美国语文第三册 第88期:高山

 　　The Himalayas are the highest mountains on our globe, They are in Asia, and separate India from Thibet. 喜马拉雅山是地球上最高的山，位于亚洲，在印度与中国西藏之间，

　　They extend in a continuous line for more than a thousand miles. 山脉连绵超过一千英里。

　　If you ever ascend¹ one of these mountains from the plain below, you will have to cross an unhealthy border, twenty miles in width. 如果你试图从山脚的平原登上其中一座山峰，你就必须跨越一条危及生命健康的边界线，宽度达到了20英里。

　　It is, in fact, a swamp caused by the waters overflowing² the river banks. 实际上，那是一片由于河水溢出河床流到岸边形成的沼泽地。

　　The soil of this swampy³ border is covered with trees and shrubs⁴, where the tiger, the elephant, and other animals find secure retreat. 沼泽地的土壤被树林与灌木丛所覆盖，那里是老虎、大象等动物寻找安全退路的所在。

　　Beyond this border, you will reach smiling valleys and noble forests. 跨越了这片边界地，你就能到达开阔的山谷和郁郁葱葱的森林。

　　As you advance onward⁵ and upward, you will get among bolder and more rugged⁶ scenes. 当你继续向上攀登，你会置身于更粗糙、更崎岖的山野之间。

　　The sides of the mountains are very steep, sometimes well wooded to quite a height, but sometimes quite barren. 山崖十分陡峭，有时即便很高的地方也生长着树木，有时则相当贫瘠荒凉。

　　In crossing a river you must be content with three ropes for a bridge. 越过河流的时候，有一条三根绳子做成的桥你就该感到满足了。

　　You will find the streets of the towns to be simply stairs cut out of the rock, and see the houses rising in tiers. 走进市镇，你会发现街道是直接在岩石上开凿而成，房子一排排拔地而起。

　　The pathways into Thibet, among these mountains, are mere⁷ tracks by the side of foaming⁸ torrents⁹. 进入西藏的小路蜿蜒在山间，小路一侧就是怒吼着的滚滚洪流，

　　Often, as you advance, you will find every trace of the path swept away by the falling of rocks and earth from above. 你会发现路上没有任何足迹，因为都被从山上滚落的石头和沙泥一扫而空了。

　　Sometimes you will find posts driven into the mountain side, upon which branches of trees and earth are spread. 有时你会看到山崖上插着柱子，在上面铺上树枝和泥土，就形成了让人心惊胆战的立足之地，

　　This forms a trembling foothold for the traveler. 供旅人通过。

　　In the Andes, in South America, the sure-footed mule¹⁰ is used to carry travelers. 在位于南美洲的安第斯山脉，旅客们使用步伐稳健的骡子作为坐骑。

　　Quite often a chasm¹¹ must be crossed that is many feet wide and hundreds of feet deep. 常常在必须跨越好几英尺宽、几百英尺深的峡谷时，

　　The mule will leap across this chasm, but not until it is sure it can make a safe jump. 这种骡子会一跃而过，当然，如果它们不确定自己可以越过的话，是不会冒险的。

　　"One day," says a traveler, "I went by the worst pass over the Andes Mountains." “有一天，”一位旅客说，“我遇到了安第斯山脉最糟糕的路况。”

　　The path for seventy yards was very narrow, and at one point it was washed entirely¹² away. 有一段路长达70码，非常狭窄，有一个地方路完全被冲走了。

　　On one side the rock brushed my shoulder, and on the other side my foot overhung the precipice¹³. 我只好任由一侧的肩膀被岩石摩擦着，另一侧的脚就吊挂在悬崖边上。

　　The guide told this man, after he was safely over the pass, that, to his knowledge, four hundred mules¹⁴ had fallen over that precipice, 在这位旅客安全通过了那条路之后，一位向导告诉他，据他的了解，在那个悬崖大概摔死过400头骡子，

　　and in many instances travelers had lost their lives at that terrible spot. 还有很多人在那个可怕的地方失去了生命。

1 ascend   

vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上

参考例句：

• We watched the airplane ascend higher and higher.我们看着飞机逐渐升高。
• We ascend in the order of time and of development.我们按时间和发展顺序向上溯。

2 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。

3 swampy   

adj.沼泽的，湿地的

参考例句：

• Malaria is still rampant in some swampy regions.疟疾在一些沼泽地区仍很猖獗。
• An ox as grazing in a swampy meadow.一头牛在一块泥泞的草地上吃草。

4 shrubs   

灌木( shrub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gardener spent a complete morning in trimming those two shrubs. 园丁花了整个上午的时间修剪那两处灌木林。
• These shrubs will need more light to produce flowering shoots. 这些灌木需要更多的光照才能抽出开花的新枝。

5 onward   

adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先

参考例句：

• The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。
• He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。

6 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

7 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

8 foaming   

adj.布满泡沫的；发泡

参考例句：

• He looked like a madman, foaming at the mouth. 他口吐白沫，看上去像个疯子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is foaming at the mouth about the committee's decision. 他正为委员会的决定大发其火。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 torrents   

n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断

参考例句：

• The torrents scoured out a channel down the hill side. 急流沿着山腰冲刷出一条水沟。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Sudden rainstorms would bring the mountain torrents rushing down. 突然的暴雨会使山洪暴发。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 mule   

n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人

参考例句：

• A mule is a cross between a mare and a donkey.骡子是母马和公驴的杂交后代。
• He is an old mule.他是个老顽固。

11 chasm   

n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突

参考例句：

• There's a chasm between rich and poor in that society.那社会中存在着贫富差距。
• A huge chasm gaped before them.他们面前有个巨大的裂痕。

12 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

13 precipice   

n.悬崖，危急的处境

参考例句：

• The hut hung half over the edge of the precipice.那间小屋有一半悬在峭壁边上。
• A slight carelessness on this precipice could cost a man his life.在这悬崖上稍一疏忽就会使人丧生。

14 mules   

骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者

参考例句：

• The cart was pulled by two mules. 两匹骡子拉这辆大车。
• She wore tight trousers and high-heeled mules. 她穿紧身裤和拖鞋式高跟鞋。