译林版牛津高中英语(必修2):Unit2 Wish you were here-Reading(1)

An adventure in Africa

非洲冒险

30 June

6月30日

Dear Aihua

亲爱的爱华：

How are you? Sorry I haven't written for so long.

你好吗？抱歉很长时间没写信了。

I've been quite busy arranging¹ my holiday with my older brother, Colin.

我一直忙着计划我和哥哥科林的假期。

Colin and I plan to spend a few weeks travelling before he goes to university.

科林和我想在他上大学之前外出旅游，玩儿上几个星期。

We're going to visit so many exciting places and do lots of extraordinary things.

我们要参观那么多令人兴奋的地方，做那么多不同寻常的事情。

We will go to Africa first. I can't wait! Have you ever been there?

我们将先去非洲。我都等不及了！你去过那儿吗？

We leave London on 15th July, and we'll be taking a fly to Morocco, in northern Africa.

我们7月15日离开伦敦，然后飞到北非的摩洛哥。

We're going to ride camels through the Sahara Desert.

我们要骑着骆驼穿过撒哈拉沙漠。

It's the biggest desert in the world--about the size of the US!

撒哈拉沙漠是世界上最大的沙漠--和美国差不多大。

I expect it will be very hot, dry and dusty³ there.

我想那儿会非常炎热、干燥、多尘。

We'll be travelling by camel with local guides, camping in tents and sleeping on the ground.

我们将骑着骆驼旅行，并有当地导游陪伴，扎帐篷、睡在地上。

I've heard that, in the Sahara there is no shade during the day, and the stars seem especially brilliant on clear nights.

我听说，在撒哈拉沙漠，白天没有阴凉处，而在晴朗的夜晚，星星格外的明亮。

I'll bring a flashlight with me so that I'll be able to see in the dark.

我会带上手电，这样就能看见黑暗中的东西。

Altogether, the trip will take six days.

整个旅行要六天。

That means⁴ I'll have to sit on a camel for almost a week--how uncomfortable!

那就是说我要骑将近一个星期的骆驼--太难受了！

I hope my camel likes me!

希望我的骆驼喜欢我！

After the trip by camel, we're going to travel down the River Nile.

骑骆驼的旅行结束后，我们要沿着尼罗河旅行。

We'll start at Lake Victoria.

我们将从维多利亚湖出发。

A little way down the river from Lake Victoria, the water gets quite rough².

沿着维多利亚湖下行一点儿，水流竟然变得湍急起来。

So, we'll go white-water rafting.

所以我们要漂流。

It's quite dangerous, but very exciting!

很危险也很刺激！

You have to wear a helmet⁵ and a life jacket for protection⁶, just in case you fall into the water.

你得戴上头盔，穿上救生衣做保护，以防你落入水中。

1 arranging   

v.安排，准备( arrange的现在分词 )；把…（系统地）分类；整理；改编（剧本等）

参考例句：

• He put a lot of effort into arranging the concert. 他为音乐会的筹备工作付出很大力气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings. 担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 rough   

adj.粗糙的；粗略的，大致的；粗野的，粗暴的

参考例句：

• It's just a very rough translation.这只是一篇非常粗糙的译稿。
• His reply was a bit rough.他的答复过于粗鲁了一点。

3 dusty   

adj.积满灰尘的；无聊的，含糊的，粉末状的

参考例句：

• He was pulling dead roots from the dusty earth.他正在从土中拔出枯死的根茎。
• One spring it was very windy and dusty here.有一年春天这里风沙很大。

4 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

5 helmet   

n.钢盔；头盔；安全帽；vt.给…戴头盔

参考例句：

• The man on the motorcycle wore a helmet.骑摩托车的人戴了一顶头盔。
• Wear your safety helmet when you go down.戴上安全帽再下去。

6 protection   

n.保护，防卫，保护制度

参考例句：

• The protection of the country is the duty of everyone.保卫国家是每个人的责任。
• The young in our society need care and protection.我们社会的年轻人需要关怀和照顾。