波士顿爆炸惨案
Tragedy in Boston

 
WHEN stung by tragic events we naturally ask some simple questions: who, why, how? In the case of the explosions at today's Boston marathon, it is too early to provide answers. We do not know who is to blame for the multiple blasts that killed three people, including a child of eight, and injured over 100. Nor do we know what motivations they may have had. For now there is no way to explain this tragedy.
当我们被惨案刺痛了，就会自然地问道一些很简单的问题，谁干的？为什么？过程是怎样的？今天波士顿马拉松比赛上发生了爆炸案，现在回答这些问题或许还有些早。这次爆炸造成了两人死亡，其中还有一位八岁的孩子，还有一百多人受了伤，我们不知道谁应当为此惨案负责，我们也不直到凶手的动机是什么，现在还没有任何对这个惨案的解释。
   

The explosions went off in the late afternoon, as runners were still jogging towards the finish line of the race. The blasts knocked some to the ground, but the worst casualties occurred in the crowds of spectators lining the route. Victims were carted from blood-stained sidewalks, some with gruesome injuries. Compounding the horror was talk of possibly more explosions and reports that more devices had been found and dismantled near the marathon area.
爆炸发生在下午晚些时候，运动员们还在比赛中跑向终点线，有人就被炸倒在地上，但是沿着跑到观看比赛的观众们受伤很多。救援人员从血迹斑斑的人行道上救起了受伤者，有些人伤势严重，人们谈论着是否还有爆炸发生，有报道说，马拉松比赛场地附近发现了一些爆炸装置，现在已经被挪走了。

Whether or not the blasts turn out to have been a terrorist plot, they had the same immediate effect. Boston officials urged people to stay indoors and avoid crowded places. Train lines were shut down, buildings evacuated and cell service turned off in parts of the city to prevent the detonation of more devices. The FAA even grounded flights into Logan airport for a time. Other cities, including Washington and New York, tightened security.
无论这件事是不是恐怖分子干的，已经产生了破坏效果，波士顿官员们呼吁民众不要外出，不要到人多地方去。为了爆炸可能再次发生，已经停运了火车，建筑物里的人员疏散了，手机服务关闭了。联邦航空管制局甚至要飞机在洛根机场临时停下来。包括华盛顿和纽约在内的其他城市也加强了保安。
   

Anyone watching the news in America will have seen commentators struggle to place the event in context. It is a process that will take time and investigation. We do not yet know if this was the work of a disgruntled hotel employee or an al-Qaeda operative. The answers, when they come, will give the tragedy new meaning. For now, there is only the sight of a frightened city; and for Americans, a sense of discomfort they have not felt in a while.
有关人员努力在努力调查事件起因和后果，调查过程需要一点时间。我们不知道这次惨案是否是酒店员工或其他基地人员干的，答案会揭晓，这个悲剧会有很多新涵义。现在只能看到受到惊吓的城市，对于美国人来说，他们有一段时间没有经历这种紧张不适了。

(Photo credit: AFP)
Many questions, few answers
Apr 16th 2013, 0:24 by R.W.
来源：经济学人
时间：2013年4月16日
原文地址：http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2013/04/tragedy-boston/print
翻译：龚蕾