VOA慢速英语--泳者见证香港水域三十年的水质变化

Sandy Lam has been rising early each day to swim in the waters off Hong Kong Island for nearly 30 years.

Lam is 68 years old. He is part of a small community of about 50 people – mostly older adults – who often use the Sai Wan¹ Swimming Shed².

The small building offers simple changing areas and wash rooms for people who want to swim in the Sulphur³ Channel.

“We’re all friends and we’ve known each other for a long time,” Lam said.

He added that the cost of using the swimming shed is not high. Members pay $19 a month, which pays for the running water, lighting⁴ and crews to keep the changing rooms clean.

The shed was built in the 1960s or 1970s. It is the last surviving building of its kind. Such structures were popular in the early part of the 20th century when Hong Kong was a British colony⁵. At the time, there were few public swimming areas in Hong Kong.

Today the Sai Wan Swimming Shed remains⁶ popular with older swimmers and locals. Foreign visitors and newlyweds like to go there to take pictures.

Local swimmers cross a narrow, wooden bridge to reach the sea. They jump into the waters not far from the city’s financial center. Swimmers are able to see huge container ships leaving the port, passenger boats and fishing boats.

Ying Sing is 83 years old. “I’ve been coming here for 40 years, every single day,” Sing said, “I walk up the hill to come here, even on Sundays.”

Most swimmers say the exercise keeps them healthy, although some have noted⁷ a change in water quality over the years.

“I feel there is more plastic in the sea,” said 58-year-old Dennis Yeung.” He added, “I have noticed a difference since I’ve been swimming here from when I was small…There is quite a big difference. In the future, it will be more of a problem too.”

I’m Mario Ritter.

Words in This Story

shed –n. a small simple building

newlyweds –n. a couple who married recenlty

1 wan   

(wide area network)广域网

参考例句：

• The shared connection can be an Ethernet,wireless LAN,or wireless WAN connection.提供共享的网络连接可以是以太网、无线局域网或无线广域网。

2 shed   

n.车棚，小屋，脱落之物，分水岭；vt.使流出，放射，脱落，散发，摆脱；vi. 流出

参考例句：

• There are a lot of straws in the shed.棚子里有许多稻草。
• His nose told him that he was getting near the cow shed.他的嗅觉告诉他，他正走近牛棚。

3 sulphur   

n.[化]硫，硫磺

参考例句：

• The water smacks of sulphur.这水有点儿硫磺味。
• At the same time a piece of sulphur slipped out of his hand.同时有一块硫磺从他手中滑下。

4 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

5 colony   

n.殖民地；(同类人的)聚居地

参考例句：

• There lived a colony of bees on the tree.树上生活着一群蜜蜂。
• They live in an artists'colony.他们住在艺术家聚居区。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。