走到天亮

I got an offer to accompany an elderly american to visit Quake area.  I've got to do some preparation in english, hoping to have a successful performance by then.

突然发生 strike(take place in sudden)
地震无任何预兆地发生 the quake hit without warning
地震发生在晚上8点零7分 The quake struck at 2:28 pm.
摇晃wobble,shake,jolt,rock  建筑物摇晃building swayed
剧烈摇晃shaking severely/intensely/strongly/terribly
重庆有震感,持续2分钟 quake was also felt here,lasting for 2 mins
(人)眩晕的(物)使人眩晕的 dizzy  震感明显 tremor was evident
感觉自己在晃 felt myself in shaking like on a boat
地震tremor(美语)  地震袭击区 quake-hit region 受灾难影响地区 affected area
受灾严重区 badly-hit area  受灾最严重地区 worst-hit area
北川 in the northern part of Sichuan
余震aftershock   震后post-quake  震级magnitude 8.0 quake
大地震massive/powerful earthquake  震中epicenter
没有例外（无一幸免）there was no exception in...
惨案悲剧 tragedy  悲痛不幸grief  悲痛的父母grieving parents  特写镜头close-up
实行紧急状态 declared a state of emergency 
动员 mobilize,mobilization    国家动员 national mobilization
偏远山区backland mountainous terrain  雨季the summer rainy season
引发了山体滑坡 triggered/sparked/caused mountain landslides
危险任务 dangerous mission 
危险路段 accident-prone section(easily have accident)
增加了救援难度 added to the hardship of rescue
破坏damage 遭严重破坏 be severely damaged
摧毁 ravage (The quake-ravaged area is about as extensive as French)
夷为平地 be flattened  坍塌的房屋cracked and collapsed building 

更糟糕的是粉碎性坍塌 and to be the worst, school crumble entirely
被掩埋be entombed/buried in  废墟debris(泛)、rubbles（指建筑） (so many area after quake would be left uninhabitable)
被困在废墟中 be trapped in the debris
呼救 call/yell for help  废墟中的微弱呼救 weak calls for help from amid the rubble
努力挣脱 were struggling to break loose from underneath the ruins
震后八十个小时80 hours after the quake struck
次生灾害 secondary geological diaster
地震湖（堰塞湖）Quake lake,barrier lake(Quakes leave the ground fragile and susceptible to landslides. The biggest danger comes from "barrier lakes" , which are formed when a landslide plugs a river and could easily overflow after a heavy rain or aftershocks.)
陡峭的峡谷steep valley  滑坡 landslide 泥石流 mudslide 洪水 flooding
强行军 forced march  清除碎石clear rubble from a road
首要任务 the priority mission  (被作为)首选的 be preferred
搜索search  救援rescue/relief  救援人员rescuer, relief worker, succor
救济relieve  救济工作relief work
遇难 be killed；victim 导致数百人死亡 causing several hundred deaths 
(灾难报道中的)死亡人数death toll   已确认的confirmed  幸存survival/survivor
无家可归 the homeless  重伤 serious injury  外伤 physical damage to the body 
重症监护病房（ICU）intensive care unit 截肢amputation,cut off  感染 infect, infection
失踪 miss 始终人员The missings
生活条件和公共卫生条件差 poor living and public health conditions
尚未有严重疾病爆发 no major/destroyed disease outbreaks so far
流行病,传染病epidemic disease   接触传染病 contagious diseases
防疫 epidemic prevention
(The Ministry of Health has been working intensively to implement a comprehensive epidemic surveillance and containment system in disaster areas right across Sichuan.卫生部正紧锣密鼓地在四川灾区部署全面的疫情监控体系) 

为伤口消毒 disinfect the wound  

（用来）消毒湿巾  sterilizing wet tissue    （经过了）消毒餐具 sterilized tableware

有迹象...  there are signs that....

形成,产生 come into being 

接触到 Those who come into contact with  patients are also being advised to wash their hands because of concern they too could be carrying the virus.

开始风行 come into fashion   开始生效 come into effect   开始考虑  come into consideration

封锁了去北川的道路 the road to Beichuan was cordoned off/ blanked off.

                                      Police cordoned /closed off the pass to Beichuan.

封锁消息 block the passage of message

开展自救  
疏散、撤离evacuate,evacuation(语境：因灾难威胁)

                     (similar in form/spelling:"evaluate 分析评价" )
撤离危险建筑 evacuate threatened building 
心理创伤 mental or emotional trauma/hurt/suffering 心理干预 psychological counseling 

消除心理影响clear/erase/offset the psychological effect  
恢复重建 post-quake restoration and reconstruction 得到恢复 got restored
为遇难者建纪念馆 build a memorial there to victims
基础设施 infrastructure 

豆腐渣学校 shoddy school   违规的学校建筑 substandard school constructure

都江堰聚源中学的情况：a secondary school collapsed into a pile of rubble while other buildings around it suffered little or no damage. schools are built on the cheap in disregard of building codes.

砖结构 brick structures    砖石建筑 masonry building
预制板 precast slab/floor slab 钢筋混凝土结构 Reinforced Concrete Structure
柱子 column,pillar   横梁 crossbeam  框架 framework
经得住,抵挡,抗住 withstand,resist     强度不够，未达标的柱子 inadequate column
无钢筋的违法施工 illegal unreinforced construction 

未埋入钢筋 steel bar/reinforcement was not embeded in... 

                      (so once there is an earthquake, it can be very fragile)

(A common way to strengthen buildings is to use steel reinforcement, but adding steel can increase building costs "anywhere from two to five percent." The steel helps masonry buildings sway rather than crumble)
抗震级别 quake-resistance level
(This kind of building structure is earthquake-resistant抗震的)

依照新的设计要求 complying with new design requirements.
捐献 contribute,contribution，donate,donation 
国际援助 international assistance  国际社会 international community
救灾物资 relief supplies 物资调拨 allocation and delivery of consumer goods
避难 take refuge 给与庇护 give refuge to
安置受灾群众house the homeless
请求支援帐篷 appeal for tents  迫切需要帐篷were urgently needed 
加班加点/开足马力生产帐篷work around the clock to produce tents 
满足需要 meet the demand
临时住所 makeshift house/temporary shelter
活动板房 prefabricated/movable plank houses
食物配给 food allowance/rations
人员不足的understaffed
资金funds   医疗medical treatment
对口支援     志愿者  
报名参加 register for attending...
慈善机构charity  红十字会Red cross 民政部
中国慈善总会
推迟高考delay/postpone CEE  获得宽限期get a grace period
收养孤儿adopt orph  社会抚养social charges/ 
嗅探警犬sniffer dog   武警paramilitary troops  陆军   空军    海军陆战队
消防警察fireman 
空投airdrop   直升飞机helicopter  坠毁crash  残骸wreckage
全国哀悼  团结 凝聚力
趁火打劫    学校建设专款funds earmarked for school construction

腐败corruption  贪污(据为己有take money for their own use)pocket cash  受贿 bribe taking

截留  挪用  检举  舆论民意public opinion

To the kids who were put to sleep in the rubble, we are sorry. We failed to provide you solid schools.

However, disasters, such as the quake, that destroy lives somehow create a renewed sense of selfless compassion.然而，灾害，比如地震，夺去人的生命，也激发出人们的无私情感。

地震的破坏力虽大，可是击不垮一个群体的心。愿死者安息，生者坚强。