Lesson 56 Our neighbour, the river
河流，我們的鄰居
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
Why had the neighbours left their farm?
The river which forms the eastern boundary of our farm has always played an important part in our lives.
形成我們農場東部邊界的一條河流一直在我們生活中發(fā)揮著重要作用。
Without it we could not make a living.
要是沒有這條河，我們就無法生存下去。
There is only enough spring water to supply the needs of the house, so we have to pump from the river for farm use.
泉水只能滿足家庭生活用水，因此我們必須從河里抽水以用于農業(yè)生產。
We tell the river all our secrets.
我們向那條河傾訴我們的秘密。
We know instinctively, just as beekeepers with their bees,
我們本能地懂得，就像養(yǎng)蜂人和他的蜜蜂那樣，
that misfortune might overtake us if the important events of our lives were not related to it.
要是我們不把生活中的重大事件告訴那條河，就可能大禍臨頭。
We have special river birthday parties in the summer.
夏天，我們?yōu)檫@條河舉辦特殊的生日宴會。
Sometimes we go upstream to a favourite backwater,
有時，我們溯流而上來到我們喜愛的回水河汊舉辦；
sometimes we have our party at the boathouse,
有時在船塢舉辦。
which a predecessor of ours at the farm built in the meadow hard by the deepest pool for swimming and diving.
那船塢是農場一位前輩在一塊草地上蓋的，草地緊挨著一個專供游泳、跳水的深水池。
In a heat wave we choose a midnight birthday party and that is the most exciting of all.
天氣炎熱時，我們便選擇在半夜舉辦生日聚會，這種聚會是最令人激動的。
We welcome the seasons by the riverside, crowning the youngest girl with flowers in the spring,
我們在河邊迎接一年四季。春天在河邊為最年輕的姑娘戴上花冠，
holding a summer festival on Midsummer Eve, giving thanks for the harvest in the autumn,
夏天在河邊歡慶“仲夏前夜”，秋天在河邊豐收而感恩，
and throwing a holly wreath into the current in the winter.
冬天往河中拋撒一個冬青花環(huán)。
After a long period of rain the river may overflow its banks.
久雨之后，河水會泛濫成災，
This is a rare occurrence as our climate seldom goes to extremes.
但是在我們這里，氣候很少發(fā)生異常，河水極少泛濫。
We are lucky in that only the lower fields, which make up a very small proportion of our farm, are affected by flooding,
值得慶幸的是，只有低洼地受到洪水影響，而低洼地在我們農場比例很小。
but other farms are less favorably sited, and flooding can sometimes spell disaster for their owners.
其他農場地勢欠佳，洪水有時會給農場主帶來災難。
One had winter we watched the river creep up the lower meadows.
有一年冬天，天氣不好，我們眼看著河水浸沒了地勢較低的草場。
All the cattle had been moved into stalls and we stood to lose little.
所有的牲口已提前轉移到畜圈里，沒有造成什么損失。
We were, however, worried about our nearest neighbours, whose farm was low lying and who were newcomers to the district.
不過，我們很為我們的近鄰擔心。他們的農場地勢低洼，而且他們又新來乍到。
As the floods had put the telephone out of order, we could not find out how they were managing.
由于洪水造成了電話中斷，我們無法了解他們情況。
From an attic window we could get a sweeping view of the river where their land joined ours,
從頂樓窗口看去，我們農場與他們農場接壤處的那段河流一覽無余。
and at the most critical juncture we took turns in watching that point.
在最緊急的時刻，我們輪流監(jiān)視那段河流的險情。
The first sign of disaster was a dead sheep floating down.
災難的第一跡象是一只死羊順流而下，
Next came a horse, swimming bravely,
接著一匹活馬勇敢地與水搏擊。
but we were afraid that the strength of the current would prevent its landing anywhere before it became exhausted.
但我們擔心，洪水力量將使它上岸之前就筋疲力盡了。
Suddenly a raft appeared, looking rather like Noah's ark, carrying the whole family, a few hens, the dogs, a cat, and a bird in a cage.
突然，出現了一只筏子，看起來很像諾亞方舟，上面載著他們全家老小，還有幾只母雞、幾只狗、一只貓與一只鳥籠，那里頭有一只小鳥。
We realized that they must have become unduly frightened by the rising flood,
我們意識到他們一定是被不斷上漲的洪水嚇壞了。
for their house, which had sound foundations, would have stood stoutly even if it had been almost submerged.
因為他們的房子地基牢固，即使洪水幾乎滅頂也不會倒塌。
The men of our family waded down through our flooded meadows with boathooks, in the hope of being able to grapple a corner of the raft and pull it out of the current towards our bank.
我家的男人們手拿船篙蹚過被水淹沒的草場，希望能夠鉤住筏子一角，將它拽出激流，拖回岸邊。
We still think it a miracle that they were able to do so.
他們終于成功了。至今我們仍認為這是個奇跡。
河流，我們的鄰居
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
Why had the neighbours left their farm?
The river which forms the eastern boundary of our farm has always played an important part in our lives.
形成我們農場東部邊界的一條河流一直在我們生活中發(fā)揮著重要作用。
Without it we could not make a living.
要是沒有這條河，我們就無法生存下去。
There is only enough spring water to supply the needs of the house, so we have to pump from the river for farm use.
泉水只能滿足家庭生活用水，因此我們必須從河里抽水以用于農業(yè)生產。
We tell the river all our secrets.
我們向那條河傾訴我們的秘密。
We know instinctively, just as beekeepers with their bees,
我們本能地懂得，就像養(yǎng)蜂人和他的蜜蜂那樣，
that misfortune might overtake us if the important events of our lives were not related to it.
要是我們不把生活中的重大事件告訴那條河，就可能大禍臨頭。
We have special river birthday parties in the summer.
夏天，我們?yōu)檫@條河舉辦特殊的生日宴會。
Sometimes we go upstream to a favourite backwater,
有時，我們溯流而上來到我們喜愛的回水河汊舉辦；
sometimes we have our party at the boathouse,
有時在船塢舉辦。
which a predecessor of ours at the farm built in the meadow hard by the deepest pool for swimming and diving.
那船塢是農場一位前輩在一塊草地上蓋的，草地緊挨著一個專供游泳、跳水的深水池。
In a heat wave we choose a midnight birthday party and that is the most exciting of all.
天氣炎熱時，我們便選擇在半夜舉辦生日聚會，這種聚會是最令人激動的。
We welcome the seasons by the riverside, crowning the youngest girl with flowers in the spring,
我們在河邊迎接一年四季。春天在河邊為最年輕的姑娘戴上花冠，
holding a summer festival on Midsummer Eve, giving thanks for the harvest in the autumn,
夏天在河邊歡慶“仲夏前夜”，秋天在河邊豐收而感恩，
and throwing a holly wreath into the current in the winter.
冬天往河中拋撒一個冬青花環(huán)。
After a long period of rain the river may overflow its banks.
久雨之后，河水會泛濫成災，
This is a rare occurrence as our climate seldom goes to extremes.
但是在我們這里，氣候很少發(fā)生異常，河水極少泛濫。
We are lucky in that only the lower fields, which make up a very small proportion of our farm, are affected by flooding,
值得慶幸的是，只有低洼地受到洪水影響，而低洼地在我們農場比例很小。
but other farms are less favorably sited, and flooding can sometimes spell disaster for their owners.
其他農場地勢欠佳，洪水有時會給農場主帶來災難。
One had winter we watched the river creep up the lower meadows.
有一年冬天，天氣不好，我們眼看著河水浸沒了地勢較低的草場。
All the cattle had been moved into stalls and we stood to lose little.
所有的牲口已提前轉移到畜圈里，沒有造成什么損失。
We were, however, worried about our nearest neighbours, whose farm was low lying and who were newcomers to the district.
不過，我們很為我們的近鄰擔心。他們的農場地勢低洼，而且他們又新來乍到。
As the floods had put the telephone out of order, we could not find out how they were managing.
由于洪水造成了電話中斷，我們無法了解他們情況。
From an attic window we could get a sweeping view of the river where their land joined ours,
從頂樓窗口看去，我們農場與他們農場接壤處的那段河流一覽無余。
and at the most critical juncture we took turns in watching that point.
在最緊急的時刻，我們輪流監(jiān)視那段河流的險情。
The first sign of disaster was a dead sheep floating down.
災難的第一跡象是一只死羊順流而下，
Next came a horse, swimming bravely,
接著一匹活馬勇敢地與水搏擊。
but we were afraid that the strength of the current would prevent its landing anywhere before it became exhausted.
但我們擔心，洪水力量將使它上岸之前就筋疲力盡了。
Suddenly a raft appeared, looking rather like Noah's ark, carrying the whole family, a few hens, the dogs, a cat, and a bird in a cage.
突然，出現了一只筏子，看起來很像諾亞方舟，上面載著他們全家老小，還有幾只母雞、幾只狗、一只貓與一只鳥籠，那里頭有一只小鳥。
We realized that they must have become unduly frightened by the rising flood,
我們意識到他們一定是被不斷上漲的洪水嚇壞了。
for their house, which had sound foundations, would have stood stoutly even if it had been almost submerged.
因為他們的房子地基牢固，即使洪水幾乎滅頂也不會倒塌。
The men of our family waded down through our flooded meadows with boathooks, in the hope of being able to grapple a corner of the raft and pull it out of the current towards our bank.
我家的男人們手拿船篙蹚過被水淹沒的草場，希望能夠鉤住筏子一角，將它拽出激流，拖回岸邊。
We still think it a miracle that they were able to do so.
他們終于成功了。至今我們仍認為這是個奇跡。