美国小学英语教材6:第9课 摄像机猎象记(7)

 　　Camera hunting 照相机狩猎

　　Hunting with the camera has become more important to the study of wild life than hunting with the rifle¹. 相比于枪支狩猎，照相机狩猎对于研究野生动物更加重要。

　　Osa and I seldom shoot except for food or to save ourselves or our workers in times of great danger. 欧莎和我很少开枪，除非是为了找寻食物，或是在危难时刻自救或帮助工作伙伴。

　　Osa usually holds the gun, and it is my faith in her nerve² that has made possible most of our best pictures. 欧莎总是拿着枪，我对她的信任让我们获得了许多珍贵照片。

　　Twice she has dropped elephants at my feet. Once a lion charged me in the open. 有两次她都是在大象走进我时将它们放倒，一次，一头狮子在野外冲我袭来。

　　I kept cranking because she held the gun. At fifteen feet she fired. It didn't stop him. 我继续绕弯跑，因为欧莎拿着枪，在距离我15英尺时她开了枪，但却没有阻止它向前。

　　She fired again, and the lion dropped so close that I could touch his mane with my toe. 她再次开枪，狮子倒下了，它距离我很紧，我的脚指头都能碰到它的鬣。

　　I usually become so interested in the pictures I am getting that I don't realize the danger. Osa looks out for that. 我对我拍摄的照片产生了兴趣，我没有意识到危险，但欧莎觉察到了。

　　Photographing wild life is a very dangerous business for the person who hasn't had wide experience 拍摄野生动物很危险，因为拍摄者没有户外经验，

　　and who does not know just what chances he can take with safety. 也不知道抓住机会让自己逃离险境。

　　After spending years in the jungle, one comes to know how a particular animal is likely to act. 在野外生活几年后，人们才知道动物有可能要干什么。

　　But we take every care, because there is always some uncertainty³ as to what wild animals will do. 但是我们非常小心，因为动物的行为还是充满不确定性。

　　Camera hunting is a life work that I would not advise for many people. 照相机狩猎是一生所追求的工作，我不建议人们参与其中。

　　It is thrilling if you like it; but for every thrill there may be days, perhaps weeks, of dull, tiresome⁴ preparation. 这份工作很刺激，但每一个刺激的瞬间都需要几天，或许几周的苦恼准备。

　　Often after endless labor⁵ of tracking animals, planning with care, lugging⁶ cameras and other things, 通常在经历跟踪动物，详细计划，搬运照相机等其它事情后，

　　and coming right up on the beasts you are looking for, you do not get a good film. 当你真的找到了你要寻找的动物时，你却没法拍出好的纪录片。

　　Then again, you secure⁷ a picture that makes you want to stand out in the middle of the desert and shout the tidings to the world. 但下一次你或许就能收获好照片，这种感觉会让你站在沙漠中央，或站在世界的制高点上。

1 rifle   

n.来复枪，步枪

参考例句：

• The soldiers keep a tight hold of the rifle.战士们紧握手中的枪。
• They armed him with a rifle.他们发给他一支步枪。

2 nerve   

n.神经；勇气，胆量，沉着，果断

参考例句：

• Did he have the nerve to say that?他竟有脸说这话吗？
• He never got up enough nerve to meet me.他从没有足够的胆量来见我。

3 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

4 tiresome   

adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的

参考例句：

• His doubts and hesitations were tiresome.他的疑惑和犹豫令人厌烦。
• He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors.他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜，令人生厌。

5 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

6 lugging   

超载运转能力

参考例句：

• I would smile when I saw him lugging his golf bags into the office. 看到他把高尔夫球袋拖进办公室，我就笑一笑。 来自辞典例句
• As a general guide, S＄1 should be adequate for baggage-lugging service. 一般的准则是，如有人帮你搬运行李，给一新元就够了。 来自互联网

7 secure   

adj.无虑的，安心的，安全的；adj.牢靠的，稳妥的；vt.固定，获得，使...安全；vi.(海上工作人员)停止工；vi.(船)抛锚，停泊

参考例句：

• He found a secure foothold and pulled himself up.他找到了一个稳固的踏脚处并爬了上去。
• Extra men are needed to secure the camp against attack.需要增加兵力以保护军营免受攻击。