True, those walls did not work as well as had been hoped, but Japan was nonetheless much better prepared for a tsunami than Padang is. In Padang, even with advance warning of a tsunami, higher ground is too far away, and the narrow streets too choked with traffic, for many people to get to safety in time.
没错，那些防波堤是没有起到人们预想的作用，但即便如此日本的海啸预防工作也远比巴东充分。即使巴东成功发布了海啸预警，高地也距离太远，狭窄的街道交通太过堵塞，以致很多人无法安全脱身。