A Leap of Faith 高空弹跳
- 详细资料
- 创建于 2003年5月03日
- 最后更新于 2024年5月25日
- 发布于 2011年5月27日
- 作者：Mike Lee
- 点击数：651
课文朗读
课文讲解
Aries is flying to Zimbabwe to bungee jump at Victoria Falls. She is talking to Paddy, who is sitting next to her on the plane. 艾瑞儿搭机到津巴布韦的维多利亚瀑布参加高空弹跳，在飞机上她和坐在旁边的派第谈话：
P: So what brings you to Zimbabwe? Sight-seeing?
什么风把你吹来津巴布韦的？观光吗？
A: Not exactly…if it weren’t for my insane desire to jump off high places with a rope tied to my ankles, a trip to Africa would never even have crossed my mind.
不完全是……如果不是我疯狂渴望在脚踝上绑条绳子，从高处跳下来的话，一趟非洲之行是绝对不会闪过我脑中的。
P: Don’t tell me you’re a bungee jumper? That’s wicked! Myself, I’m about to take a leap of faith off the bridge which spans Victoria Falls.
你该不是要去高空弹跳吧？这么巧！我也准备从横跨维多利亚瀑布的桥上一跃而下。
A: That’s where I’m going too! Have you been there before?
我也是要去那里耶！你以前去过那儿吗？
P: Not yet. I did a jump from a bridge in Costa Rica, though. The feeling of falling eighty meters down, seeing the canopy of the tropical rainforest rapidly approaching, was unbelievable!
没有。不过我曾在哥斯达黎加的一座桥上跳过，从八十公尺高跃下，看见一片热带雨林迅速接近的感觉，真是不可思议！
A: I’ll bet! The highest jump I’ve ever made was in a flooded rock quarry in Canada. The crane I jumped from was sixty meters high and when I came down I landed in the water.
没错！我跳过最高的地方是加拿大一座淹没的采石场，我从六十公尺高的怪手跳下，然后跃入水中。
P: Wow! I still haven’t tried a water touchdown. The idea of hitting my head on the surface after falling from such a height is too nerve-racking.
哇！我还没有试过降落水中，想到从这么高的地方一头栽入水中，就令我神经紧绷。
A: I wouldn’t worry about it. It’s surprising safe.
我倒不担心那个，非常安全的。
P: You’re probably right. And it’s not as though I’m averse to taking risks or anything….
或许你是对的，我可不是那种讨厌冒险的人什么的……
Vocabulary
单词发音
bungee [ˈbʌndʒi] n. 松紧绳; 橡皮筋
sightseeing [ˋsaɪt͵siɪŋ] n. 观光，游览
cross one’s mind (指想法等)出现, 掠过
wicked [ˋwɪkɪd] adj.【俚】很棒的
a leap of faith 大胆一试；选择相信
canopy [ˋkænəpɪ] n.【文】像天篷的东西
quarry [ˋkwɔrɪ] n.（采）石场；露天矿场
nerve-racking [ˋnɝv͵rækɪŋ] adj. 令人心烦的﹐使人紧张的
averse [əˋvɝs] adj. 不愿意的；嫌恶的[F][（+to）][+to-v]
Sentence of the Day
Let's jump to it.
我们决定就这样吧。
课文讲解
Ariel and Paddy are on the bridge at Victoria Falls inspecting the safety equipment before they jump: 艾瑞儿和派第在维多利亚瀑布的桥上，弹跳之前正在检视安全措施：
A: I’m relieved that they have leg harnesses. I once cancelled a jump when the jumpmaster harnessed my arm.
还好他们有下身装备，让我松了一口气。我曾在辅导员帮我穿戴臂膀护具时，取消弹跳。
P: An arm harness? How could that possibly support your body weight?
臂膀护具？那怎能支撑你的重量？
A: It doesn’t. That’s the problem. People who use them usually wind up dislocating their shoulders, or worse.
是不行啊，那就是问题所在，用过的人通常肩膀脱臼，甚至更糟。
P: Thankfully, all this equipment is in really good condition. I may take risks with my life, but not stupid ones.
谢天谢地，这些设备都保养良好。我可以冒生命危险，但不冒愚蠢的危险。
A: If my mother were here she’d tell you bungee jumping is synonymous with stupid risks.
如果我妈在这，她会告诉你，高空弹跳无异就是愚蠢的冒险。
P: Good thing she’s not here then. Seeing me do a jump from this bridge might freak her out.
好在她不在这，看到我从这座桥跳下去，她可能会吓昏过去。
A: Might? It would definitely freak her out. The one time she watched me doing a simple swallow dive she nearly had a heart attack!
可能？那绝对会吓死她的，有一次她只是看我做燕式弹跳，就吓得几乎心脏病发。
P: But the swallow dive is so graceful!
但燕式弹跳很优雅！
A: I know. It feels like you’re actually flying.
我知道，就好像你在飞一样。
P: Personally, I’m partial to the cutaway.
个人而言，我偏好切断散带式弹跳。
A: Is that when you lean out on a piece of webbing as someone slowly cuts it?
是那种有人慢慢切断你腹腰部散带的那种弹跳吗？
P: Exactly. It’s a huge rush. If you don’t look, you have no idea when it’ll break and send you plunging towards the ground.
一点都没错，非常的突然，如果你不看的话，不知道它什么时候会断掉，让你垂直弹落。
A: Enough chitchat. I’m itching for a plunge or two myself. Ready when you are!
聊得差不多了，我很想跳个一两次，你准备好，我就准备好了！
－by Francoise Raunet
Vocabulary
单词发音
inspect [ɪnˋspɛkt] v. 检查；审查
relieved [rɪˋlivd] adj. 放心的，宽慰的
harness [ˋhɑrnɪs] n. 挽具状带子；降落伞背带；保险带；安全带
jumpmaster <美> 跳伞指挥员，跳伞长
wind up 使〔活动﹑会议等〕结束 to come or bring to a finish; end
dislocate [ˋdɪslə͵ket] v. 使脱臼
synonymous [sɪˋnɑnəməs] adj. 同义的；同义词性质的
freak out （使）吓得要死 Informal to be or cause to be in a heightened emotional state, such as that of fear, anger, or excitement
graceful [ˋgresfəl] adj. 优美的，雅致的，典雅的
partial [ˋpɑrʃəl] adj.【口】偏爱的[F][（+to）]
cut away 切；去掉；切成；迅速离开
lean out 探出上半身
lean [lin] v. 倾斜; 倾身，屈身
webbing [ˋwɛbɪŋ] n.（做吊带，马腹带等用的）带子
chitchat [ˋtʃɪt͵tʃæt] n. 闲谈；闲话
itch [ɪtʃ] v. 渴望；欲望[S][（+for）][+to-v]
plunge [plʌndʒ] n. 跳入; 跳水
Sentence of the Day
Look before you leap.
三思而后行。