福岛核电站积水核幅射水平急剧增高

Japan says levels of radiation contamination in water inside part of the Fukushima nuclear power plant have increased sharply. Workers at the plant spent the day Sunday on improvements to the water pumping system that is keeping the reactors cool.

日本政府表示，福岛核电站内部积水的核幅射水平急剧增高。星期天，核电站的工作人员继续改善冷却核反应堆的排水系统。

The level of radioactive Iodine-134 in water in the basement of a turbine building adjoining the plant's Number-2 reactor spiked to more than 10 million times that of normal conditions.

福岛核电站2号反应堆汽轮机房地下室积水的放射性碘-134的水平急剧上升，达到正常标准的1千万倍。

At that level it is a thousands times more radioactive than water found in the neighboring Number-1 and -3 reactor buildings. It was in the Number-3 building on Thursday that two workers sustained heavy radiation contamination after standing in water without wearing boots.

比相邻的1号和3号反应堆积水的核放射性水平也要高出1千倍以上。上星期四，两名工作人员在没有穿靴子的情况下站在3号反应堆的积水里，从而遭受了严重的核幅射。

Government officials and plant operators say they are not sure where the radioactive contamination is coming from. But there is a possibility it is coming from the reactor core.

政府官员和核电站管理人员表示，他们不清楚核放射来自何处，但有可能来自核反应堆芯。核电站周围海水中的核放射水平也有提高。

Levels of contamination are also rising in seawater around the plant.

Hidehiko Nishiyama, deputy director-general of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says Iodine-131 levels in seawater have been measured at 1,850 times the legal limit, up from 1,250 times the day before. He says the levels do not pose any immediate danger to human health.

日本原子力安全保安院副院长西山英彦说，海水中所含碘-134的水平已经达到法定标准的1,850倍，比前一天提高了1,250倍。他还表示，这一水平并不对人体健康构成立即的威胁。

Work at the plant continued on Sunday to improve the water-pumping system that is attempting to keep the reactor and spent fuel rods cool.

星期天，核电站内的工作人员继续改善冷却核反应堆和燃料棒的排水系统。

Fire trucks were due to be replaced by portable pumps and the water supply from seawater to fresh water. There is a worry that continued use of seawater could corrode pipes and valves and cause future problems.

他们计划用消防车来取代便携式水泵，用淡水取代海水。专家们担心，继续使用海水会腐蚀管道和阀门，给今后带来更多的问题。

The situation at the plant does appear to be stabilizing, although the government warns it will take a long time for things to be brought fully under control.

核电站的情况目前看来正在稳定下来。但是日本政府警告说，需要很长一段时间才能把局势完全掌控下来。

More than two weeks have passed since a massive earthquake and tsunami destroyed large portions of Japan's eastern coast. Japanese police say about 10,500 people are confirmed dead and 16,600 are missing.

日本发生强大地震和海啸，东海岸部分地区遭受毁灭性打击已经过去两个星期了。日本警方表示，已经证实有1万零500人死亡，16,600人仍旧失踪。