2006年VOA标准英语-Modern-Day Prospectors on Quest for Gold

By June Soh
Washington, D.C.
24 November 2006
 
watch Gold Prospecting¹ report

Gold has a glittering appeal that fascinates people generation after generation.  While the famous gold rush in the middle of the 1800s, in the western U.S. state of California, was over long ago, modern-day prospectors² on a quest for gold are drawn³ to the waters in the eastern state of Virginia.   But this time, no one is really expecting to get rich.  Amy Katz narrates⁴ the report.

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Panning for gold in a stream in Virginia

Joey Estep is searching for the distinctive⁵ sparkle that he says he got hooked on about a month ago. 

It is gold that lures⁶ Estep, who owns a construction company, to the creeks⁸ and rivers in Fauquier County, Virginia. "Every chance we get, but every weekend. As often as I can in between my work schedule," says Estep.

He says he could not believe his eyes when he found the glitter for the first time. "[I was] very excited and happy that, after all the hard work, hours of and some of the manual labor⁹ that you were doing in the creek⁷, I was extremely happy to find it."

The eastern state of Virginia was one of the first gold-producing states in the U.S., according to the state's Division of Mineral Resources.  Bob Sinclair is the curator of the Monroe Park Gold Mining Museum in Fauquier County. "Contrary to the popular belief that the first gold rush in the United States was to the state of California in 1849, the first true gold rush was in the 1790s here in the eastern part of the United States."

With the commercial mines now all closed, there is a new growing community of gold prospectors in the area.

Tom Sablon is the president of the Northern Virginia Gold Prospectors club. "The club originally started with about 12 people and it was called the Virginia Gold Prospectors Club.  And four and a half years ago we changed the name to Northern Virginia Gold Prospectors.  One time we had about 350 members," he added.

The museum's Bob Sinclair told us, "It is a total fascination¹⁰ that persons have an unending quest and unending search for places that might have gold.  Of course, the ever-escalating value of gold is driving additional persons to this park as well."

William Walther has been prospecting for gold for two years now.   He shows the fruits of his labor. "I feel good. I don't think gold ever not pleased the human race," says Walther.

But he offers a piece of advice. "A lot of hard working finding that. I will say, don't quit your day job, and don't think you are going to make a living finding gold."

Some gold prospectors use a metal sluice¹¹ box, suction dredger, or motorized sluice/dredge machine to process more sand and mud, and filter out the gold. 

But the most popular way is old-fashioned panning that allows heavier materials including gold to settle down to the bottom of the pan.

It took four years for Bill Curtis to make his glittering collection.  He says it would be worth about $8,000 if made into jewelry¹².  But he has no plans to sell.

"Oh, no. That's something I will never do. It is something that I found, I won't, I really don't want to sell it."

Like Curtis, most gold prospectors don't want to sell.   But then why toil¹³ every weekend?

"It is just a fever.  I know it is there. It is just laying out for me to pick it up,” says Curtis.  “Once I (you) find, sometimes a fair amount of gold, then you get the fever also. Then you know exactly what I am talking about."

This was not a good day for Curtis.  After putting in a good half-day's work, he didn't find much gold. Nevertheless, he says, he feels great. Because after all, what he really enjoys is getting outdoors and breathing fresh air.

1 prospecting   

n.探矿

参考例句：

• The prospecting team ploughed their way through the snow. 探险队排雪前进。
• The prospecting team has traversed the length and breadth of the land. 勘探队踏遍了祖国的山山水水。

2 prospectors   

n.勘探者，探矿者( prospector的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The prospectors have discovered such minerals as calcite,quartz and asbestos here. 探矿人员在这里发现了方解石、石英、石棉等矿藏。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The prospectors have discovered many minerals here. 探矿人员在这里发现了许多矿藏。 来自辞典例句

3 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

4 narrates   

v.故事( narrate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It narrates the unconstitutional acts of James II. 它历数了詹姆斯二世的违法行为。 来自辞典例句
• Chapter three narrates the economy activity which Jew return the Occident. 第三章讲述了犹太人重返西欧后的经济活动。 来自互联网

5 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

6 lures   

吸引力，魅力（lure的复数形式）

参考例句：

• He left home because of the lures of life in the city. 他离家是由于都市生活的诱惑。
• Perhaps it is the desire for solitude or the chance of making an unexpected discovery that lures men down to the depths of the earth. 可能正是寻觅幽静的去处，或者找个猎奇的机会的欲望引诱着人们进入地球的深处。

7 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

8 creeks   

n.小湾( creek的名词复数 )；小港；小河；小溪

参考例句：

• The prospect lies between two creeks. 矿区位于两条溪流之间。 来自辞典例句
• There was the excitement of fishing in country creeks with my grandpa on cloudy days. 有在阴雨天和姥爷一起到乡村河湾钓鱼的喜悦。 来自辞典例句

9 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。

10 fascination   

n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋

参考例句：

• He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
• His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。

11 sluice   

n.水闸

参考例句：

• We opened the sluice and the water poured in.我们打开闸门，水就涌了进来。
• They regulate the flow of water by the sluice gate.他们用水闸门控制水的流量。

12 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

13 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。