【精英翻譯】的部落格

精英翻譯轉自https://paper.udn.com/papers.php?pname=POH0054

Weathering and erosion usually take thousands of years to change Earth's surface. However, earthquakes, volcanoes, and other violent weathers can change Earth's surface quickly.

風化和侵蝕通常需要數千年的時間才能改變地貌。然而，地震、火山和其他惡劣的天氣，卻能迅速改變地貌。

An earthquake is the shaking of Earth's surface caused by the sudden movement of rock in the crust. Earthquakes can cause great changes to the land. They can cause land to fall or rise. They can collapse mountains and even change the routes that rivers and streams follow.

地震是地殼板塊突然移動所造成的地表震動，可導致陸地產生重大變化，例如造成陸地下降或上升，地震能使高山崩塌，甚至改變河川或溪流的路徑。

Volcanoes can also instantly change Earth's surface. When a volcano erupts, lava and other materials flow onto Earth's surface. These materials build up to form a mountain. Many underwater volcanoes can even create islands in the middle of Earth's oceans.

火山也可能立即改變地貌。當火山爆發時，熔岩和其他物質流至地表，這些物質會堆積成山，許多海底火山甚至能在地球的海洋中央形成島嶼。

Hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods can also change Earth's surface quickly. Hurricanes cause strong winds and heavy rains. Tornadoes are powerful windstorms that destroy most things in their paths. Floods carry away rocks and soil. These violent types of weather can change the land in just a few minutes or hours.

颶風、龍捲風和洪水也會快速改變地貌。颶風會帶來強風豪雨。龍捲風則是強烈的暴風，會摧毀路徑上的大部分物體。洪水會沖刷岩石和土壤。這些猛烈的天氣型態只需要幾秒或幾小時便能改變陸地。