2006年VOA标准英语-Quiet Texas Town Provides Solitude for Res

By Greg Flakus
Terlingua, Texas
22 February 2006
 
watch Desert Dwellers¹ report
 

Mountains, desert near Terlingua, Texas  
  
Most human beings are social animals and yet there are people who long to get far away from their fellow humans. Many of them seek remote and somewhat exotic locales.

One such place is Terlingua,Texas, a desert community near the Mexican border built around the ruins of an old mining town.

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Getting to this part of far west Texas involves some long drives. Its 128 kilometers to the nearest town.

But many people are enchanted² by the tranquility of the desert.

There are fewer than 300 full-time³ residents in Terlingua, but the population grows every winter with the arrival of people with mobile homes. 

 
James Brasier, from Clinton, Missouri
  
James Brasier came down from Clinton, Missouri. "It is really quiet. No noise and you can get away from all the fast world. Kind of a neat area."

Brasier is what locals call a snow bird, someone who comes down to escape winter up north.

Motor lodge⁴ manager Patricia Culp says escape is what this area is all about. "We get snow birds in January who will stay through the last part of March, first part of April, when it starts getting warmer up north. We have tourists who come down two or three times a year, people from different parts of Texas who love it down here and would like to live here if possible."

In the past few years, Terlingua has experienced a real estate boom. People are coming from far and wide to buy their own piece of the rocky landscape, where they can either park a trailer or build a real house. Some even use rocks from the old ghost town to build new dwellings⁵. 

The boom comes in spite of a drought that has all but ended one of the area's big tourist draws -- rafting on the Rio Grande river.

Mike Kasper, tour guide   
  
Big Bend National Park continues to attract visitors but there isn't much work anymore for river guides, like Mike Kasper. "You gotta be a pretty hard, tough guide to get a canoe or a raft down this river because it is so low."

Mike Kasper is a musician, artist and handyman in addition to being a tour guide. He says part of what drew him here is the creative energy of the environment. "There is a great draw out here to the sparseness⁶, you cannot hide from yourself, there's just shadows. It is a pretty desolate⁷ part of the world and it is a great way to get inspiration. It is pretty bare, pretty exposed, pretty raw, pretty rustic⁸ and it is a great place for artistic⁹ juices to flow."

Terlingua is also known for its annual chili¹⁰ cook-offs and hundreds more people are expected to take up residence here later this year for the 40th annual event.

But all this activity is bothersome to old-time residents who came here to get away from the hubbub¹¹ of modern society.

Resident Doug Blackmun knows why people come. He says, "One of the reasons people come out here is the solitude¹²."

Rob Wright, another resident, says people leave, but they always return. "Used to be. It is changing. It has changed so much in ten years. The novelty has worn off for me, I may have to get out of here, or want to, but you always come back. Once this place is in your blood, you always come back. There is no doubt about it."

1 dwellers   

n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes. 城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They have transformed themselves into permanent city dwellers. 他们已成为永久的城市居民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 enchanted   

adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• She was enchanted by the flowers you sent her. 她非常喜欢你送给她的花。
• He was enchanted by the idea. 他为这个主意而欣喜若狂。

3 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

4 lodge   

v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆

参考例句：

• Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？
• I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。

5 dwellings   

n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The development will consist of 66 dwellings and a number of offices. 新建楼区将由66栋住房和一些办公用房组成。
• The hovels which passed for dwellings are being pulled down. 过去用作住室的陋屋正在被拆除。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 sparseness   

n.稀疏，稀少

参考例句：

7 desolate   

adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂

参考例句：

• The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。
• We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后，我们都觉得万分孤寂。

8 rustic   

adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬

参考例句：

• It was nearly seven months of leisurely rustic living before Michael felt real boredom.这种悠闲的乡村生活过了差不多七个月之后,迈克尔开始感到烦闷。
• We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust.我们希望新鲜的空气和乡村的氛围能帮他调整自己。

9 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

10 chili   

n.辣椒

参考例句：

• He helped himself to another two small spoonfuls of chili oil.他自己下手又加了两小勺辣椒油。
• It has chocolate,chili,and other spices.有巧克力粉，辣椒，和其他的调味品。

11 hubbub   

n.嘈杂；骚乱

参考例句：

• The hubbub of voices drowned out the host's voice.嘈杂的声音淹没了主人的声音。
• He concentrated on the work in hand,and the hubbub outside the room simply flowed over him.他埋头于手头的工作，室外的吵闹声他简直象没有听见一般。

12 solitude   

n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方

参考例句：

• People need a chance to reflect on spiritual matters in solitude. 人们需要独处的机会来反思精神上的事情。
• They searched for a place where they could live in solitude. 他们寻找一个可以过隐居生活的地方。