12月26日，印尼苏门答腊岛附近海域发生了近40年来世界上最强烈的地震。地震及其引发的海啸波及印尼、斯里兰卡、泰国、印度、马来西亚、孟加拉国、缅甸、马尔代夫等国，目前已造成一万两千多人死亡。外电报道如下： An earthquake of epic power struck deep beneath the Indian Ocean on Sunday, unleashing 20-foot walls of water that came crashing down on beaches in seven Asian countries across thousands of miles, smashing seaside resorts and villages and leaving more than 11,350 dead in their wake.

The death toll along the southern coast of Asia - and as far west as Somalia, on the African coast, where nine people were reported lost - was certain to increase, as authorities sorted out a far-flung disaster caused by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake, strongest in 40 years and fourth-largest in a century.

The earthquake hit at 6:58 a.m.; the tsunami came as much as 2 1/2 hours later, without warning, on a morning of crystal blue skies. Sunbathers and snorkelers, cars and cottages, fishing boats and even a lighthouse were swept away.

Tsunami是日语单词，表示“海啸，由海底地震或火山喷发而造成的巨大海浪”。Tsu在日语中表示“岛屿，港口”，nami表示“海浪，浪花”。

（中国日报网站编）