1556: Shaanxi, China 明代陕西大地震

The deadliest quake of all time might be one of the least talked about, considering it occurred nearly 450 years ago.The 1556 quake claimed the lives of some 830,000 people. Why the massive death toll? Blame the quake's strength (8.0 on the Richter scale, or more than 30 times more powerful than the recent quake in Haiti) as well as timing and location. The pre-modern structures were utterly unable to withstand a quake of such force, and massive landslides contributed to the casualties.

历史上最可怕的地震也许是最少被谈及的一场地震，因为它发生在450年之前。这场地震导致83万人死亡。为何死亡人数如此巨大？原因在于震级（里氏8.0级，比刚发生的海地地震强30倍），还有时间和地点。古代的房屋建筑完全不能抵挡这样的大地震，大面积的山体滑坡也导致不少人遇难。

1976: Tangshan, China 唐山大地震

China has the misfortune to have had the second deadliest earthquake on record, the 1976 Great Tangshan Earthquake, which struck in the country's northeast. It'd be more accurate to call this a binary quake: an aftershock that struck 16 hours after the initial temblor measured an identical 7.8 on the Richter scale and was equally destructive.

继陕西地震之后，中国又发生了第二大强度的地震，1976年唐山大地震，确切来说是两次大地震：地震后16小时，里氏7.8级的余震又造成了巨大损失。

2004: Indian Ocean Tsunami 印尼海啸

On Dec. 26, 2004 a 9.2 magnitude earthquake rocked the bottom of the Indian Ocean, releasing energy equivalent to that of 23,000 atomic bombs. The largest earthquake in 40 years, the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake (so named because the epicenter was near the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra) launched a tsunami across the Indian Ocean, sending a series of waves as high as 50 feet crashing onto the shores of 11 countries. Some people were swept out to sea while others drowned in their homes, unable to escape. According to the U.S. Geological survey, the official death toll was 227,898.

2004年10月26日，印度洋海地爆发9.2级地震，其能量相当于两万三千颗原子弹爆炸。这次的苏门答腊 -安达曼地震是40年来最大的一次（如此命名是因为震中在苏门答腊岛西海岸附近），引发了印度洋海啸，高达50英尺的海浪袭击了11个国家的海岸。一些人被卷入海中，其他人由于无法逃脱，淹死在家中。美国地质勘探局统计显示，死亡人数为227，898。

1920: Haiyuan, China 宁夏海原地震

The Dec. 16, 1920 Haiyuan earthquake — which registered a 7.8 magnitude on the Richter scale — caused rivers to change course and sent landslides pouring down mountains. Destruction stretched across seven Chinese provinces. Sujiahe, a town in in Xiji County, was completely buried under a landslide. An estimated 200,000 people died in the disaster, which was felt as far away as Norway.

1920年十月十六日宁夏海原发生的里氏7.8级大地震使得河流改道，并导致山体滑坡。七省同时受灾。西吉县苏家河镇在一次滑坡中整体被埋。二十万人死于此次地震，并且震感远至挪威。

1923: Kanto, Japan 关东大地震

Shortly before noon on September 1, 1923, an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale sent shockwaves through the Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan area. The violent tremors left few buildings habitable and prompted a tsunami that surged up to 40 ft. (12 m.) high. But the damage continued for days: by the time the fires stemming from the quake were contained, 90% of Yokohama's buildings were reportedly damaged or in ruins, and some two-fifths of Tokyo's had been destroyed — leaving half its population homeless. Nearly 143,000 people died.

1923年九月一日，中午之前，一场里氏7.9级的地震横扫了东京-横滨地区。地震过后几乎没有建筑保持完好，并引发了海浪高达40英尺（12米）的海啸。灾难持续了很多天：地震引起的大火受到控制后，横滨90%的建筑都毁了，东京有五分之二的部分成为废墟，一半的人无家可归。143，000人死于这场地震。

1948: Turkmenistan 土库曼斯坦大地震

In a matter of minutes, an October earthquake measuring 7.3 turned the city of Ashgabat into a pile of rubble. A thousand Soviet doctors, nurses and other medical personnel flooded in from Moscow and other cities to aid sufferers in what is now Turkmenistan. Despite their efforts, 110,000 people perished.

1948年十月，一场里氏7.3级的地震在几分钟内摧毁了阿什哈巴德。一千名苏联医生、护士和医护人员从莫斯科和其他城市出发，前往今天土库曼斯坦所在的地方救助伤员。虽然他们付出了很大努力，还是有十一万人身亡。

2008: Sichuan Province, China 5.12大地震

The 7.9-magnitude disaster struck the mountainous Sichuan Province in western China, destroying millions of buildings and causing an estimated $86 billion worth of damage. Nearly 10,000 children died in schools — trapped under rubble when the buildings collapsed.

四川发生的这场7.9级大地震中有上百万房屋倒塌，造成约860亿美元的损失。几乎有一万个孩子死在倒塌的教学楼中。

2005: Kashmir, Pakistan 克什米尔大地震

Kashmir, the site of a prolonged and violent border dispute between India and Pakistan, is beleaguered enough; a massive earthquake on Oct. 8, 2005 only added to the province's woes. Measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale, the quake killed 79,000 and left millions more homeless.

印度和巴基斯坦之间长期因边境问题而冲突不断，克什米尔因此多年不得安宁，05年十月八日的地震更加深了这里的灾难。里氏7.6级的这场地震造成79，000人丧生，几百万人无家可归。

1908: Messina, Italy 墨西拿大地震

By today's standards, the earthquake that struck beneath the Messina Strait — which separates the regions of Sicily and Calabria — on December 28, 1908, was a magnitude 7.5. A subsequent tsunami sent waves as much as 40 feet high crashing into the Italian coast. More than 80,000 people were killed and dozens of towns destroyed.

分隔西西里和克拉布利亚的墨西拿海湾下爆发的这场7.5级大地震引发了海浪高达40英尺的海啸。超过八万人在此次地震中丧生，许多城镇被毁。

1970: Chimbote, Peru 秘鲁大地震

The Great Peruvian Earthquake hit the coastal town of Chimbote, Peru on May 31, 1970 — measuring a 7.9 magnitude on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the quake was 15 miles away from the city, in the Pacific Ocean, yet the disaster claimed the lives of some 70,000 people and left more than 800,000 homeless. Landslides, with debris traveling at speeds of up to 200 mph down the sides of the Nevado Huascaran mountain, destroyed whole villages. Tremors could be felt in Lima — some 400 miles away.

1970年五月三十一日，秘鲁沿海城市钦博特发生了里氏7.9级的大地震。震中在太平洋中，距离钦博特15 英里。地震造成七万人丧生，超过八十万人无家可归。夹带着瓦砾的泥石流坡以每小时200米的速度滑下瓦斯兰卡山，摧毁山下全镇。400英里以外的秘鲁首都利马都有震感。