A couple of things that we need to bear in mind when we talk about an earthquake like this: 談及像這樣的地震，首先有幾件事情必須記在心裡：
if the terrain were rocky like in Chile, the shaking is not that intense. 如果是像智利那樣的多岩地形，搖動就不會那麼強烈。
But when the terrain is sandy, and that's the case of Christchurch, you know, the ground shakes violently because it is softer. 但如果是像基督城那樣的沙質地形，由於地層較軟，搖動就會非常劇烈。
It's like Haiti. 海地也是這樣的情形。
And in this case, you know, you say, 在這種狀況下，你也許會問：
"6.3 and all this damage? What's going on?" 「地震規模六點三竟然會造成這麼嚴重的損害？到底怎麼了？」
Well, we need to take into account depth, and it's only five kilometers deep. 我們必須把地震深度考量進來，而海地的地震只有五公里深。
We're talking about the 6.3. 這是規模六點三的地震。
So this graphic illustrates what happens when the earthquake is shallow like the one in New Zealand today. 這張圖顯示了像紐西蘭今天發生的淺層地震會造成什麼樣的後果。
Then we see the shaking more severely on the ground. 我們可以看到地面上的搖動比較嚴重。
That's why the 6.3 doesn't seem to be that intense, but when we take into account the depth, it has been. 這就是為什麼規模六點三的地震看起來似乎沒有那麼強烈，可是一旦把地震深度考慮進去，強度就變得相當驚人。
And also, and this is perhaps more importantly, 此外，更重要的一點是，
is that New Zealand is right in between the Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate, 紐西蘭正位於澳洲板塊與太平洋板塊之間，
so that's when the ground shakes to accommodate. 所以地層會在板塊的壓力下搖動。
So when we have an earthquake, there's movement of these plates. 地震一旦發生，這些板塊就會出現移動。
And now we may see aftershocks for months until things go back to sort of settling down again. 在事情平靜下來之前，餘震可能還會持續幾個月之久。
So don't be panicking in case [if] you feel some more shaking on the ground; [it] should be lower than what we have seen so far. 所以，如果你感到地面出現更多搖動，不必驚慌，接下來的震度應該都會比我們目前見到的地震還小。
And finally, the 7.1 on the fourth of September was inside, 最後，九月四日發生的規模七點一地震是在內陸，
not on a sandy foundation -- [a] more rocky area. 不是在沙質地層，而是多岩地區，
That's why the shaking wasn't that violent. 所以搖動沒有那麼劇烈。
So we need to entertain all these aspects. 我們必須考慮所有這些面向。
And remember there are going to be more aftershocks for months now 記住，接下來幾個月還會有更多餘震，
until everything goes back to its normal position. 然後狀況才會恢復正常。