The China Earthquake of July 28, 1976 (The Tangshan Earthquake)

　　No other earthquake in this century has been as catastrophic or has claimed as many lives as the great earthquake that struck the city of Tangshan, in Northern China, on July 28, 1976. Tangshan, a thriving industrial city with one million inhabitants, is located only about 95 miles east, and slightly south, of Beijing. Although the region had experienced moderate seismic activity in the past, the city of Tangshan has been built on unstable, alluvial soil. To make matters worse, The city is located in the center of an area with major crustal faults on four sides. Furthermore, a 25-mile long fault passes through Tangshan, where only few of its structures are earthquake-resistant.

　　In the early morning hours of July 28, while the city was asleep, the magnitude 8.0 earthquake with its epicenter right on the city broke a five-mile section of the fault. Along the west side of the fault the land moved five feet northward in relation to the land on the east side. The east block tipped downward at the northern end of the break, and upward toward the south end. Over a four-by-five mile area the devastation of the city was nearly total. The force of the quake motions were so strong that people reported being thrown in the air. Within seconds, thousands died. Property destruction was unbelievable. Bridges, railroads, homes, factories were completely leveled. In the harbor city of Tientsin, 60 miles to the southwest, and in Beijing to the west, the quake jolts forced thousands of frightened people into the streets seeking refuge from aftershocks。

　　1976年7月28日特大地震(唐山大地震)

　　在本世纪，没有任何其他大地震能与发生在1976年7月28日中国北方的唐山市所造成的巨大灾难或死亡人数相比的特大地震。唐山位于北京东部偏南95英里(原文如此，译者注)，人口一百万，是一个繁荣的工业城市。过去该地区曾经历过中度地震活动，唐山市的地基不稳定，土壤为冲积土质。更为糟糕的是，唐山正好处于四周为主要的地壳断层的区域中心。此外， 25英里长的断层带正好通过唐山，唐山的建筑物结构很少具有抗震性。

　　7月28日清晨，整个城市还在睡梦中，突然爆发了8.0级特大地震，震中在断层的5英里处，正好是唐山市的中心位置。与东侧相对而言，沿着断层的西侧整个土地向北移动了5英尺。在裂缝处北端东部，地块北向下倾斜，南边翘起。整个唐山几乎全部夷为平地。有报道说，地震的威力之强大把人都抛到了空中。顷刻间，数千人丧失了生命。财产的损失更是难以置信。桥梁、铁路、房屋、工厂完全夷为平地。在西南60英里以外的港口城市天津，及西面的北京，大地震动迫使数以千计受到惊吓的老百姓在后来的多次余震中露宿街头寻求安全。

• 汶川大地震英语作文
• 有关于地震的英语作文