Quake-hit Sichuan welcomes torch 四川迎来火炬传递

Survivors cheer as the Olympic torch passes through quake-devastated Sichuan province in China's southwest.

Reuters.

After months of sadness and loss, China's quake-survivors give the Olympic flame an emotional welcome to Sichuan Province. Crowds roared with delight as 189 torchbearers began a three-day tour of the province devastated by a powerful earthquake in May.

The run here in Guang'an, hometown of communist patriarch Deng Xiaoping, began with a minute's silence in honour of the 70,000 killed in the disaster. The quake delayed the flame's arrival in Sichuan and has made a change of route, bypassing hardest-hit areas like Dujiangyan. Thousands died here and more were left homeless. They watched the relay on TV from tents and temporary shelters, excitement over the Olympics overwhelmed by anxiety over their plight.

"The problem we have now is we're not able to go back to our home and staying here is dangerous. The damage to our home is classified as medium, so we weren't allocated a makeshift house. But we don't feel good staying here, the social order is bad."

This woman's 16-year-old niece was one of hundreds of children killed when their school collapsed in the quake. Nationalist pride over the Olympics is tinged with grief and unresolved questions about who's to blame.

"The children knew about the Games and they were very happy. They'd said they'd watch them on TV. We've lost them now and there's nothing we can do. When I think of them, I still feel very sad."

Mixed emotions as the torch makes its way through Sichuan over the next three days, its last stop before Beijing where the cauldron will be lit and the Games begin on Friday.

Susan Flory, Reuters.

cauldron:A cauldron is a very large, round metal pot used for cooking over a fire. (LITERARY)

中文参考翻译：

经过数月的悲痛和损失，中国地震灾区的幸存者热烈欢迎奥运圣火抵达四川。当189名火炬手高举圣火在遭受地震袭击的四川境内传递时，人们欢欣鼓舞。

火炬现在在四川广安，邓小平的故乡传递，火炬传递开始前，为在地震中遇难的7万名同胞默哀1分钟。由于地震，火炬抵达四川的日期延后，并且更改了传递路线，取消了受灾最严重的地区——都江堰的传递，数以千万的人遇难，更多的人流离失所。他们在帐篷和临时住所里通过看电视观看火炬传递，奥运的喜悦超越了对困境的忧虑。

“我们现在的问题是不能回自己家，待在这里很危险。我们家乡的灾情被定为中等，所以我们现在居住在临时住所。但是我们不想住在这里，这里社会秩序比较差。”

由于地震中学校坍塌，很多学生丧生。这个个妇女的16岁的侄女就在其中。奥运会的民族自豪感同时也伴随着悲伤，以及没有解决的问题，到底谁该承担责任？

“孩子们知道即将召开奥运会都非常高兴。他们说会在电视上观看奥运会的比赛。现在我们失去了孩子，我们束手无策。现在想到他们，我仍然很难过。”

当奥运圣火在四川进行为期三天的传递时，人们情绪复杂。这是生活到国内的最后一站，之后将抵达北京，点燃圣火盆，周五奥运会即将开幕。