阿伯丁昨天（10月30日）发生剧烈爆炸并引发大火，大火吞噬了耗资1400万港元的珍宝海鲜舫，造成13人死亡、至少42人受伤，死伤者均在船上。
Aberdeen was yesterday (October 30, 1971) rocked by a tremendous explosion followed by fire which swept through the $14 million Jumbo Restaurant, killing 13 and injuring at least 42 others on board.
事发极快，短短五分钟内，大火便吞没了这座四层甲板的浮动餐厅，将其烧成一具焦黑的船壳。数百人从甲板和这座宫殿式餐厅的宝塔形塔楼上纵身跃海求生。
It happened so quickly that within five minutes, fire engulfed the four-decked floating restaurant, reducing it to a charred hulk. Hundreds of people leapt for life from the decks and from the pagoda-shaped towers of the palatial restaurant.
现场一片惊恐求生的混乱景象，附近的渔民和周末出海的游艇爱好者目睹全过程，无不骇然。火灾消息及高昂伤亡数字震惊了阿伯丁。
It was a frantic scene of struggle for survival which grasped boat people and weekend yachtsmen nearby who watched in horror. The news of the fire and the high toll shocked Aberdeen.
这对渔业社区造成多大打击暂时无法确定，因为据信大量伤亡者来自阿伯丁本地。
Just how hard the blow was to the fishing community could not be immediately ascertained, as a large number of the casualties are believed to come from Aberdeen itself.
伤亡惨重的原因是船上有200名油漆工、焊工和工人正在赶工，为11月17日预定的开业做最后收尾。
Cause of the high toll was the presence on board of 200 painters, welders and workers putting the finishing touches for the opening of the restaurant scheduled for November 17.
指挥灭火行动的总火务官H·T·J·哈钦斯先生将高伤亡归因于大火蔓延迅速、连续发生爆炸，以及逃生困难。“唯一的出路就是跳海，”总火务官、香港说。海面上全是浮沉的人头，各式船只争相冲去营救。最早冲到现场的队伍之一是来自阿伯丁的六名警官。
The Chief Fire Officer, Mr H. T. J. Hutchins, who directed the fire fighting operations, attributed the high toll to the rapid spread of the fire, coupled with a series of explosions, and the difficulties in getting out. “The only exit is jumping into the sea,” the Chief Officer, Hongkong, said. The water was full of bobbing heads, and boats of all descriptions rushed to pick them up. One of the early parties who dashed to the scene was six police officers from Aberdeen.
他们分别是探长詹姆斯·布鲁斯、蓝贝雷帽督察P·M·马伦斯、探长L·伯顿、林锦日下士（音译）以及两名警员。他们在警署发现火情，随即冲向附近船只展开营救。“十几个人紧抓着珍宝海鲜舫的船舷，”布鲁斯探长说。“他们烧伤严重，在大声呼救，”他说。接走这些幸存者后，警官们继续在附近海域搜救，又救起更多人。浮动餐厅附近的几艘三板船也未能幸免于这场大火。一艘船家庭的四名儿童在船只起火并被完全烧毁时被活活烧死。
They were Detective Inspector James Bruce, Blue Beret Inspector P. M. Mullens, and Detective Inspector L. Burton, Cpl Lam Kam-yat and two constables. They spotted the fire from the station, and rushed to nearby boats for the rescue. “A dozen of them were clinging to the sides of the Jumbo restaurant,” Insp Bruce said. “They were badly burned and were shouting for help,” he said. After picking up these survivors, the police officers continued the rescue work in the vicinity picking up more people. Several sampans near the floating restaurant were not spared from the holocaust. Four children of a boat family were burned to death when their craft caught fire and was completely gutted.
他们的悲痛欲绝的父亲黄发海，46岁，在帮助妻子上岸后，向警方报告了这场悲剧。当黄先生和他家三名成员上岸时，孩子们被留在了船上。
Their grief-stricken father, Wong Fat-hoi, 46, told the police of the tragedy after he helped his wife ashore. The children were left on the boat when Mr Wong and three other members of his family were ashore.
当他和妻子听到火灾消息时，他们赶回船边，却发现四个孩子都已遇难。听到消息后崩溃的王太太被紧急送往医院。
When he and his wife heard of the fire, they rushed back only to find the four had perished. Mrs Wong who collapsed on hearing the news was rushed to hospital.
渔民陈根泰，23岁，拼命想划船回到他的船上，船上有他的岳母和几个孩子，但强烈的热浪和跳跃的火焰迫使他折返。
A fisherman, Mr Chan Kan-tai, 23, tried desperately to row to his boat where his mother-in-law and several children were but the intense heat and leaping flames forced him to turn back.
陈先生后来得知，全家人都安全跳入了水中，只有他的岳母背部烧伤受伤。
The family had all jumped safely into the water, and only his mother-in-law was hurt with burns in the back, Mr Chan later learned.
逃生的餐厅侍应之一张清星先生说，火灾大约在下午3点在船最低甲板的船尾处爆发。他说，船上的该部分正在进行焊接作业。火势迅速蔓延到整艘船。“火势猛烈，每个人都不得不跳入水中，”他说。
Mr Chang Ching-sing, one of the restaurant’s stewards who escaped, said the fire broke out at the stern on the lowest deck of the ship at about 3 pm. Welding was being carried out in the section of the ship, he said. The fire quickly swept through the whole craft. “Everyone had to jump as the fire was burning fiercely,” he said.
一位目睹火灾开始的女游艇爱好者说，许多上层甲板的工人到船尾去看，很快发现自己被困住了，因为火势迅速向上蔓延。
A yachtswoman who witnessed the start of the fire, said many workers on the upper decks who went to the stern to have a look soon found themselves trapped as the fire rapidly spread upwards.
哈钦斯先生说，他的人员将61名伤员送往医院。警方的巡逻艇可能还救起了更多人，他说。
Mr Hutchins said his men removed 61 casualties to hospital. Police launches might have picked up more, he said.
他认为，火灾可能是由于船上大量油类和若干乙炔氧气瓶发生爆炸引起的。哈钦斯先生说，对这场灾难的调查已经开始。代理总督休·诺曼-沃克爵士昨晚向遇难者家属表示慰问。
He believed the fire started as a result of an explosion apparently from a large quantity of oil and a number of oxy-acetylene tubes on board. Investigations into the disaster had already begun, Mr Hutchins said. The Acting Governor, Sir Hugh Norman-Walker, last night sent his sympathy to the families of the victims.
在政府大厦发出的信息中，休爵士说，他得知这一悲痛消息后深感震惊。
In a message from Government House, Sir Hugh said he was shocked to learn of the tragic news.