But despite all that, the reactor vessels have held, and radioactive release is limited.

但是尽管发生了这一切不幸，反应堆外壳并没有破裂，放射性物质的泄漏也非常有限。

youdao

In the U. S., reactors shut down for refueling typically retain most of their fuel in the thick steel reactor pressure vessel that provides much more protection against a radioactive release.

在美国，如果反应堆因补充燃料而关闭，一般来说，在厚重的钢质反应堆压力容器内仍会存有大多数燃料，因为这个容器可提供更多保护，防止辐射泄漏。

youdao

Some groups oppose nuclear power stations because they produce radioactive waste and could release radioactive material if there was an accident.

一些组织反对核电站，因为它们会产生放射性废料，而如果发生事故可能会释放出放射性物质。

youdao

"Something else, which we hope does not happen very often, but which happens from time to time are the accidents which can release huge amounts of chemicals or radioactive-during Chernobyl, the radioactive things.

VOA: standard.2009.03.23

It is remarkable that so much attention has been given to the radioactive release from Fukushima, considering that the direct death and destruction from the tsunami was enormously greater.

WSJ: The Panic Over Fukushima

"It's hard to make a comparison between Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima because the radioactive release is different and so is the population, " said John Large, a UK-based independent nuclear engineer.

BBC: Fukushima: As bad as Chernobyl?

Solid nuclear fuel like that used at Fukushima-Daiichi can melt and release radioactive materials if not cooled consistently during shutdown.

FORBES: Explainer: What Caused The Incident At Fukushima-Daiichi