BBC原文：

At least 46 people have been killed after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit southwestern China, state media said. The quake struck at 13:00 local time in Sichuan province at a depth of 10km. The impact severed telecommunications lines and triggered mountain landslides that caused serious damage.

据中国官方媒体报道，中国西南部发生6.8级地震，造成至少46人死亡。地震于当地时间13点发生在四川省，震源深度为10公里。此次地震切断了电信线路，引发山体滑坡，造成严重破坏。

1.a 6.8 magnitude earthquake 6.8级地震（magnitude n. 震级）

2.at a depth of 达到...的深度

3.sever telecommunications lines 切断电信线路（sever /?sev?(r) v. 切断）

4.trigger mountain landslides 引发山体滑坡

Some 21 million people in Sichuan’s capital Chengdu were last week ordered to stay at home because of Covid rules. The epicentre of the quake was at Luding, a town in a remote mountain region located about 226km southwest of Chengdu, according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre. 17 people died in the city of Ya’an, while 29 deaths were reported in the neighbouring prefecture of Ganzi.

由于疫情防控要求，四川省会成都约2100万人上周被要求居家。中国地震台网中心的数据显示，此次地震震中位于成都西南约226公里处偏远山区的泸定镇，雅安市有17人死亡，邻县甘孜有29人死亡。

5.be ordered to stay at home 被要求居家

6.epicentre n. 震中

7.China Earthquake Networks Centre 中国地震台网中心

【拓展】

8.rescue work 救援工作

例句：At least 690 rescuers from the Sichuan Forest Fire Brigade have begun rescue work in affected towns.

来自四川森林消防总队的至少690名救援人员已经开始在受灾城镇展开救援工作。

9.activate the highest level of emergency response 启动最高级别应急响应

例句：The earthquake relief headquarters in Ganzi activated its highest level of emergency response.

位于甘孜的抗震救灾指挥部启动了最高级别的应急响应。

10.minimize casualties 减少人员伤亡

例句：Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out rescue efforts to minimize casualties after a magnitude-6.8 earthquake jolted southwest China’s Sichuan Province, stressing that saving lives should be taken as the primary task.

在中国西南部四川省发生6.8级地震后，中国国家主席习近平下令全力开展救援工作，将伤亡人数降至最低，并强调要把挽救生命作为首要任务。