Two worst-case scenarios
兩種最壞的情況

If engineers are unable to cool a damaged fuel core, enriched uranium can melt into a pool of radioactive lava. The meltdown can burn its way out of the containment vessel or send radioactive steam out through cracks in the system.
如果工程師們無法成功冷卻受損燃料核心，濃縮鈾會像一灘具有放射性的熔巖，燒穿安全殼，或者讓具有放射性的水蒸氣從系統(tǒng)裂縫流入外界。

Cooling the spent fuel is critical, for if it becomes exposed, a zirconium fire can break out and spew massive amounts of radiation.
冷卻用過的核燃料至關(guān)重要，因?yàn)橐坏┧┞对谕?，就可能引發(fā)鋯火災(zāi)，從而排放出大量放射物質(zhì)。

According to nuclear analyst Kenneth D. Bergeron, the containment vessels at Daiichi are stronger than Chernobyl but not as robust as Three Mile Island.
據(jù)核分析師Kenneth D. Bergeron所言，日本福島第一核電站的安全殼的結(jié)實(shí)程度比切爾諾貝利的好，卻沒三里島的好。

關(guān)于切爾諾貝利、三里島以及這次福島的核泄漏事故對比，來引用微博網(wǎng)友“功夫貓”的一句經(jīng)典總結(jié)：

舉個例子來說，切爾諾貝利那是坐便器和廁所都炸了，濺人一身；三里島那個是下水道里面冒個泡，廁所里面一股臭氣，但是沒跑到廁所外面；福島這個是廁所里面不斷冒泡硫化氫太多炸了，臭氣大量外溢，但是屎還沒出來。。。