Haiti earthquake: history of natural disasters to hit the countryHaiti has been struck by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, killing an unknown number of people. The small, impoverished country is prone to severe and deadly natural disasters, especially hurricanes. Severe deforestation, leading to flooding and landslides, and a lack of proper emergency services and infrastructure has resulted in the storms causing the deaths of thousands of Haitians。

　　海地今晨发生7.0级大地震，目前死亡人数尚无统计。这个贫穷小国经常遭受严重自然灾害，尤其是飓风。过度伐木也导致该国常有洪水、山崩，而救援物资匮乏、基础建设落后更使得数以万计的海地人民死亡。

　　Witnesses said the damage was staggering. Tens of thousands of people are estimated to be homeless。

　　目击称灾害惊人，估计会有上万人流离失所。

　　The death toll was expected to climb into the hundreds, but no official figure has been released so far。

　　预计死亡人数过百，但目前官方尚未有数据统计。

　　Most radio and television stations stopped functioning, and the airwaves were only punctuated by a few rare radio appeals for help。

　　大部分的电台和新闻中断，电波也只能接收到断断续续的求救信号。

　　Anthony Guarino, a seismic analyst at the Caltech Seismological Laboratory, shows the 7.0 earthquake peak from the Haiti earthquake at the laboratory inPasadena, California。

　　在加州，一位地震研究员向记者展示仪表上显示的地震动向。