VOA常速英语2007-Native Americans, Visitors Celebrate Return of S

By Mike O'Sullivan
Central Washington State
02 October 2007

Each year, salmon¹ head upriver to their spawning³ grounds in the Columbia River basin in the northwestern U.S. state of Washington. Mike O'Sullivan reports, the event has inspired a festival in which Native Americans and wildlife experts help visitors celebrate the salmon.

Beginning in March, the fish start the arduous⁴ journey 800 kilometers upriver from the Pacific Ocean.

These Spring Chinook salmon are heading for the Wanatchee River and Icicle Creek⁵, in the shadow of the majestic⁶ Cascade⁷ Mountains.

Salmon once thrived here, but over the years dams, overfishing and habitat destruction have diminished their numbers.

So 60 years ago, the U.S. government established a hatchery to give them some human help. Workers collect more than 1.5 million salmon eggs and raise the fish in tanks for 16 months. The young salmon are then released and head for the ocean. Guided by their sense of smell, they will return in a few years to spawn².

"One unique characteristic of salmon is they will come back to the same natal⁸ stream or area where they were born and raised," said Al Jensen, manager of the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery. "So the salmon that return here are fish that were released from here."

Each year in September, a community festival celebrates the return of the salmon.

Pacific Northwestern Native American tribes join the celebration.

For them, salmon provide a source of nutrition and inspiration. Geraldine Jim is a 70-year-old member of the Warm Springs Indian tribe in neighboring Oregon. She says the salmon population is declining.

"It is very important. It's getting very scarce for our people," she said. "Yes, it was plentiful⁹ in the past. We could go out and almost pull them out of the river with our hands because they would come up the river thick."

Tourists and residents learn about the history of the salmon and what is being done to help them survive.

They also get to taste it cooked over an open fire.

Corky Broaddus, executive director of the Wanatchee River Salmon Festival, says the event offers visitors two things.

"The key word is "edu-tainment," so they're educated while they are entertained at the same time," he said. "And for us, it is all about learning about conserving¹⁰ natural resources. And so this is a way they can do it as a family. It is a free event, and it is just great fun."

Amid pine forests, streams, and rugged mountains, it all takes place in one of Washington State's most scenic settings

1 salmon   

n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的

参考例句：

• We saw a salmon jumping in the waterfall there.我们看见一条大马哈鱼在那边瀑布中跳跃。
• Do you have any fresh salmon in at the moment?现在有新鲜大马哈鱼卖吗？

2 spawn   

n.卵，产物，后代，结果；vt.产卵，种菌丝于，产生，造成；vi.产卵，大量生产

参考例句：

• The fish were madly pushing their way upstream to spawn.鱼群为产卵而疯狂地向上游挤进。
• These fish will lay spawn in about one month from now.这些鱼大约一个月内会产卵。

3 spawning   

产卵

参考例句：

• Encounter sites have a small chance of spawning a "Commander" NPC. 遭遇战地区有很小的几率遇到NPC指挥官。
• Instantly revives your Champion at your Spawning Pool, 9 minute cooldown. 立即在出生地复活你的英雄，冷却时间9分钟。

4 arduous   

adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的

参考例句：

• We must have patience in doing arduous work.我们做艰苦的工作要有耐性。
• The task was more arduous than he had calculated.这项任务比他所估计的要艰巨得多。

5 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。

6 majestic   

adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的

参考例句：

• In the distance rose the majestic Alps.远处耸立着雄伟的阿尔卑斯山。
• He looks majestic in uniform.他穿上军装显得很威风。

7 cascade   

n.小瀑布，喷流；层叠；vi.成瀑布落下

参考例句：

• She watched the magnificent waterfall cascade down the mountainside.她看着壮观的瀑布从山坡上倾泻而下。
• Her hair fell over her shoulders in a cascade of curls.她的卷发像瀑布一样垂在肩上。

8 natal   

adj.出生的，先天的

参考例句：

• Many music-lovers make pilgrimages to Mozart's natal place.很多爱好音乐的人去访问莫扎特的出生地。
• Since natal day,characters possess the visual elements such as dots and strokes.文字从诞生开始便具有了点画这样的视觉元素。

9 plentiful   

adj.富裕的，丰富的

参考例句：

• Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。
• Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。

10 conserving   

v.保护，保藏，保存( conserve的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Contour planning with or without terracing is effective in conserving both soil and moisture. 顺等高线栽植，无论做或不做梯田对于保持水土都能有效。 来自辞典例句
• Economic savings, consistent with a conserving society and the public philosophy. 经济节约，符合创建节约型社会的公共理念。 来自互联网