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Chasing the Aurora 极光追梦人

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Here in the midst of Alaska’s glittering winter landscape, everything seems still. Coming from semitropical Taiwan, I find the freezing Arctic weather especially harsh – it’s 30 degrees below zero! My journey here, however, is well worth the trouble. Looking up into the heavens, I witness nature’s most thrilling spectacle. The protean Roman Goddess of the Dawn acts out her timeless scenes on the stage of the night sky. It’s the Aurora Borealis! To experience her twists and turns is like leaving Earth for a visual journey to a faraway dream world.

深入阿拉斯加，在闪烁的雪白大地上，周遭似乎一片寂静。来自亚热带台湾的我几乎难以忍受酷寒的北极气温──零下30度！不过，这趟旅程的劳顿是值得的。我目睹了夜空中一幕幕天地间最令人悸动的画面，就是罗马神话中诡谲多变的曙光女神──极光。欣赏光之女神的绰约丰姿，就像是远离凡尘，体验梦中国度的视觉飨宴。

I stand silently, watching a green aurora tranquilly floating among the stars. This aurora sometimes resembles a long, beautiful ribbon as it flows and glides above me. Other times, the aurora reminds me of a wish or a whispered word that disappears on the wind. If you witness an aurora yourself, you will be like me, eagerly awaiting your next date with the ever-changing goddess. To be with her, I have visited Fairbanks, Alaska twelve times!

我默默伫立，欣赏着静静悬浮在群星之间的绿色极光。有时候，极光像愿望或呢喃迅速消逝在风中。如果你亲自目睹极光之美，就会跟我一样，热切期待再次与这位千变万化的女神约会。这就是为何我至今12次风尘仆仆来到阿拉斯加的费尔班克斯的原因。

Auroras usually appear as a single band or a curtain of green light that arcs over the horizon. But they may also appear as ribbons, spirals, veils, or perhaps crowns. I often name them according to my own fancy: cherry pudding, playful whale, or the NBA logo. And when it starts moving, an aurora resembles a blast of color shooting through the heavens. Flashes of red, blue, pink, or purple appear and disappear in the blink of an eye, or flow like a river of color.

我们通常看到绿色扁平带状或幕廉状极光，在天际以弧线前进。有时也会有缎带状、螺旋状、纱帐状，甚至冠冕状等。我常常依自己的想象，针对极光的形状来赋予不同的名称，如樱桃布丁、嬉戏的鲸鱼、NBA标志等等。当极光开始运动时，夜空中一连串迅疾变化的色彩令你目不暇给：红色、蓝色、粉红色、紫色等，有时也像条多彩的河流在天际流动。

Vocabulary

单词发音

glittering [`glɪtərɪŋ] adj. 闪光的 glorious, splendid

landscape [ˋlænd͵skep] n.（陆上的）风景，景色

semitropical [͵sɛmɪˋtrɑpɪk!] adj. 亚热带的

worth the trouble 值得费心做… important enough to require a comment or any effort

protean [ˋprotɪən] adj. 千变万化的；变化不定的 readily taking on varied shapes, forms, or meanings; able to change quickly and easily

act out  把...表演出来  to perform in or as if in a play; represent dramatically

aurora [ɔˋrorə] borealis 北极光

twist and turn  旋转及扭动 complicated circumstances

tranquilly [ˋtræŋkwɪlɪ] adv. 安静地；平静地 without emotional agitation

arc [ɑrk] v. 做弧形运动

spiral [ˋspaɪrəl] n. 螺旋形的东西

veil [vel] v. 面纱，面罩

课文讲解

Auroras form high above Earth’s surface. They occur when various gases in the atmosphere are stimulated by surges of solar energy. These powerful bursts of energy from the sun, called the “solar wind,” are attracted to Earth’s magnetic field. This magnetic field is strongest around the poles, which is why auroras are most clearly seen from places like Alaska, Greenland, and Antarctica.

极光形成于地球高空。地球大气层由不同气体所组成，太阳能的波动冲击大气层而产生极光。当太阳能受地球磁场牵引，产生强大爆破力量即为「太阳风」。地球两极附近的磁场最为强烈，因此，南北极区域（像阿拉斯加、格陵兰岛、南极等）最容易看见极光的芳踪。

The solar wind is always blowing, but auroras aren’t visible during the day. Many nights, they stay invisible; on certain nights, however, they are so powerful that they seem close enough to touch. Located near Earth’s northern magnetic pole, Fairbanks, Alaska, is a great place to see the free-flowing “Northern Lights,” the popular name of the Aurora Borealis. Whenever the lights are strong enough to be visible, people in Fairbanks have front row seats for the show. On crystal-clear winter nights, the skies come alive with vibrant swirls of flowing color.

太阳风的活动持续存在，但是白天看不见极光；大多数的夜晚也不一定可看见；而某些夜晚，极光却相当强烈，几乎伸手可触。阿拉斯加的费尔班克斯位于地球北极磁场附近，若想欣赏变幻莫测的北极光，这儿是一个极佳的观测点。只要极光光芒够强烈，在费尔班克斯，就像坐在前排座位看极光秀一样精采。清澈透明的星空下，极光变化莫测的颜色、漩涡状的形状，让这夜空再度鲜活了起来。

High winds, low temperatures, ice, and snow make winters in Fairbanks very bitter. But as I lie on the snowy ground, I forget the frigid frostiness. Gazing up at tonight’s marvelous aurora show has thrilled my spirit and touched my soul. No two auroras are identical, so each aurora journey is a unique experience. This is what inspires me to keep returning to Fairbanks, Alaska, where I can capture my aurora dreams!

凛冽狂风吹着，冰、雪让费尔班克斯的冬天更难熬了。我躺在雪地上，暂时忘却大地的酷寒。凝视着星空上炫丽多变的极光艺术秀，兴奋澎湃的情绪触动了我的灵魂。绝对没有两个极光是完全相同的，每次的极光之旅都是个独特的经验。为了那每次全新的期待，我一再重回阿拉斯加的费尔班克斯，尽情捕捉我的极光之梦。

－by Hung Chia-Huei

Vocabulary

单词发音

stimulate [ˋstɪmjə͵let] v. 刺激

surge [sɝdʒ] n. (水等)汹涌; (电)浪涌，骤强 a sudden, transient increase or oscillation in electric current or voltage

crystal-clear 透明如水晶的 absolutely clear

vibrant [ˋvaɪbrənt] adj. 充满生气的；活跃的 pulsating with vigor and energy; lively

swirl [swɝl] n. 涡流；漩涡

frigid [ˋfrɪgɪd] adj. 寒冷的，严寒的 extremely cold

frostiness [ˋfrɔstɪnɪs] n. 酷寒；霜冻 coldness as evidenced by frost

marvelous [ˋmɑrvələs] adj. 令人惊叹的；非凡的

Aurora Borealis

Alaska.org - Aurora Borealis / Northern Lights ...发布人 AlaskaChannel