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Some Like It Hot 男汤 女汤 雪猴汤

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课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

It’s just hot water with dissolved minerals, but hot spring water has been highly valued by people for thousands of years. It’s easy to understand why when you see a pool full of limp, half-asleep, and totally relaxed people. However, hot springs are used for more than just relaxation. They are serious therapy for some.

温泉不过是含有矿物质的热水，但几千年来却一直为人们所重视。当你看到池子里到处都是松软的、呈现半睡眠状态、完全放松的人们时，你很容易就知道为什么了。然而，温泉可不只是用来放松而已，它们对某些人来说可是很重要的疗法。

The hot springs in Bath, England, for example, have been famous since Roman times for their healing effects. In recent years, around the world, it seems that every little trickle of hot water is being put to use in a high-end health spa. But what is it about hot spring water that can cure illness?

在英国巴斯的温泉从罗马时代开始就因其具有疗效而闻名。而在今日，似乎世界各地的每一滴温泉水都会被接引到高级的健康温泉浴场。但是，可治病的温泉水到底是什么呢?

As hot spring water bubbles up from underground, healthful minerals in the earth are dissolved into the water in high concentrations. Around the world, different springs have different concentrations of minerals, and each is reportedly good for different health problems. Sodium carbonate springs, for example, are said to be good for lowering blood pressure. Sulphur springs, on the other hand, can help cleanse the body.

温泉水是自地底下涌出，土壤中有益健康的高浓度矿物质便溶解于温泉水中。世界各地不同的温泉其矿物质浓度也不同，根据报导，每种温泉各对不同的健康问题有益。例如，碳酸钠温泉有利于降血压。而另一方面，硫磺温泉则可以为身体排毒。

The uses of hot springs water, however, go even further than this. People use it to cook eggs and steam foods. Some countries harness the steam from hot springs to generate electricity. In some places, hot spring water is even piped under roads to help keep them snow-free during the winter. With so many wondrous uses, it’s no wonder hot spring water has been so valued throughout history.

然而，温泉水的用途可不只这些。人们拿它来煮蛋和蒸食物。有些国家则利用温泉的蒸气来发电。而在某些地方，温泉水甚至被接到道路底下的水管中来避免冬天道路积雪。有这么多令人惊讶的功能，难怪温泉水一直以来如此受到珍视。

−by Robert Kelly

Vocabulary

单词发音

limp [lɪmp] adj. 无精神的；无生气的; 软绵绵的

therapy [ˋθɛrəpɪ] n. 治疗

mineral [ˋmɪnərəl] n. 矿物质

concentration [͵kɑnsɛnˋtreʃən] n. 浓度

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单词发音

serious [ˋsɪrɪəs] adj. 重要的；须认真对待的

trickle [ˋtrɪk!] v. 滴；淌；细细地流

high-end 高层次的；高档的

bubble [ˋbʌb!] v. 冒泡

dissolve [dɪˋzɑlv] v. 溶解

reportedly [rɪˋportɪdlɪ] adv. 据传闻

sodium carbonate 碳酸钠

sulphur [ˋsʌlfɚ] n. 硫磺

harness [ˋhɑrnɪs] v. 利用

wondrous [ˋwʌndrəs] adj. 不可思议的；奇妙的

Reading Questions

1.   What is special about sodium carbonate springs?

A.  They can make one’s body thoroughly clean.

B.  They can have high concentrations of minerals.

C.  They are useful in bringing down one’s blood pressure.

D.  They form bubbles beneath the surface of the earth.

2.   According to this article, people don’t use hot spring water to _____.

A.  cook eggs and other foods

B.  wash dishes and clothes

C.  keep roads from being covered with snow

D.  produce energy

3.   Which of the following is TRUE about hot springs?

A.  It is still a puzzle as to why hot springs can relax people.

B.  It is only recently that people have become aware of the healing effects hot springs may bring.

C.  It is not easy to figure out why people have highly valued hot springs for thousands of years.

D.  Nowadays, hot spring water is used in a variety of ways all over the world.

课文讲解

When people slip into the steamy hot-spring pools of Joshin-Etsu Kogen National Park in Japan, they sometimes notice something large and hairy Westerner – it’s a Japanese snow monkey. The monkeys have been taking a dip in the park’s outdoor hot spring pools for over fifty years.

当人们钻进日本上信越高原国家公园蒸气弥漫的温泉池时，通常会注意到一个体型庞大毛茸茸的东西坐在角落。不过，那不是多毛的西方人，而是日本的雪猴。这种猴子在公园里的露天温泉池泡汤已经超过五十年了。

A snow monkey is about the size of a large dog and is easily recognized by its thick gray fur and expressive, human-like face. Several hundred call the national park home. Though they occasionally soak themselves in the hot springs in summer, they use them the most in winter, when the temperature drops far below zero.

雪猴的体型约与大型犬一般，因为牠有着浓密的灰毛，还有一张人类一样表情丰富的脸，所以很容易辨认。有几百只的雪猴以这座国家公园为家，虽说牠们在夏天也偶尔会到温泉里泡一泡，但牠们最常还是在冬天(尤其当气温降到零下好几度的时候)使用这些温泉。

The monkeys use the springs to help stay warm. But they didn’t always. Before the Japanese built the first pools, the natural spring waters were just too hot. So this really was a case of monkey see, monkey do. According to local people, the younger monkeys were the first to try. Others soon joined in, probably as they realized what a treat it was to stay warm in the winter.

这些猴子利用温泉水来取暖，但牠们并非一直如此；在日本人引水盖温泉池之前，自然的温泉水实在太烫。所以这是猴子们有样学样的好例子。根据当地居民的说法，年轻的小猴子是最先跟进的，其他的成猴不久后才跟着加入，或许牠们体会到在冬天里保持暖洋洋的感觉，真是一大享受。

These days, the monkeys have their own bathing pools, as it’s not safe to have them mix with humans. But every now and then they do sneak into the human pools and who can blame them? After all, the monkeys enjoy a hot spring as much as we do, and our pools are usually much less crowded.

今日，这些猴子有专属的泡汤区，因为跟人猴混浴是不太安全的。不过偶尔牠们还是会偷偷混进人类的池子里。这也不能怪牠们，毕竟猴子们跟我们一样喜爱温泉，反正我们的池子通常很宽敞嘛!

−by Robert Kelly

Vocabulary

单词发音

expressive [ɪkˋsprɛsɪv] adj. 表情丰富的

occasionally [əˋkeʒən!ɪ] adv. 偶尔，间或

soak [sok] v. 浸泡

treat [trit] n. 难得的乐事

sneak [snik] v. 偷偷地走

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slip into 悄悄进入, 溜进

take a dip 浸一下; 泡一下

monkey see, monkey do 有样学样

every now and then 偶尔, 有时 sometimes

Monkey Health Spa - Cousins - BBC

Answer