4.A Horrible Earthquake

可怕的地震

Dirty water rose in wells and canals before the earthquake. But no one judged that an earthquake was coming. Suddenly, everything shook. It seemed as if the world was at an end. Millions of brick houses and a number of dams were destroyed. Railway tracks became useless bars. Pipes in mines burst and let out smelly steam. Huge cracks trapped cyclists everywhere.

The next day, this event was the headline or main title of all newspapers. With the reporters giving an outline of the disaster, the whole nation was shocked by the damage and the victim’s extreme suffering. People were moved when they read that the survivors comforted each other by saying “Congratulations! You survived!”. So they not only expressed their sympathy sincerely, but also organized together to help the victims right away. The injured were rescued and the dead were buried. The frightened survivors were dug out from under the ruins and were offered shelter, fresh water and electricity. Thanks to people’s help, the loss was minimized.

地震前，水井和运河里的污水都涨涌起来。但是却没人判断出地震即将来临。霎那间，一切都在摇晃，似乎整个世界就要结束。数以百万的砖房和许多水坝遭到破坏；铁路轨道都变成无用的铁条；煤矿管道纷纷爆裂，发出有臭味的蒸汽；到处都有骑车的人被巨大的裂缝陷住。

第二天，所有报纸都纷纷以大字标题或主要标题报道了这一事件。记者们描述了灾难的大概情况，全国都被地震的破坏和灾民们极度的苦难所震惊。当人们读到幸存者以“恭喜啊，你还活着。”来互相安慰时，都被感动了。人们不仅衷心地表达了他们的同情，而且还立刻组织起来帮助灾民。伤员被救助了，死者被埋葬了，吓坏的幸存者被从废墟中挖出来了，栖身处、净水和电力也很快得到提供。多亏了人们的帮助，灾区的损失被减到了最小。

5.The Great President

伟大的总统

As the founder of the republic, the president had many good qualities. Before coming to power, he was a generous lawyer. He was willing to selflessly help everyone who turned to him. He accepted no fee to offer legal guidance and opinions to those who were out of work or uneducated. Later, believing all mankind to be equal, he devoted himself to stopping the unfair anti-black laws. He set up the Black Youth League and was voted to be the leader. However, though he kept peaceful principles without violence and terror, his mean enemies still blew up his house and attacked his relatives, and he himself couldn’t escape being sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Not fearing of the prison guards’ cruelty, he kept active and begged no mercy from them. As a matter of fact, he was always hopeful and never lost heart during the stage even though he was in trouble.

Finally, people rewarded him with the leader’s position and a gold blanket.

作为共和国的创始人，这位总统具备许多的优秀品质。还在掌权之前，他就是一位慷慨的律师。他愿意无私地帮助那些向他求助的人。他免费为失业的，或没有受过教育的人提供法律指导和意见。后来，因为相信所有人类都是生来平等，他全身心投入到废除不平等的反黑人法律工作中。他建立了黑人青年团并被选为领袖。然而，尽管他坚持没有暴力、没有恐怖的和平原则，卑鄙的敌人还是炸毁了他的家、袭击了他的亲属，他自己也无法逃脱被判30年徒刑的遭遇。

在狱中，他毫不畏惧狱警的残酷，始终保持积极的态度，不向他们乞求怜悯。实际上，他在任何一个困境时期都充满着希望，从未灰心。

最后，人们以领袖的职位和一块金毯子回报了他的贡献。

6.A Brave Maid 勇敢的女仆

A wooden vase from the Ming Dynasty at the entrance of the reception hall amazed everyone. The artists designed it in a rare style and selected valuable jewels to decorate it. People thought highly of its fancy colour of honey and the beautiful paintings on it.

The vase used to belong to a former castle. But when the country was at war, the enemy troops exploded the castle. Debates on how the vase survived went on and on. In order to remove people’s doubt, a team of no less than 20 people carried out an informal investigation. The evidences they found showed that a maid took the vase apart and asked a sailor to sink it in a local well. She never gave away the secret even under the cruel trial of the enemies who were in search of treasures.

It is worth giving this brave maid a fortune in return.

接待大厅入口处的明朝木制花瓶 使每个人都惊奇不已。艺术家以一种罕有的风格设计它，并挑选了贵重的珠宝装饰它。人们高度赞赏它那蜂蜜般的奇特颜色，还有上面绘制的绘画。

这个花瓶曾经属于一座从前的城堡，但在战争期间，敌人的军队炸毁了城堡，于是关于这个花瓶是如何幸存下来的争论就一直在持续着。为了解开人们的疑问，一个由不少于20人的调查队开展了一次非正式的调查。他们找到的证据表明，有个女仆 把花瓶拆开，然后让一名水手把它沉到当地的一个水井里。她从来没有泄露这个秘密，即使是在搜寻财宝的敌人残酷的审讯下。

这位女仆真是值得给予一大笔钱作为对她的回报。