VOA标准英语2010年-Avalanche Rescue Dogs at Vancouver Oly

Eric Seelenfreund and his dog Murphy are part of the avalanche¹ rescue team working for the 2010 Winter Olympics at Whistler Mountain

Not all of the teams in Vancouver are here to compete.  Some are here to save lives should the unthinkable happen. They can be the best way to find someone buried in snow, but the idea of using them has only been around for a few decades.

Eric Seelenfreund and his dog Murphy are unmistakable against the white snow of the Whistler Olympic venues².  Eric wears a bright red and black parka with a huge Maltese cross on the sleeve.  He wears a black cap with the same emblem³ and the words 'Squaw Valley K-9 Pro⁴ Patrol'.

Behind his sunglasses, his steel-blue eyes have the kind of focus that speaks of confidence and training.  Just a few meters away his golden retriever Murphy rolls happily in the snow next to the road.

But Murphy is in Whistler for very serious business.  He and Seelenfruend are part of the avalanche rescue team working the Winter Olympics. Seelenfreund says that Murphy's nose could be the difference between life and death for someone under snow.

"He's a really good avalanche rescue dog and they do it all by smell," said Seelenfreund.  "But right now he's just messing around a little bit.  But he's a fourth generation avalanche rescue dog.  His dad is also in the rescue team.

A northern California native, Seelenfruend says that he used to ski at Squaw Valley and saw the ski patrol working and decided⁵ that's what he wanted to do. The 42-year-old father of three has been a member of the Squaw Valley ski patrol for 20 years.  He is certified⁶ as an emergency medical technician, outdoor emergency care technician, and is a member of the Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association.

The training for rescue dogs starts early and the Squaw Valley team is considered an elite⁷ team.  Among the stringent⁸ standards from the Canadian group is a requirement that dogs can find scented⁹ items (pieces of clothing worn by patrollers for training purposes) buried overnight at 70 centimeters deep.  Seelenfreund says Murphy had some pretty rigorous tests to pass before he could be part of the team.

"You go through a certifications course, a validation¹⁰ course. We do a mock avalanche rescue. And in the end you search for articles and a buried pack to simulate a person. And you do your transceiver search and you have to answer all the right questions, and it's a CARDA simulated test," he explained.

CARDA says that because of its super sensitive nose and stamina¹¹, a search dog will only need 30 minutes to cover one hectare of snow. A human team probing the snow would take almost four hours to cover the same area.  With the difference between life and death down to a matter of minutes, the dogs can lead rescuers to a buried skier¹² long before any other means would find them.

Because the ski patrol has to reach avalanche victims under several conditions, the dogs have to be able to ride on a chair lift, work out of a helicopter, and ride in a variety of vehicles.  It takes constant attention and a close relationship with their handlers.

Eric Seelenfreund and Murphy are one of four teams from Squaw Valley working the games.  Several other teams from Canada are also here to make sure that if they are needed, they can save lives.

 

1 avalanche   

n.雪崩，大量涌来

参考例句：

• They were killed by an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.他们在瑞士阿尔卑斯山的一次雪崩中罹难。
• Higher still the snow was ready to avalanche.在更高处积雪随时都会崩塌。

2 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网

3 emblem   

n.象征，标志；徽章

参考例句：

• Her shirt has the company emblem on it.她的衬衫印有公司的标记。
• The eagle was an emblem of strength and courage.鹰是力量和勇气的象征。

4 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 certified   

a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的

参考例句：

• Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
• The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。

7 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

8 stringent   

adj.严厉的；令人信服的；银根紧的

参考例句：

• Financiers are calling for a relaxation of these stringent measures.金融家呼吁对这些严厉的措施予以放宽。
• Some of the conditions in the contract are too stringent.合同中有几项条件太苛刻。

9 scented   

adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词)

参考例句：

• I let my lungs fill with the scented air. 我呼吸着芬芳的空气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The police dog scented about till he found the trail. 警犬嗅来嗅去，终于找到了踪迹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 validation   

n.确认

参考例句：

• If the countdown timer ever hits zero, do your validation processing. 处理这种情况的方法是在输入的同时使用递减计时器，每次击键重新计时。如果递减计时器变为零，就开始验证。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Although the validation control is a very widespread idiom, most such controls can be improved. 虽然确认控件是非常广泛的习惯用法，但还有很多有待改进的地方。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

11 stamina   

n.体力；精力；耐力

参考例句：

• I lacked the stamina to run the whole length of the race.我没有跑完全程的耐力。
• Giving up smoking had a magical effect on his stamina.戒烟神奇地增强了他的体力。

12 skier   

n.滑雪运动员

参考例句：

• She is a skier who is unafraid of danger.她是一名敢于冒险的滑雪者。
• The skier skimmed across the snow.滑雪者飞快地滑过雪地。