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Earthquake waves, more often called seismic waves, are vibrations generated by earthquakes that continue to spread within Earth or along its surface.
震波，更常被称为地震波，是地震在地球内部或表面继续传播时产生的振动。
Earthquakes generate two main types of waves: body waves, which travel inside Earth, and surface waves, which travel on the surface.
地震会产生两种主要的波:在地球内部传播的体波和在地球表面传播的面波。
Body waves and surface waves can also be divided into subcategories--like P, or "primary," waves, a type of body wave that moves quickly through solid rock, liquids, and earth and can sometimes be heard by animals, explaining why dogs may bark right before an earthquake hits.
体波和面波还可进一步细分——比如P波，即“纵波”，是体波的一种，可以在固体岩石、液体和土壤中快速移动，有时动物可以听到这种波声，所以狗才会在地震来袭之前吠叫。
Next come the S, or "secondary," waves.
接下来是S波，即“横波”。
These body waves are stronger and travel farther, so more people feel them during an earthquake.
这种体波更强，传播更远，所以在地震中有更多人能感觉到它们。
As they travel, they move rock particles up and down or side to side.
S波移动时，会上下或左右晃动岩石颗粒。
After P and S waves come surface waves, which follow body waves and cause the most damage.
继P波和S波之后是面波，它紧随体波之后，造成的破坏最大。
Surface waves include the fast Love waves (named for British seismologist A.E.H. Love), which create horizontal movement, and the slow, but larger, Rayleigh waves (named for British physicist Lord Rayleigh), which produce most of the ground movement felt during an earthquake.
面波包括快速的洛夫波(以英国地震学家A.E.H.洛夫命名)，它能产生水平运动，还有缓慢但更大的瑞利波(以英国物理学家瑞利勋爵命名)，它能产生地震时人们感受到的大部分地面运动。
Seismic waves naturally occur when energy being stored in Earth's crust is suddenly released, often when huge masses of rock pressed against each other fracture and "slip."
当巨大的岩石相互挤压而断裂和“滑动”时，储存在地壳中的能量突然被释放，就会产生地震波。
Earthquakes begin when these rocks slip, triggering the waves and, with them, the potential to topple buildings, rupture gas lines, and start a tsunami.
这些岩石滑动时，就出现了地震，会引发波浪，并可能导致建筑物倒塌，天然气管道破裂，或引发海啸。
