规建造的
Hundreds of freeway flyovers
上百条高架高速路
have been retro-fitted and re-enforced,
都经过翻新和加固
and as the city expands into the surrounding counties,
随着城市向周遭小郡的扩张
the fault lines are what matters
断层线成为房地产选址
when it comes to choosing real estate.
必须考虑的重要问题

重点解释

But mainstream science has practically given up但实际上，主流科学界已放弃

give up:放弃

She doesn't give up easily.

她做任何事都不轻易放弃。

常用短语:

give up for lost认定(某人)己无生还的希望,认为某事己没有希望

Just as it had been given up for lost,the book was found.

正当大家认为书已丢失时，这本书却被找到了。

give oneself up to向 ... 自首

He decided to give himself up to the police.

他决定向警方自首。

because you might think it's gonna fall down,因为你认为建筑物会倒塌

fall down:跌倒；倒塌

The worker fell down from the scaffold.

那个工人从脚手架掉了下来。

You must watch your step so as not to fall down.

你必须留心脚下才不会跌下去。