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The Himalayas: A Breathtaking Experience 踏寻喜马拉雅

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Few places on the planet inspire the imagination as the Himalayas do. They possess the Earth’s highest peaks, which rise above the clouds at dizzying altitudes. In the BBC’s Himalaya, host Michael Palin takes us on a journey to this spectacular refuge, showing us cultures, customs and landscapes rarely seen by outsiders.

世上没其他地方像喜马拉雅山脉一样激发人们的想象力。喜马拉雅山脉拥有高过云端的地球最高峰，高度足以令人头晕目眩。在BBC的喜马拉雅特辑里，主持人麦可培林将带我们前往这处壮丽的世外桃源，一窥外界少有机会得知的文化、风俗和美景。

Our first taste of the high altitude comes at the Pakistani-Afghan border. Here, we navigate along narrow paths at 10,000 feet. For centuries, the Kalash have called this place home. Due to the isolation of the region, their culture has remained largely uninfluenced by the outside world.

在巴基斯坦和阿富汗边界，我们初次体验到崇高的感觉；在这里，我们行走于海拔一万英尺的羊肠小道上。几世纪以来，喀拉什族人一直以此为家。由于该地与世隔绝，他们的文化大致未受外界影响。

The Kalash have no written history, so no one knows for sure where they came from. Some believe they may be linked to the armies of Alexander the Great, who passed through here 2,000 years ago, because their facial features carry some Greek resemblance. According to the Kalash’s own oral legends, they originated in a place called Siam, though they don’t know where it is. Life here is very different from that of other areas in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Kalash women adorn themselves in colorful headdresses without wearing veils. This is in sharp contrast to the strict living conditions placed on women in other nearby areas.

喀拉什人没有书面历史，所以没人确切知道他们来自何方。有些人认为，他们或许和两千年前行经此处的亚历山大大帝的军队有关，因为他们的面部特征和希腊人有些许相似。根据喀拉什人的传说，他们是来自于一个叫暹罗的地方，虽然他们并不知道暹罗位于何处。这里的生活和巴基斯坦、阿富汗的其他地区大不相同；喀拉什人的妇女喜欢戴上五彩缤纷的头饰，且不蒙面纱，这和附近其他地区的妇女所受到的严格生活限制是尖锐的对比。

The Kalash feel a strong spiritual connection with their lofty surroundings. When a Kalash dies, it is believed that his or her soul ascends to a sacred mountain.

喀拉什人在心灵上和他们身处的高地环境相结合；他们相信人死之后，灵魂将飘升到一座圣山。

Vocabulary

单词发音

breathtaking [ˋbrɛθ͵tekɪŋ] adj. 使人兴奋的﹐激动人心的

peak [pik] n. 山顶，山峰

altitude [ˋæltə͵tjud] n. 高度；海拔

refuge [ˋrɛfjudʒ] n. 避难所

navigate [ˋnævə͵get] v. 导航

resemblance [rɪˋzɛmbləns] n. 类似；相似

adorn .. in 穿着,佩戴着…

in contrast to  与……形成对比

lofty [ˋlɔftɪ] adj. 高耸的，极高的

surroundings [səˋraʊndɪŋz] n. 环境; 周围的事物

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单词发音

Himalayas [hɪˋmɑljəz] n. 喜马拉雅山脉

taste [test] n. 体验; 感受

Pakistani [͵pækɪˋstænɪ] adj. 巴基斯坦的；巴基斯坦人（或语言、文化）的; n. 巴基斯坦人

Siam [saɪˋæm] n. 暹罗（泰国的旧称）

Pakistan [ˋpækɪ͵stæn] n. 巴基斯坦（国名）

Afghanistan [æfˋgænə͵stæn] n. 阿富汗

headdress [ˋhɛd͵drɛs] n. 头饰；头巾

veil [vel] n. 面纱，面罩

ascend [əˋsɛnd] v. 攀登；登上

课文讲解

Those who are drawn to the Himalayas have a daring sense for adventure. They trek upwards towards Mount Everest, the highest point on earth. It is an unforgiving giant that takes climbers through hell before they can touch heaven.

被吸引到喜马拉雅山脉的人都是勇于冒险的人，他们艰困地攀登地球上的最高点：圣母峰。圣母峰就像是个严厉的巨人，先让登山者历尽地狱般的艰辛，才让他们触摸天堂。

The climb is interrupted by bouts of altitude sickness ranging from headaches and nausea to a buildup of fluid in the lungs. Besides the need to be properly equipped, mountaineers who want to tackle this dangerous climb should never begin without a Sherpa.

攀登途中常会受到高山症的干扰，这类疾病从头痛、反胃到肺积水，不一而足。若要克服登山的危险，登山者除了要有适当的装备之外，一定要有一位雪巴人随行。

While anyone would be fortunate to have the opportunity to ascend Everest just once, the Sherpas in Nepal make their living by climbing the legendary peak. They are hired to carry gear when the climbing gets really tough. Their skill and energy can be seen in how they run up the mountain with massive packs on their backs.

任何人如果登上圣母峰一次，就算幸运了，但尼泊尔的雪巴人却是靠攀登这座传奇的山峰为生。登山者雇用雪巴人，在登山过程特别艰困时，帮他们背负装备。这些受雇的雪巴人能背着大型背包跑上山，他们的技巧和精力可见一斑。

Nepal is no stranger to tourists. People of all nationalities and beliefs flock here. Walking through the capital, Kathmandu, you can see the influence of both Hinduism and Buddhism. Nepal is also the birthplace of the pagoda, a religious, multi-stories tower which later became popular in China.

对观光客来说，尼泊尔并不陌生，这里聚集着隶属不同国籍和宗教信仰的人。走在尼泊尔的首府加德满都街上时，可看到印度教和佛教的影响。尼泊尔也是浮屠的发源地。浮屠是一种多层佛塔。这种佛塔后来在中国非常流行。

The reward for all the hardships as one passes from Nepal into Tibet is to see a place that very few are privileged to lay eyes upon.

由尼泊尔进入西藏的这段艰辛旅程中，旅行者得到的报酬就是得以看见一般人无缘得见的地方。

Vocabulary

单词发音

daring [ˋdɛrɪŋ] adj. 大胆的

trek [trɛk] v. 艰苦跋涉

bout [baʊt] n. 一阵（或一回，一次等）[（+of）]

nausea [ˋnɔʃɪə] n. 恶心

tackle [ˋtæk!] v. 着手对付（或处理）

make one’s living  度日；维持生活

no stranger to  并非新鲜事; 对… 不陌生

nationality [͵næʃəˋnælətɪ] n. 国籍

hardship [ˋhɑrdʃɪp] n. 艰难，困苦

lay eyes on 见到, 看到 to see someone or something for the first time

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单词发音

unforgiving [͵ʌnfɚˋgɪvɪŋ] adj. 无情的

buildup [ˋbɪld͵ʌp] n. 累积；形成

mountaineer [͵maʊntəˋnɪr] n. 爬山能手；登山家

Sherpa [ˋʃɛrpə] n. 雪尔帕人（西藏的一种族）

gear [gɪr] n.（某一特定活动的）设备

Kathmandu [ˌkætmænˈdu] n. 加德满都（尼泊尔首都）

Hinduism [ˋhɪndu͵ɪzəm] n. 印度教

pagoda [pəˋgodə] n.（佛）塔

privileged [ˋprɪvɪlɪdʒd] adj. 享有特权的；特许的

课文讲解

Next, we journey on to Bhutan, where we will get our last glimpse of the high altitudes in our Himalayan expedition. Wedged between China and India, the country is mostly made up mountains and forests. With a territory the size of Switzerland, it has little more than a million people. Strict environment laws ensure that Bhutan remains pristine.

接着，我们抵达不丹。在这里，我们将对喜马拉雅之旅的高山投以最后一瞥。不丹位于中国和印度之间，境内大半是山脉和森林，其面积和瑞士相仿，人口只有一百万出头。严格的环境法确保不丹维持纯净原貌。

Even at 14,500 feet above the sea level, the Bhutanese live comfortably, surrounded by glaciers, pines, and serenity. In the unique Bhutanese practice of Buddhism, they adhere to the teachings of Je Khenpo rather than following the Dalai Lama. There is a similarity to Tibetan Buddhism, though, in that they also believe all life is sacred.

即使位于海拔14,500英尺高，周围被冰川、松树林和宁静包围的不丹人仍过得颇舒适。不丹人信奉尊者堪布，而非达赖喇嘛的教诲，这是他们佛教信仰的独特之处。然而，他们信仰的佛教和西藏佛教亦有相似之处，那就是，他们皆相信所有生命是神圣的。

Bhutanese people pride themselves on taking care of their neighbors. Whenever someone in a community wishes to build a house, everyone will lend a helping hand. Every house must, by law, be built according to a traditional design. The foundation is made of mud and stones, with the upper part made of wood.

不丹人以睦邻为傲，每当小区中有人要建造房舍，大家都会助他一臂之力。根据法律，每一栋房舍都要依传统设计而建：地基以泥土和石头打造，地面上的房舍则以木头建造。

Our Himalayan journey has taken us all the way from the Pakistani-Afghan border, through Nepal and Tibet, and on to Bhutan. Once we reach the populous country of Bangladesh, the final destination on our odyssey, the Himalayas will be a distant memory. However, this mountain range, with its hardy people and unforgettable beauty, makes even distant memories seem like yesterday’s dreams.

我们的喜马拉雅之旅一路由巴基斯坦和阿富汗边界，穿过尼泊尔和西藏，来到不丹。一旦到达我们冒险的最后一站：人口密集的孟加拉国国国国，喜马拉雅山就会成为遥远的回忆。然而，这个有着吃苦耐劳的人们和难以忘怀之美的山脉，使得遥远的回忆更像是昨日的梦境。

−by Joe Henley

Vocabulary

单词发音

glimpse [glɪmps] n. 瞥见；一瞥

expedition [͵ɛkspɪˋdɪʃən] n. 远征；探险

pristine [ˋprɪstin] adj. 原始的; 完好无损的

glacier [ˋgleʃɚ] n. 冰河

adhere to 坚持; 信守; 忠于; 拥护, 支持

pride oneself on 以...为自豪

lend a (helping) hand  伸出手（帮助）to help do something

odyssey [ˋɑdəsɪ] n. 漫长探索过程

hardy [ˋhɑrdɪ] adj. 能吃苦耐劳的

unforgettable [͵ʌnfɚˋgɛtəb!] adj. 难忘的，永远记得的

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单词发音

Bhutan [buˋtæn] n. 不丹（国名）

wedge [wɛdʒ] v. 插入

serenity [səˋrɛnətɪ] n. 宁静

populous [ˋpɑpjələs] adj. 人口众多的，人口稠密的

Bangladesh [ˋbæŋglə͵deʃ] n. 孟加拉国国共和国