美国加州遭遇20年来最强烈的一场地震，给震中附近一个小镇造成了人员受伤和破坏。
The quake struck Thursday morning in the Mojave Desert, about 240 kilometers northeast of Los Angeles. Scientists say it measured 6.4 in magnitude. The United States Geological Survey defines magnitude as a number that represents the relative size of a quake.
这次地震于周四早上发生在莫哈韦沙漠，这里距离洛杉矶东北部大约有240公里。科学家称震级为6.4级，美国地质调查局用震级数字来表示地震的相对大小。
An area near the small town of Ridgecrest was most affected by the quake. But it was felt by people in areas as far away as Los Angeles and Las Vegas, in the neighboring state of Nevada.
里奇克莱斯特小镇附近一个地区受到此次地震的影响最为严重。但是远到洛杉矶以及邻近的内华达州拉斯维加斯市这些地区的人们也都有震感。
Officials said more than 80 aftershocks shook the town and nearby areas by Friday. One of them had a magnitude of 4.5. These aftershocks were expected to continue.
有关官员表示，该镇以及邻近地区周五还发生了80多场余震，其中一次余震的震级达到了4.5级，预计还会发生余震。
The fire chief in California's Kern County, David Witt, told reporters only a few "minor" injuries were reported. He said the injuries came from broken glass and objects falling inside local businesses.
加州克恩县消防局局长大卫·威特告诉记者，目前只有一些轻微伤情的报道。他说，这些伤势来自于玻璃破碎或是当地商店内的物体掉落。
Witt added that some hospital patients were moved from the town's main hospital because it received damage.
威特还说，因为医院受损，一些住院病人从该镇一家主要医院搬走。
Two houses caught fire from broken gas lines. Some power lines went down, leaving thousands of people without electricity. The quake was blamed for some small grass fires and damage to roads.
有两栋房屋因为天然气管道破裂失火。一些电力线路瘫痪，导致数千人停电。这场地震还造成了一些小规模植被失火和道路受损。
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Kern County, meaning the area can receive state aid and recovery assistance.
加州州长加文·纽瑟姆宣布克恩县进入紧急状态，这意味着该地区可以获得州政府的援助以及灾后重建援助。
Cora Burke is a restaurant worker in Ridgecrest. She told The Associated Press the earthquake "almost gave me a heart attack." She described "a rolling feeling" inside the building. "And all of a sudden everything started falling off the shelf," she said.
科拉·伯克是里奇克莱斯特镇的一位餐厅工作人员。她对美联社表示，这场地震“差点让我犯心脏病。”她称在屋里“感觉到摇晃。”她说：“突然间，一切东西都开始从架子上滚落下来。”
Video images of one business showed the floor filled with broken bottles, boxes and food products that fell from shelves.
一家商店的视频图像显示，地板上堆满了从货架上掉下来的破损瓶子、盒子和食品。
Lucy Jones is with the California Institute of Technology. She said the earthquake was the strongest to hit California since a 7.1 quake struck the area on October 16, 1999.
加州理工学院的露西·琼斯表示，这是加州1999年10月16日发生7.1级地震以来，遭遇的最强烈的一场地震。
"This has been an extremely quiet, abnormal time," Jones said. "This type of earthquake is much more normal...The long-term average is probably once every five or 10 years somewhere in Southern California."
琼斯表示：“这是一段异常安静的反常期，这类地震实际上很正常。从长期来看，南加州平均每5年或10年就会出现一次。”
I'm Bryan Lynn.
我是布莱恩·琳恩。(51VOA.COM原创翻译，禁止转载，违者必究！)