A Leap of Faith 高空弹跳

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解

 

繁體中文譯本

 

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。