The soft concrete will harden till it is like stone.

水泥将变硬直到像石头一样。

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When cracked, the concrete absorbs moisture from surrounding air, then becomes soft and "grows," filling in the crack.

出现裂纹以后，混凝土会从周围的空气中吸收水蒸气，变软进而“生长”，从而将裂缝填充起来。

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If you happen to spill some gas or oil on the floor, newspaper will help absorb the spill and can prevent a permanent stain on concrete or a soft spot in your asphalt drive.

如果你碰巧将一些汽油或机油洒在地板上，报纸将帮助你吸收倾洒物并且可以保护你的物品避免永久染色或在沥青车道上留下独特的记号。

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Dr Kircher said that an important finding of the study was that vulnerable buildings - un-reinforced masonry, older reinforced concrete and "soft-storey" - made up less than 5% of all buildings in the region but would kill more than half the people.

BBC: NEWS | Science/Nature | San Francisco faces big shaker

So, while there has yet to be any concrete evidence that the economy is actually losing steam right now, with lots of people talking about another soft patch, we will want to pay particularly close attention to the upcoming data such as the ISM reports, the jobs numbers, and the commentary from corporations when they report earnings.

FORBES: Some Investors Concerned We Could Be Entering Another Soft Patch