VOA标准英语2010年-In the Southwest, There's a Nation Wit

The Navajo tribal¹ park called Monument Valley is a stunningly² beautiful, yet also stark³ and forbidding, place.

The largest tribe of American Indians lives on a 6-million-hectare patch of desert and scrub brush that covers much of northern Arizona and New Mexico. They are the Navajo - often spelled Navaho - whose ancestors walked that land at least a century, perhaps many centuries, before the first Europeans arrived.

The Navajo Nation has its own elders, laws, tribal government, and police force that is vigilant⁴ at enforcing speed limits. The Navajos have their own red-rock tribal park, called Monument Valley, that's every bit as spectacular as U.S. national parks elsewhere in the Southwest.

Traditional houses called hogans, are made of logs and covered with earth or adobe⁵, to help keep out both the raging heat and bitter cold of the Navajos' high-desert homeland.

Passing through the Navajo Nation, one sees tiny, isolated⁶ cabins and a few traditional hogans, which are log-and mud structures whose doorways⁷ face the morning sun. 

Out back, you'll often see small flocks of sheep or goats being herded⁸ by riders on horseback. The goat, sheep, and horse were all introduced by the Spanish, who sent missionaries⁹ into the area as early as 1630 and armies soon thereafter. 

Tiny towns with names like Kayenta and Mexican Water are little more than dusty crossroads with gasoline stations, small restaurants, and gift shops selling woven Indian blankets and turquoise¹⁰ jewelry¹¹. At taverns¹², you can order mutton stew¹³ and deep-fried bread.

In the heart of the Navajo Nation, in the middle of the high desert many kilometers from any town, one finds the only point in America where four states come together. Naturally it's called Four Corners. Nearby, you'll find the Painted Desert with sand of many colors, and the world's largest site of petrified¹⁴ prehistoric¹⁵ rock.

These Navajo code talkers were photographed on the Pacific Island of Saipan in 1941. Their work baffled the Japanese and helped disguise U.S. intentions and ship movements.

The Navajo have many heroes, including warriors¹⁶ who fought efforts by the U.S. Army to force them from their homes and onto a miserable¹⁷ reservation more than a century ago. Heroes of more recent vintage include the Navajo Code Talkers. They were tribal members who came up with an unbreakable code in their complex language that was adopted by American forces in the Pacific during World War II and used to confound the Japanese.

But the Navajo homeland is harsh country, where it's hard to find good-paying jobs and all too easy to fall sway to alcoholism and despair. As a result, many young Navajos have left to seek work in big cities throughout the Southwest. Others, though, have forged rewarding careers in tribal schools, small businesses, and a big, new, thriving hotel in Monument Valley.
 

1 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

2 stunningly   

ad.令人目瞪口呆地；惊人地

参考例句：

• The cooks, seamstresses and other small investors are stunningly vulnerable to reversals. 那些厨师、裁缝及其他的小投资者非常容易受到股市逆转的影响。
• The production cost of this huge passenger liner is stunningly high. 这艘船城造价之高令人惊叹。

3 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

4 vigilant   

adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的

参考例句：

• He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。
• The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。

5 adobe   

n.泥砖，土坯，美国Adobe公司

参考例句：

• They live in an adobe house.他们住在一间土坯屋里。
• Adobe bricks must drived dried completely before are used.土坯砖块使用前一定要完全干燥。

6 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

7 doorways   

n.门口，门道( doorway的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The houses belched people; the doorways spewed out children. 从各家茅屋里涌出一堆一堆的人群，从门口蹦出一群一群小孩。 来自辞典例句
• He rambled under the walls and doorways. 他就顺着墙根和门楼遛跶。 来自辞典例句

8 herded   

群集，纠结( herd的过去式和过去分词 )； 放牧； （使）向…移动

参考例句：

• He herded up his goats. 他把山羊赶拢在一起。
• They herded into the corner. 他们往角落里聚集。

9 missionaries   

n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some missionaries came from England in the Qing Dynasty. 清朝时，从英国来了一些传教士。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The missionaries rebuked the natives for worshipping images. 传教士指责当地人崇拜偶像。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 turquoise   

n.绿宝石；adj.蓝绿色的

参考例句：

• She wore a string of turquoise round her neck.她脖子上戴着一串绿宝石。
• The women have elaborate necklaces of turquoise.那些女人戴着由绿松石制成的精美项链。

11 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。

12 taverns   

n.小旅馆，客栈，酒馆( tavern的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They ain't only two taverns. We can find out quick." 这儿只有两家客栈，会弄明白的。” 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• Maybe ALL the Temperance Taverns have got a ha'nted room, hey, Huck?" 也许所有的禁酒客栈都有个闹鬼的房间，喂，哈克，你说是不是？” 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

13 stew   

n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑

参考例句：

• The stew must be boiled up before serving.炖肉必须煮熟才能上桌。
• There's no need to get in a stew.没有必要烦恼。

14 petrified   

adj.惊呆的；目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆，使惊呆；变僵硬；使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• I'm petrified of snakes. 我特别怕蛇。
• The poor child was petrified with fear. 这可怜的孩子被吓呆了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 prehistoric   

adj.（有记载的）历史以前的，史前的，古老的

参考例句：

• They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
• It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。

16 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

17 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。