日本官方消息：福島核事故等級升至7級
Japanese authorities have raised the measure of severity of their nuclear crisis to the highest level, officials say.
日本官方人士透露，日本當局已將福島第一核電站事故等級提高到最高級7級。
The decision was taken due to radiation measured at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi power plant, NHK reported.
據NHK報道，日本當局在測量了福島第一核電站周圍的核輻射水平後做出了上述決定。
The highest level for nuclear accidents (seven) had previously only applied to the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.
7級是國際核事件分級的最高等級，歷史上只有1986年的切爾諾貝利事故達到了7級。
"This is a preliminary assessment, and is subject to finalisation by the International Atomic Energy Agency," said an official at the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA), the government's nuclear watchdog, which made the announcement with the Nuclear Safety Commission.
日本原子能安全保安院的一位官員說：“這只是初步估計，還要等待國際原子能機構的最終確認。” 日本原子能安全保安院是日本政府的原子能監察機構，當天與日本原子能安全委員會聯合發佈了上述消息。
The severity level of Japan's nuclear crisis has so far been set at five, the same as that of the accident at Three Mile Island in the US in 1979.
之前此次事故的等級一直被定爲5級，這是1979年美國三裏島核事故的等級。
Japan has also said it is extending the evacuation zone around the crippled nuclear plant because of radiation concerns. The zone will be widened to encompass five communities beyond the existing 20-km (12-mile) radius.
日本方面同時表示，將受損核電站周邊的撤離範圍從現有的半徑20公里擴大到包含距離核電站更遠的5個社區。
On Monday, a 7.1-magnitude quake hit north-east Japan, leaving three people dead. It also triggered a brief tsunami warning, and forced workers to evacuate the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
本週一，日本東北部再次發生了7.1級地震，造成3人死亡，同時也觸發了海嘯警報，並迫使工作人員從福島第一核電站撤離。
On Tuesday a 6.3-magnitude earthquake was reported off eastern Japan. The quake rocked buildings in the capital, Tokyo. There were no immediate reports of fresh damage, though Japan's Narita international airport temporarily closed its runways, and metro and train services were interrupted.
週二在日本東部海域又發生了6.3級的地震，東京地區有震感。目前沒有關於損失的最新報道，但是日本成田機場短暫關閉了機場跑道，地鐵和火車的運營也被迫中斷。
Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) said on Tuesday that a fire had broken out briefly at Reactor 4, before being extinguished.
東京電力公司稱，週二福島第一核電站4號反應堆曾發現火情，不過已經被撲滅。
Officials have warned it will be several months before the situation at the nuclear facility is brought fully under control.
有官員表示，可能還需要幾個月才能將福島核電站的情況完全置於掌控之下。
