High 3 · Reading series
Lesson 52 · The Flood Message across Borders
Audio track 52
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
Open the English passage and hover for word help
Heavy rain affected the town of our partner school abroad. A student sent a message saying that a river near her home was rising. Our group wanted to translate it quickly and post it for everyone. Then a teacher asked whether we knew its date, location, and purpose. We did not.
We contacted our partner teacher. The message described a personal observation from the previous evening, not an official warning for the whole region. We helped translate her account for our shared project, clearly labeling it with its time and place. We did not turn it into emergency advice. People in the affected area needed current instructions from local authorities.
After the rain, both classes compared how official maps and personal stories served different purposes. A map could show possible risk areas; a student's voice could describe what waiting felt like. Neither should be mistaken for the other.
Translating the message meant carrying its limits as well as its words. Accuracy included saying what the speaker had not claimed.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
大雨影响了国外合作学校所在的小镇。一名学生发消息，说她家附近的河水正在上涨。我们小组想立刻翻译并公开发布，老师却先问：消息的日期、地点和用途是什么？我们都不知道。
我们联系合作学校的老师，得知那是前一晚的个人观察，不是针对整个地区的官方警报。我们为共同项目翻译了她的讲述，清楚标出时间和地点，没有把它变成应急指示。当地居民需要依据当地主管部门的最新通知行动。
雨后，两校比较官方地图与个人故事各有什么用途。地图可以显示可能有风险的区域，学生的话则能说出等待时的感受，两者不能互相冒充。
翻译消息，不只是传达文字，也要连同它的局限一起传达。准确还包括说清讲述者没有声称什么。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- affected
- 影响；大雨波及合作学校。
- translate
- 翻译；先核实语境再传播。
- purpose
- 用途；私人讲述不是警报。
- observation
- 观察；来自前一晚。
- official warning
- 官方警报；需由主管机关发布。
- emergency
- 紧急情况；不能擅自给指令。
- authorities
- 主管部门；提供最新通知。
- possible
- 可能的；地图展示风险范围。
- mistaken
- 误认；两类资料不能混用。
- accuracy
- 准确性；包括说明原话局限。
Background notes (Chinese)
学生的前夜观察若脱离时间地点，容易被误传为当前官方警报；翻译保留了信息边界。