– Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

This September 23rd

The landslide dam at Mataian Creek overflowed and collapsed

On October 17th, at Taroko’s Swallow Grotto

Another landslide lake formed

Then on October 21st, downstream of Mataian Creek

A new landslide lake appeared again

Why does it seem that

Taiwan is so prone to landslide lakes?

Do we have the ability to handle

These massive ticking time bombs

That can burst like reservoirs at any moment?

Taiwan’s mountains are steep and rivers rapid

Typhoons, heavy rain, and earthquakes

Often trigger landslides in mountain areas

Once rivers are blocked

Landslide lakes can easily form

Since 1979, at least 89 have been recorded

During Typhoon Morakot in 2009

22 landslide lakes were formed

And the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake

Created another 12

Most usually occur during typhoons or torrential rain

When rainfall becomes excessive

Landslides block river channels and form lakes

Around half of these events

Happen during heavy or extreme rainfall

Or intense downpours

Another cause is earthquakes

Any mountainous area

Has a higher chance of forming one

Especially since Taiwan is a country

With both earthquakes and intense rainfall

Given that these events are frequent

Why was the Mataian landslide lake in September

So destructive this year?

It’s related to its size and the triggering factors

Records show lakes in Taiwan

With storage exceeding 10 million cubic meters

Besides Mataian Creek this year

There were also the 1979, 1999, and 2025

Repeating Caoling landslide lakes

And the 2009 Qishan Creek landslide lake

The Qishan Creek lake held only one-ninth

Of Mataian’s water volume

Yet it destroyed Xiaolin Village in Kaohsiung

Earthquake-triggered lakes

Usually give more time to respond

But during intense rainfall

They collapse much faster

So the time available to take action

Is very limited

是非常短暫的

Sometimes, there’s no time at all

Both Mataian Creek and Qishan Creek lakes

Were triggered by typhoon rainstorms

During Typhoon Morakot, Xiaolin Village in Kaohsiung

Received 1,856 millimeters of rain

And the dam burst in just 1.5 hours

Taiwan’s environment

Is characterized by high-intensity rainfall

So with frequent or sudden downpours

These dams rarely last long

They often don’t survive

For more than a year

不容易存在超過1年的

The Mataian lake

Formed an even larger dam

After Typhoon Vipa this year

Because the site was deep in the mountains and inaccessible

There was no way to intervene before it broke

Only measures downstream cleanup

Monitoring, early warning, and evacuation were possible

Without a way to build mitigation structures

The main approach was monitoring, early alerts

我們就是以監測 提前預警

And evacuation planning downstream

These became the primary countermeasures

For landslide lakes

Currently, there are seven active lakes in Taiwan

Three of which are under monitoring

Including Mataian Creek, Swallow Grotto

And the Xintaigang Creek lake in Hsinchu

That formed last year

新竹太泰崗溪堰塞湖

Facing such sudden threats

Can we reduce disaster risk?

The scholar who first discovered the Mataian lake, Zhao Wei-an

Developed a real-time landslide monitoring system

Once a strong quake or typhoon hits

一旦有強震 颱風豪雨

It automatically activates

To track slope movements across Taiwan

Detecting whether landslides have occurred

If the scale is large

The system identifies high-risk downstream areas

That could face debris flows

Especially when water discharge increases

Or huge amounts of debris

Might form a new barrier lake

它土石量很大

那會不會就形成堰塞湖這樣子

Once a landslide lake is confirmed

Teams install

A micro-seismic flood warning system

It detects vibrations from upstream floods

And estimates overflow time for early alerts

At the same time

This approach helps with evacuation planning

And provides extra time

For emergency withdraw operations

爭取比較大的一個時間

However, since the source is remote and hard to reach

There can be communication difficulties

然後又可能會有

網路通訊的問題

To improve multi-angle monitoring

For this year’s Mataian lake,

The Disaster Prevention Center at NCKU

Used an Airborne Service helicopter

To drop water level sensors

To observe overflow conditions

Without internet

Signals from monitoring equipment

Can’t be transmitted

To disaster response units

So NCKU used satellite communication

所以成大它就有利用

To establish a system

幫我們建立了

That includes rain gauges

And water level meters

These automated devices, combined with

Satellite images and aerial surveys

Form a multi-layered early warning network

多重監測預警方式

Helping downstream communities evacuate in time

爭取疏散的時間

Before that, surveys of geography and geology

And assessments of nearby households

And their distance downstream

Are needed to evaluate

If the lake bursts

What impact it could have

對於下游民眾

On residents downstream

Even with today’s technology

The extent of downstream flooding

Still depends on how the collapse occurs

Experts say

It’s hard to predict

Whether it will burst suddenly or gradually

潰決是瞬間潰決或慢慢潰決

Because the dam’s composition

Is complex and hard to analyze

Combined with rainfall conditions

All these factors

Affect how large the flood zone would be

我要劃定下游是多大的淹沒區

Besides weather challenges

Machines can’t easily reach these sites for drilling

So the dam material properties remain unknown

Making prediction even harder

If the dam did collapse today

Estimating how much water would flow out

Would be extremely difficult

是相當困難的

Because it’s hard to know

Whether the dam material

Is loose or compact

比較疏鬆的還是比較緊密的

If the risk of collapse is high

Can impacts be reduced?

In fact, over 80 to 90 percent of cases

百分之8 90以上

Use a dam-lowering method

To reduce the dam’s height

And decrease water volume

Making it relatively safer

For example, the Swallow Grotto lake

Lowered its level

By excavation and diversion

To reduce the water storage amount

But why couldn’t Mataian do the same?

Usually, for mitigation work to begin

Machinery and workers must access the site

施工的機具跟人員可以上去

Expert assessments concluded

It was nearly impossible

To finish within such a short time

And would put workers’ safety at great risk

非常大的危險

If equipment could reach the site

Emergency work could be attempted

Besides dam lowering and diversion

There are also siphon drainage

And temporary dam stabilization methods

But these still involve danger to workers

都還是有危險性

Experts suggest learning from Japan

By using remotely operated machines

Controlled from indoors like playing a computer game

To excavate and transport soil

With fully unmanned vehicles

All operated remotely

在做操作

This approach, they say

Is something Taiwan should adopt in the future

[Chinese]

今年9月23日

馬太鞍溪堰塞湖才溢流潰壩

10月17日太魯閣燕子口

又有堰塞湖形成

10月21日馬太鞍溪堰塞湖下游

也有新的堰塞湖

為什麼突然間

台灣像是很容易形成堰塞湖

我們有能力應對這種

大小動輒

像一座水庫的不定時炸彈嗎

台灣山高水急

颱風 豪雨 地震

都容易造成山區土石崩塌

一旦堵塞河道

就可能形成堰塞湖

1979年至今曾出現至少89處

像是2009年的莫拉克颱風

記錄到22處堰塞湖形成

1999年的九二一地震

也有12處

那通常是在颱風豪雨期間

雨下了太大之後

邊坡崩塌形成堰塞湖

大概5成多

屬於在強降雨

或是豪大雨的時候發生的堰塞湖

那另外一種是地震的因素

只要你有山的地區

就比較容易產生堰塞湖

特別我們又是地震

跟高強度降雨同時有的國家

既然堰塞湖案例不少

今年9月的馬太鞍堰塞湖

為什麼致災嚴重

跟規模大小以及誘發原因有關

台灣記錄到蓄水體積

大於1千萬立方公尺的堰塞湖

除了今年的馬太鞍溪

還有1979 1999 2025年

反覆出現的草嶺堰塞湖

和2009年的旗山溪堰塞湖

蓄水量只有馬太鞍9分之1的

旗山溪堰塞湖

甚至造成高雄小林村滅村

大部分地震型的堰塞湖

比較有時間可以處理

高強度降雨的時候

通常它的潰決時間都很短

所以基本上

可以讓你處理的時間性

是非常短暫的

甚至沒有時間來處理

馬太鞍溪和旗山溪堰塞湖

都是因為颱風豪雨誘發

莫拉克颱風在高雄小林村

帶來1856毫米的降雨量

短短1.5小時就溢流潰壩

台灣是屬於

高強度降雨的一個環境

所以它只要降雨來的次數多

或者是急

這個壩就不容易保存

所以相對來講

不容易存在超過1年的

馬太鞍堰塞湖

則在今年薇帕颱風後

形成更大的壩體阻塞

因為在深山無路可通

潰決前無法介入處理

只能加速下游清淤

監測預警及疏散

所以沒有辦法進行

減災工程的情形下

我們就是以監測 提前預警

跟下游的疏散避難

這個方式來當做這個

堰塞湖的一個主要的對策

台灣現存7處堰塞湖

其中有3處受到監控

分別是今年的馬太鞍溪

燕子口

和去年形成的

新竹太泰崗溪堰塞湖

面對這種突然出現的威脅

我們有改變致災的可能嗎

第一位發現馬太鞍堰塞湖

的學者趙韋安

開發即時崩塌監測系統

一旦有強震 颱風豪雨

就會啟動

監控台灣各地邊坡的變動

偵測崩塌到底有沒有發生

那規模如果很大

我們就會關注是不是

下游就開始需要擔心

土石流會不會在

流量很大的時候被帶出來

或者是

它土石量很大

那會不會就形成堰塞湖這樣子

確認形成堰塞湖後

就會到場裝設

微地動潰決洪水預警系統

從上游偵測洪水的震動

掌握溢流時間 提前預警

同時間其實也是對於

疏散避難

或是在做這些

撤離作業的時候

爭取比較大的一個時間

可是靠近災害的源頭

又不容易抵達

然後又可能會有

網路通訊的問題

為了更多方位監測

像這次馬太鞍堰塞湖

成大防災中心

也搭乘空勤總隊直升機

去投放水位計

掌握溢流水況

如果沒有網路

我們這些監測設備的訊號

要怎麼樣回傳到

我們的防災單位

是沒有辦法的

所以成大它就有利用

衛星訊號的方式

幫我們建立了

包括雨量計

跟水位計

有了這些自動化儀器

搭配衛星遙測影像

直升機空勘等

多重監測預警方式

可以為下游保全區

爭取疏散的時間

要先做些地形地質的調查

還有附近有多少住戶

距離下的保全戶有多遠

這樣我們才能夠去評估說

它如果假設這個

堰塞湖它潰壩了

對於下游民眾

造成的影響

即便現在的技術

能掌握堰塞湖潰決時間

但是下游會受到多大影響

取決於潰決的形態

學者認為

依然不好預估

潰決是瞬間潰決或慢慢潰決

這個壩體的整個組成

是不太容易去（分析）

還有當初是不是強降雨

這些綜合起來

都會影響到

我要劃定下游是多大的淹沒區

除了天氣因素

機具難以接近做地質鑽探

無法得知壩體材料性質

也會加深預測難度

如果今天這個堰塞湖潰壩了

會有多少水流出去

這件事情評估而言

是相當困難的

因為我們很難夠知道說

這個壩它裡面的材料

它是屬於

比較疏鬆的還是比較緊密的

若是評估堰塞湖可能會造成危險

有方法可以減輕衝擊嗎

堰塞湖其實大部分

百分之8 90以上

都是採用降壩的方式

把壩體降低

讓它整個水量變小

那相對來講就比較安全

像是燕子口堰塞湖

就是以壩體降挖

與引流的方式

降低堰塞湖的水位與蓄水量

但為什麼馬太鞍堰塞湖卻不行

一般來講減災工程要進行的話

通常就是必須要

施工的機具跟人員可以上去

專家會議的評估

都覺得是要在這個

短期間要完成是有困難

而且會造成施工人員

非常大的危險

機具可以到達

就有機會做緊急工程處理

除了降壩引流

還有虹吸抽水

臨時壩體穩定等方式

不過對於施工人員來說

都還是有危險性

專家認為可以學習日本

遠端操控無人機具

它是在電腦室玩遊戲的方式

在那裡挖土

包括運送的車輛

全部都是無人機具

在做操作

這個倒是我覺得

台灣未來可以學習的一個點

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
堰塞湖 yàn sè hú B2	noun - landslide-dammed lake
潰壩 kuì bà C1	verb - to breach or collapse a dam
崩塌 bēng tā B2	verb - to collapse, to crumble
監測 jiān cè B2	verb - to monitor and observe
預警 yù jǐng C1	noun - early warning, alert
地震 dì zhèn A2	noun - earthquake
颱風 tái fēng A2	noun - typhoon
降雨 jiàng yǔ B1	noun - rainfall, precipitation
洪水 hóng shuǐ B1	noun - flood
土石流 tǔ shí liú B2	noun - debris flow, mudslide
災害 zāi hài B1	noun - disaster, calamity
監控 jiān kòng B2	verb - to control and supervise
壩體 bà tǐ C1	noun - dam structure
穩定 wěn dìng B1	adjective - stable, steady
預測 yù cè B2	verb - to predict, to forecast
危險 wēi xiǎn A2	adjective - dangerous, risky

Key Grammar Structures

• 只要你有山的地區，就比較容易產生堰塞湖。

  ➔ Result‑conditional clause with 只要…就… (as long as… then…)

  ➔ The particle "只要" introduces a condition and "就" signals the result: "只要 you have mountainous areas, 就 it is easier to form landslide‑dammed lakes."

• 高強度降雨的時候，通常它的潰決時間都很短，所以基本上可以讓你處理的時間性是非常短暫的。

  ➔ Temporal clause with 的時候 + causal connector 所以

  ➔ "的時候" marks the time frame ("when high‑intensity rain occurs"), and "所以" introduces the reason/result: "的時候..., 所以 the processing window is very short."

• 如果今天這個堰塞湖潰壩了，會有多少水流出去，這件事情評估而言是相當困難的。

  ➔ Conditional clause with 如果…會… (if… will…)

  ➔ "如果" introduces a hypothetical situation and "會" predicts the outcome: "如果 the dam breaks, 會 how much water will flow out?"

• 除了天氣因素，機具難以接近做地質鑽探，無法得知壩體材料性質，也會加深預測難度。

  ➔ Additive construction with 除了…，…也… (besides…, also…)

  ➔ "除了" introduces an exception, and "也" adds another point: "除了 weather factors, the equipment is hard to reach, 也 it heightens prediction difficulty."

• 要先做些地形地質的調查，還有附近有多少住戶，距離下的保全戶有多遠，這樣我們才能夠去評估說…

  ➔ Sequential condition with 要先…才能… (must first… then can…)

  ➔ "要先" stresses the prerequisite, and "才能" shows the consequent ability: "要先 conduct surveys, 才能 we can evaluate the risk."

• 馬太鞍堰塞湖的形成，跟規模大小以及誘發原因有關。

  ➔ Prepositional phrase with 跟…有關 (related to…)

  ➔ "跟" introduces the entity and "有關" indicates relation: "The formation of the Matayuan landslide dam 跟 scale and causes 有關."

• 我們有能力應對這種大小動輒像一座水庫的不定時炸彈嗎？

  ➔ Rhetorical question ending with 嗎 (question particle)

  ➔ "嗎" turns a statement into a question and often expresses doubt or invites reflection: "Do we really have the ability to cope with such an unpredictable ‘bomb’?嗎"

• 不太容易去（分析）壩體的材料性質，也會加深預測難度。

  ➔ Expression of difficulty with 不太容易 (not very easy) + verb

  ➔ "不太" intensifies the negation, and "容易」means “easy”. Together they convey difficulty: "It is 不太容易 to analyse the dam material, which also deepens prediction difficulty."