世界最危险火山随时爆发 或造成灾难

Mount Nyiragongo is one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world - and scientists say it is only a matter of time before it makes the city below a modern day Pompeii.

尼拉贡戈火山是世界上最危险的火山之一，科学家表示，山脚下的城镇重现庞培古城的悲剧只是时间的问题。

But they don't know when since, located as it is in the war-torn eastern edge of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the two mile high cauldron of lava is also one of the least well understood.

因位于战火纷飞的刚果共和国东部地区，科学家们对于这座高大的岩浆“炉”知之甚少，所以尚且不乏预计这灾难性浩劫将在何时发生。

At the base of Nyiragongo sprawls Goma, a city of an estimated one million people, numbers swelling by the day as villagers from the countryside seek refuge from rebel and government forces.

坐落于尼拉贡戈火山脚下的戈马成人口将近100万左右，由于众多灾民因不堪叛军于政府军的折磨而逃亡于此，该地的人口数量也在迅速增加。

Twice in recent years Nyiragongo's eruptions have hit the city, destroying homes and sending residents fleeing. But now, seismologists believe, the risk is not just near the city, but directly beneath it.

该火山最近两次的喷发已经对这座城市造成打击，众多房屋被毁，居民流离失所。但据地震学家称，对于戈马城的威胁不仅来自于附近的火山，就连地下也危机四伏。

For the past 20 years the region has suffered nearly constant warfare, including a spillover from the genocide in neighbouring Rwanda.

在近20年中，这一地区一直饱受战乱之苦，大量的逃亡人口从首都卢旺达逃难到此。

A fragile, often broken peace is maintained by 20,000 United Nations troops, one of the largest peace-keeping missions in the world.

由两万人的联合国维和部队所维护的这一地区的和平不堪一击，这也是世界上最艰巨的维和任务之一。

Italian seismologist Dario Tedesco has spent the last 15 years studying Nyiragongo, with funding from the European Union.

获得欧盟资助的意大利地震学家达利奥·特德斯库在过去15年中一直对于尼拉贡戈火山进行研究。

He has struggled to focus the scientific community's attention on volcano, and he says, there is no question it will erupt again.

他竭力的将学术界的注意力转移到这座火山上来，并称再次爆发是毫无疑问的。

'Goma,' he told National Geographic magazine, 'is the most dangerous city in the world.'

他对《国家地理》杂志说，“戈马是世界上最危险的城市。”

History suggests he may be right. In 2002 350,000 fled after the volcano shot more than 15million cubic yards of lava into downtown Goma, destroying 14,000 homes and burying buildings to the top of the first floor.

历史也许能替他佐证，2002年的火山爆发致使1500万立方码的火山灰降落到了市区，1400幢房屋被毁，建筑物被完全掩埋。