The Earthquake in Tangshan唐山大地震

沙博理

As if these events weren’t momentous enough， nature joined in with an earthquake in July of 1976 which killed hundreds of thousands.2 Its epicenter was the industrial city of Tangshan， only about 100 miles from Beijing.

I was awakened before four in the morning by the violent shaking of our bed and Phoenix yelling： “Earthquake！ Earthquake！” Still half asleep， I clumsily dressed and staggered into the front garden. Everyone was present and accounted for—our bao mu， our next-door neighbors and their kids. Yamei was honeymooning in Shanghai with husband Taiping. The house seemed intact. Later we found a big crack， right through the foot-thick wall， running from ceiling to floor.

Others didn’t get off so lightly.3 Many of Beijing’s picturesque buildings have plastered-over walls of rubble and mud.4 Quite a number collapsed under the initial tremor—nearly eight on the Richter scale at Tangshan， six or seven around Beijing. Casualties were higher in Tianjin and towns in the earthquake zone， where people rushed out into the narrow crowded streets and were killed by flying bricks and tiles. In traditional single storey homes， where pillars and beams support the roof， it was relatively safe indoors. The walls were only to ward off the weather， and tend to fall outward during quakes.5 Prefabricated tall modern dwellings were the most dangerous.6 The huge cement slabs which formed the floors and ceilings came down flat， directly， crushing all beneath.

We learned these things， and other quake lore， in the next few days.7 The unthinkable had happened. Centuries before， Beijing had been chosen as the capital partly because it had been free of the serious quakes which periodically rocked other parts of north China. We should have been warned， according to the stories going round. The seismographic instruments had recorded suspicious signs. Moreover， snakes and burrowing animals had come out of their holes， horses had refused to enter their stalls， domestic fowl had roosted high in trees. Certain officials had been lulled by a false sense of security—or had been criminally negligent.

Recriminations were no use. The situation had to be met. Immediately， the Chinese genius for organization and self-discipline swung into action. Food and medical care were rushed to Tangshan and other badly stricken areas. Teams began clearing away the rubble and erecting shelters.

In Beijing， the parks and playgrounds were filled with makeshift shacks of every description.8 They lined the sides of broad avenues， and mushroomed in gardens and on campuses.9 It was feared there might be another quake. Indeed， the ground never stopped trembling， and there were minor shocks every few days. Many homes were destroyed. Of those still standing， several needed only one more good shake to bring them down as well. For about a week everyone was urged to stay out of all buildings， regardless of condition， except where absolutely necessary.10

Fortunately， the water supply in Beijing was not disrupted. Electricity， which had been cut， was restored for certain hours of the day. Trams and buses ran. Most work resumed. But vigilance was constant. Yamei， who had hurried back with Taiping from Shanghai， was among the doctors on duty in the hundreds of first-aid stations set up all over the city.

With our next-door neighbors， we erected a temporary shelter in our common front garden. We built it of poles—supplied by our respective offices—plus tarpaper， matting， and plastic sheets.11 Our beds were planks laid on benches and chairs. We all slept there at night.12 There had been a little looting—which was severely punished.13 The main danger was a new tremor. Someone had to remain awake at night to hear any shouted warnings， and listen for a possible ringing of the phone， which was in the house.

I rather enjoyed my shifts. Beijing was very beautiful in the summer moonlight. The stillness was almost absolute broken only by the occasional wail of a far off train.14 You could feel beneath your feet the solidity of a city which for 1，000 years had been a major center of civilization. It would take more than an earthquake to destroy Beijing.15

Gradually， as the weeks went by， those who could began moving back into their homes. Outdoor living was inconvenient， and the nights were turning cold. Remembering my army training， I dug a drainage ditch around the shelter， but when it rained the inside of our flimsy structure was damp from leaks and drips.

For a time after returning to the house， we continued to be cautious. Chinese beds are simply a mattress on a board platform. We， being more effete， had managed to buy a box-spring affair， but still retained the board platform of our old bed.16 We suspended it above us by tying it to the bedposts in the pious hope that this would protect us should the ceiling fall in the night. Similar contraptions were erected for the rest of the household. We kept banging our heads every time we sat up， and finally decided repeated concussions might prove more injurious than what， by then， seemed a highly unlikely collapse.17 We dismantled the thing and resumed more or less normal living.18

仿佛發生的这些事还不够重大，大自然也来添乱，1976年7月28日来了一场致死几十万人的大地震，震中位于工业城市唐山，离北京仅约170公里。

我是凌晨不到4点被床铺剧烈的震颤惊醒的，凤子大喊：“地震了！地震了！”半睡半醒之中，我笨手笨脚地把衣服穿上，一摇一晃地来到前院。大家都在这儿了，人齐了：我家保姆，隔壁邻居两口和他们的孩子。亚美和丈夫太平此时正在上海度蜜月。房子好像毫无损伤。后来才发现30厘米厚的墙壁有一道不小的裂缝，从天花板裂到地板。

其他房舍的损伤可没有这样轻。北京不少漂亮的老房子是碎石土砌墙，外涂一层泥，初震就倒塌的老房子不在少数。唐山初震接近里氏八级，北京周边六七级。天津和地震带的城镇伤亡比率高，人们冲出屋子跑到狭窄拥挤的街上，被乱飞的砖瓦砸死。传统的平房有立柱和横梁支撑房顶，屋内相对安全些，墙壁主要是遮风挡雨，地震的时候一般朝外倒，而现代用预制构件盖的高层住宅最危险，大片水泥板做成的天花板和地板，掉下来就直接砸在下面所有的东西上。

这些事以及其他地震知识，我们是在随后几天里学到的。无法想象的事情还是发生了。几个世纪前，北京之所以被选为首都，差不多就是因为这里未曾有过严重的地震，而华北其他地区发生过周期性的地震。听人们说，我们本该得到预警的，因为地震监测仪器已捕捉到可疑的迹象。还有，蛇和穴居动物钻出洞，马不肯进马厩，家禽上树栖息。然而某些官员被虚幻的安全感所麻痹，也可以说简直就是玩忽职守。

责怪谁也没用，灾情必须应对。中国人特有的组织纪律性立刻变为实际行动。食物和药品迅速送抵唐山和其他重灾区，救援队开始清除瓦砾，搭起救护站。

在北京，公园和操场到处都是临时搭起的小屋，各式各樣;有的搭建在大街两旁，有的簇立在花园和校园。人们都害怕再有地震。也确实是，大地就没有停止过震颤，而且隔几天就有一次余震。许多家舍被毁，那些依然屹立不倒的，有那么几幢只要再来一次震摇就会倒掉。约有一个星期，要求所有的人除了实在必须，都要离开一切建筑物，无论结实不结实。

幸好，北京的供水没有受到影响。电倒是停过，恢复到每天能供电几小时。电车公交照常开通，上班工作大都恢复，但警戒照旧不变。亚美和丈夫太平从上海匆匆返回，到全城设立的好几百家急救站值班。

我们和隔壁邻居一起在共用的前院搭了一间临时防震棚，用的是各自单位给的竹竿，再铺上油毡、席子和塑料布，把木板架在长凳和椅子上就是床，我们都在里面过夜。还发生过一件小小的抢劫呢，也受到了严惩。主要危险是还会再有地震，所以夜里需要有人不睡觉，听高声报警声，听屋里可能会响的电话声。

轮到我值班我挺高兴，北京城沐浴在夏夜的月光下，非常美，静极了，偶尔有远处火车的汽笛声打破这宁静。你都能感觉到脚下这座城市的坚实，一千年来它一直是主要的文明中心，就凭一次地震岂能把北京摧毁！

就这样过了好几周，渐渐地，能搬回家里住的开始往回搬。住在外面实在是不方便，晚上开始变凉。想起来我当兵受的训练，我便在防震棚四围挖了一道排水沟，但是一逢下雨，简陋的棚子里还是因为漏雨滴水而潮湿。

搬回屋后一段时间里，我们仍然谨慎有加。中国的床只是在木板床架上铺一层垫子，我们因为上了点年纪，就买了一张弹簧床垫，旧床木板还留着用，把它绑在床柱上，空悬在我们的床榻上面，诚心希望要是夜里天花板掉下来的话它能保护我们，类似的新招儿也用在家里其他地方。由于每次从床上坐起来都会撞头，最后我们盘算明白了，老这么碰头对脑子的震荡可能比天花板砸下来伤害更大，何况此时看样子房子不大可能倒塌。于是我们把这玩意儿拆掉，总算恢复了正常生活。