科罗拉多大峡谷

时间：2007-02-03 01:40:59

（单词翻译:单击）

 

         Grand Canyon1

A famous American John Muir said in 1898: “The Grand Canyon… as unearthly in the color and grandeur2 and quantity of its architecture as if you had found it after death on some other star.”		 　      科罗拉多大峡谷

     一位著名的美国人约翰‧缪尔曾在1898年说过：“（科罗拉多河的）大峡谷……它的色彩和构造的宏伟多样是世上所无的，就像是人消亡以后在别的星球上发现的东西。”
　
Like Muir, those of us who stand along the rim3 are prompted to wonder about the unearthliness and the forces that created and are still changing this place     和缪尔一样，站在大峡谷边缘的人们顿时对这里的超凡脱俗，对那种创造并仍在改变这个地方的神奇力量感到惊奇。
After more than 100 years of studies, many things are still obscure. Today visitors come by the thousands - the great and simple of the earth - all in a spirit of marvel4. Travelers come from every state of the Union, from every country in Europe and Asia, pilgrims to a shrine6 that is the same as the creed7. 　经过了100多年的研究，有许多事情仍是个谜。今天，数以千记的游客--不管是普通人还是大人物--都怀着一种好奇的心情来到这里。他们来自于美国的第一洲，来自于欧洲和亚洲的每一个国家，就像朝圣者一样虔诚地来到这座神殿。
　
From the depths of the canyon comes welling silence. Seldom can you hear the roar of the river.You cannot catch the patter. Like applause, from the leaves of the cottonwoods on the shelf-like plateau below you. For all sounds are swallowed in this gulf8 of space. ‘It makes one want to murmur9.' A woman once whispered to her companion. This silence is not the silence of death; rather, it is a presence. It is like a great piece of music. But music made of man works up to a climax10 and ceases; the Grand Canyon is all climax, a chord echoing into eternity11.   

    峡谷深处静寂无声。我们很少听见河水的咆哮声或下面壁架式高原上三角叶杨树发出鼓掌般的劈啪声。因为这一切声音都在这深渊的空间被吞没了。一位女游客对同伴说，“它让人禁不住地低声细语。"这种寂静不是死一般的沉寂；相反，它是万物存在的宁静。它就像一曲伟大的乐章。人类创作的乐曲逐渐进入高潮，但也有终止的时候，而大峡谷则高潮迭起，是永远回荡不止的和音。
　
Perhaps the most spectacular feature of the Grand Canyon, its Redwall limestone12 cliff, stands about half way up the chasm13 and is practically vertical14. Its average height is 550 feet --- almost exactly that of the Washington Monument. Though it is actually gray-blue limestone, the surface of the cliff has been stained to a sunset hue15 by iron salts washing out of the rocks. Above the Redwall come alternating layers of red sandstone and shale16 1,000 feet thick, then comes the next pale-blue layer. The topmost layers are a yellowish limestone.      也许，大峡谷最引人注目的风貌特色是“红墙”石灰石悬崖，它耸立在裂口半当中，几乎是垂直的。它的平均高度为550 英尺--几乎和华盛顿纪念碑一样高。虽然它实际上是灰蓝色的石灰石，但是从岩石里渗出的铁盐却把悬崖表面染上了晚霞般的色彩。在“红墙”的上方，是红色的沙岩和1 000 英尺厚的页岩交替 层，然后是浅蓝色的沙岩层，最上层是淡黄色的石灰石。
　
Now, visitors to the South Rim alone may number 18,000 in a single day. Some of that number will travel by mule17 train down Bright Angel Trail to the canyon's floor, cross the raging river by a suspension bridge and amount to the North Rim. 　现在，每天来大峡谷南缘观光的游客大概有18000名，其中有的会乘坐小型电动机车沿着"光明天使小道"来到谷底，穿过波涛汹涌的河道上方的吊桥，然后到达北缘。
Though the two rims5 face each other across only 12 miles, it is a journey of 214 miles by car from one to the other. Nor can you visit the North Rim except in summer; some 1,200 feet higher than the South Rim, it is snow covered much of the year except in July and August. 　　尽管南北两缘面对面相隔只有12英里，可是坐车从一边到另一边的距离却是214英里。北缘只能在夏天参观；它比南缘高出1 200英尺左右；除了7、8月外，其它大部分时间都为冰雪覆盖。
　
But there is no day that you may not visit the South Rim and find the sun warm on your face and the air perfumed with the incense18 of smoke from an Indian hearth19. The Grand Canyon is an unearthly sight. No wonder an American writer and journalist said, “I came here an atheist20, and departed a devout21 believer.”      然而南缘任何时候都欢迎人们的来访。在那里温暖的阳光照在人们的脸上；空气中弥漫着印第安香炉中散发出的烟香气。大峡谷是一道超凡脱俗的风景。难怪一位美国作家兼记者说：“我来这里时还是个无神论者，离开时却是个虔诚的信徒了。”


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1 canyon 4TYya     
n.峡谷，溪谷
参考例句：
  • The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
  • The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。
2 grandeur hejz9     
n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华
参考例句：
  • The grandeur of the Great Wall is unmatched.长城的壮观是独一无二的。
  • These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place.这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。
3 rim RXSxl     
n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界
参考例句：
  • The water was even with the rim of the basin.盆里的水与盆边平齐了。
  • She looked at him over the rim of her glass.她的目光越过玻璃杯的边沿看着他。
4 marvel b2xyG     
vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事
参考例句：
  • The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。
  • The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。
5 rims e66f75a2103361e6e0762d187cf7c084     
n.（圆形物体的）边( rim的名词复数 )；缘；轮辋；轮圈
参考例句：
  • As she spoke, the rims of her eyes reddened a little. 说时，眼圈微红。 来自汉英文学 - 围城
  • Her eyes were a little hollow, and reddish about the rims. 她的眼睛微微凹陷，眼眶有些发红。 来自辞典例句
6 shrine 0yfw7     
n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣
参考例句：
  • The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
  • They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。
7 creed uoxzL     
n.信条；信念，纲领
参考例句：
  • They offended against every article of his creed.他们触犯了他的每一条戒律。
  • Our creed has always been that business is business.我们的信条一直是公私分明。
8 gulf 1e0xp     
n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂
参考例句：
  • The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
  • There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。
9 murmur EjtyD     
n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言
参考例句：
  • They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。
  • There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。
10 climax yqyzc     
n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点
参考例句：
  • The fifth scene was the climax of the play.第五场是全剧的高潮。
  • His quarrel with his father brought matters to a climax.他与他父亲的争吵使得事态发展到了顶点。
11 eternity Aiwz7     
n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷
参考例句：
  • The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。
  • Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞，永世相随。
12 limestone w3XyJ     
n.石灰石
参考例句：
  • Limestone is often used in building construction.石灰岩常用于建筑。
  • Cement is made from limestone.水泥是由石灰石制成的。
13 chasm or2zL     
n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突
参考例句：
  • There's a chasm between rich and poor in that society.那社会中存在着贫富差距。
  • A huge chasm gaped before them.他们面前有个巨大的裂痕。
14 vertical ZiywU     
adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置
参考例句：
  • The northern side of the mountain is almost vertical.这座山的北坡几乎是垂直的。
  • Vertical air motions are not measured by this system.垂直气流的运动不用这种系统来测量。
15 hue qdszS     
n.色度；色调；样子
参考例句：
  • The diamond shone with every hue under the sun.金刚石在阳光下放出五颜六色的光芒。
  • The same hue will look different in different light.同一颜色在不同的光线下看起来会有所不同。
16 shale cEvyj     
n.页岩，泥板岩
参考例句：
  • We can extract oil from shale.我们可以从页岩中提取石油。
  • Most of the rock in this mountain is shale.这座山上大部分的岩石都是页岩。
17 mule G6RzI     
n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人
参考例句：
  • A mule is a cross between a mare and a donkey.骡子是母马和公驴的杂交后代。
  • He is an old mule.他是个老顽固。
18 incense dcLzU     
v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气
参考例句：
  • This proposal will incense conservation campaigners.这项提议会激怒环保人士。
  • In summer,they usually burn some coil incense to keep away the mosquitoes.夏天他们通常点香驱蚊。
19 hearth n5by9     
n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面
参考例句：
  • She came and sat in a chair before the hearth.她走过来，在炉子前面的椅子上坐下。
  • She comes to the hearth,and switches on the electric light there.她走到壁炉那里，打开电灯。
20 atheist 0vbzU     
n.无神论者
参考例句：
  • She was an atheist but now she says she's seen the light.她本来是个无神论者，可是现在她说自己的信仰改变了。
  • He is admittedly an atheist.他被公认是位无神论者。
21 devout Qlozt     
adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness)
参考例句：
  • His devout Catholicism appeals to ordinary people.他对天主教的虔诚信仰感染了普通民众。
  • The devout man prayed daily.那位虔诚的男士每天都祈祷。

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