Trapped in a mine
原文
Why is the rescue taking so long?
Six men have been trapped in a mine for seventeen hours.
If they are not brought to the surface soon they may lose their lives.
However, rescue operations are proving difficult.
If explosives are used, vibrations will cause the roof of the mine to collapse.
Rescue workers are therefore drilling a hole on the north side of the mine.
They intend to bring the men up in a special capsule.
If there had not been a hard layer of rock beneath the soil,
they would have completed the job in a few hours.
As it is, they have been drilling for 16 hours and they still have a long way to go.
Meanwhile, a microphone, which was lowered into the mine two hours ago,
has enabled the men to keep in touch with their closest relatives.
Though they are running out of food and drink,
the men are cheerful and confident that they will get out soon.
They have been told that rescue operations are progressing smoothly.
If they knew how difficult it was to drill through the hard rock, they would lose heart.
译文
为什么救援工作需要这么长时间？
六名男子已在矿井中被困了十七个小时。
如果他们不能尽快被救上来，他们可能会丧命。
然而，救援工作却非常困难。
如果使用了炸药，震动会导致矿井的屋顶坍塌。
因此，救援人员正在矿井的北侧钻孔。
他们打算用一个特制的救生舱把这些矿工救上来。
如果土壤下面没有坚硬的岩层的话……
他们本可以在几个小时内完成这项工作。
到目前为止，他们已经连续钻探了16个小时，但距离完成工作还有很长的路要走。
与此同时，两小时前被放入矿井中的那个麦克风……
这让这些矿工能够与他们最亲近的家人保持联系。
尽管他们的食物和饮用水即将耗尽，
这些矿工依然很乐观，相信自己很快就能获救。
他们被告知救援行动正在顺利推进。
如果他们知道在坚硬的岩石中钻孔有多么困难，他们恐怕会失去信心。