Translation: State Department offers congratulations to earthquake workers.

One of the reasons, I began this blog is to keep myself in touch with China and to force myself to "keep my hand in practice" as a China expert. In other words, this blog gives me an impetus to study China and do so on a regular basis.

For any non-Chinese Sinologist, one of the greatest difficulties is the language. I am no exception and for me the Chinese language has always been a great challenge and the one place at Cornell where I was definitely sub-standard. However, I do continue to work at it and therefore translated this piece, taken from the Chinese Ministry of Water's website on June 10, 2008.

I hope people find it interesting. I am not aware of it being translated into English anywhere else.

Peter Huston
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http://www.mwr.cn//xwpd/slyw/20080610212036b3f55e.aspx

Specialized vocabulary:

武警电水部 == hydropower units, the People’s Armed Police Hydropower Corp, a specialized branch of the People’s Armed Police Force.

国务院抗震救灾总指挥部 = State Department Earthquake Relief Headquarters

汶川地震 = Wenchuan earthquake (or Wen River Earthquake). This is the official Chinese term for the recent earthquake in China.

唐家山 = Tang Jia Mountain

堰塞湖 = “Quake Lake”

堰= yan(4) = a bank of earth, a dike, a levee,

塞 = blockage

湖 = lake

国务院抗震救灾总指挥部电贺唐家山堰塞湖险情处置成功
2008-06-10

本站讯国务院抗震救灾总指挥部今天电贺唐家山堰塞湖应急处置指挥部，对成功处理唐家山堰塞湖险情，消除了汶川地震次生灾害的一个特大威胁表示慰问。

　　贺电说，经过连续十多天的艰苦奋战，按照安全、科学、快速的要求，成功地处理了唐家山堰塞湖险情，消除了汶川地震次生灾害的一个特大威胁，确保了人民群众生命安全，避免了大的损失，创造了世界上处理大型堰塞湖的奇迹。国务院抗震救灾总指挥部特向奋战在第一线的全体解放军指战员武警水电部队官兵，水利、地质、地震、气象等部门的工程技术人员和干部职工，以及沿线疏散的广大干部群众表示衷心地慰问、感谢和敬意！希望大家继续做好工程除险和转移避险的后续工作，圆满完成唐家山堰塞湖处理的全部任务。

责编：向日葵



The State Department Earthquake Relief Headquarters today sent congratulations electronically to the Tang Family mountain “Quake lake” Emergency Headquarters for the successful handling of the Tang Jia mountain “Quake lake” crisis and the elimination of the recently-created Wenchuan earthquake disaster’s great threat, as well as to express sympathy and raise morale during the situation.

The electronic congratulations, was due to the Earthquake Relief Workers continuously spending more than ten days of difficult fighting, basing their work on principles of safety and science, working quickly to successfully handle the Tang Jia Mountain “Quake lake” crisis, as well as the elimination of the recently created Wenchuan earthquake disaster’s great threat and to express sympathy, concern and appreciation. The Earthquake Relief Workers ensured the people’s safety, avoided great loss, and achieved globally-recognized achievement of the great “Quake Lake” miracle. The State Department Earthquake Relief Headquarters directed the men and officers of the People’s Liberation Army to fight on the front lines, People’s Armed Police Hydropower unit team officers and soldiers, as well as ministry of water, geology, and meteorology department engineers, skilled workers, as well as cadres and workers worked to achieve the evacuation of large numbers of cadres and masses who express heartfelt appreciation, as well as gratitude and respect. Hope continues that through good engineering, the removal of dangers and the prevention of danger during follow-up will continue, as the Tang Jia Mountain “Quake Lake” situation continues and the headquarters and workers complete their mission.