Lesson 3 Matterhorn man

It is true that during their explorations they often faced difficulties and dangers of the most perilous nature, equipped in a manner with would make a modern climber shudder at the thought,

確實，在探險中他們經常遇到驚心動魄的困難和危險，而他們裝備之簡陋足以使現代登山者一想起來就膽戰心驚。

Lesson 3 Matterhorn man

but they did not go out of their way to court such excitement.

但是，他們并非故意尋求這種刺激，

Lesson 3 Matterhorn man

They had a single aim, a solitary goal -- the top!

他們只有一個目標，唯一的目標 -- 頂峰！

Lesson 3 Matterhorn man

It is hard for us to realize nowadays how difficult it was for the pioneers.

我們今天很難想像昔日的登山先驅們是多么艱苦。

Lesson 3 Matterhorn man

Except for one or two places such as Zermatt and Chamonix, which had rapidly become popular,

除了澤曼特和夏蒙尼等一兩個很快出了名的地方外，

Lesson 3 Matterhorn man

Alpine village tended to be impoverished settlements cut off from civilization by the high mountains.

阿爾卑斯山山區的小村幾乎全是高山環抱、與世隔絕的窮鄉僻壤。

Lesson 3 Matterhorn man

Such inns as there were generally dirty and flea-ridden;

那里的小客棧一般都很骯臟，而且跳蚤猖獗。

Lesson 3 Matterhorn man

the food simply local cheese accompanied by bread often twelve months old, all washed down with coarse wine.

食物是當地的干酪和通常存放了一年之久的面包，人們就著劣酒吞下這種食物。

Lesson 3 Matterhorn man

Often a valley boasted no inn at all, and climbers found shelter wherever they could --

山谷里常常沒有小客棧，登山者只好隨遇而安。

Lesson 3 Matterhorn man

sometimes with the local priest (who was usually as poor as his parishioners), sometimes with shepherds or cheese-makers.

有時同當地牧師 （他通常和他的教民一樣窮）住在一起，有時同牧羊人或制乳酪的人住在一起。

Lesson 3 Matterhorn man

Invariably the background was the same: dirt and poverty, and very uncomfortable.

骯臟、貧窮，極其不舒適。

Lesson 3 Matterhorn man

For men accustomed to eating seven-course dinners and sleeping between fine linen sheets at home, the change to the Alps must have very hard indeed.

對于過慣了一頓飯吃7道菜、睡亞麻細布床單的人來說，變換一下生活環境來到阿爾卑斯山山區，那一定是很艱難的。

Lesson 4 Seeing hands

Several cases have been reported in Russia recently of people who can detect colours with their fingers, and even see through solid and walls.

俄羅斯最近報導了幾個事例，有人能用手指看書識字和辨認顏色，甚至能透過厚實的門和墻看到東西。

Lesson 4 Seeing hands

One case concerns and eleven-year-old schoolgirl, Vera Petrova,

其中有一例談到有一個名叫維拉。彼托洛娃的11歲學生。

Lesson 4 Seeing hands

who has normal vision but who can also perceive things with different parts of her skin, and through solid walls.

她的視力與常人一樣，但她還能用皮膚的不同部位辨認東西，甚至看穿堅實的墻壁。

Lesson 4 Seeing hands

This ability was first noticed by her father.

是她父親首先發現她這一功能的。

Lesson 4 Seeing hands

One day she came into his office and happened to put her hands on the door of a locked safe.

一天，維拉走進父親的辦公室，偶然把手放在一個鎖著的保險柜的門上，

Lesson 4 Seeing hands

Suddenly she asked her father why he kept so many old newspapers locked away there,

她突然問父親為什么把這么多的舊報紙鎖在柜子里，

Lesson 4 Seeing hands

and even described the way they were done up in bundles.

還說了報紙捆扎的情況。

Lesson 4 Seeing hands

Vera's curious talent was brought to the notice of a scientific research institute in the town of Ulyanovsk, near where she lives,

維拉的特異功能引起了她家附近烏里揚諾夫斯克城一個科研單位的注意。

Lesson 4 Seeing hands

and in April she was given a series of tests by a special commission of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federal Republic.

4月里，俄羅斯衛生部一個特別委員會對她進行了一系列的測試。

Lesson 4 Seeing hands

During these tests she was able to read a newspaper through an opaque screen and,

在這些測試中，她能隔著不透明的屏幕讀報紙。

Lesson 4 Seeing hands

stranger still, by moving her elbow over a child's game of Lotto she was able to describe the figures and colours printed on it;

更為奇怪的是，她把肘部在兒童玩的“羅托”紙牌上移動一下，便能說出印在紙牌上的數字和顏色。

Lesson 4 Seeing hands

and, in another instance, wearing stockings and slippers, to make out with her foot the outlines and colours of a picture hidden under a carpet.

還有一次，她穿著長筒襪子和拖鞋，能用腳步識別出藏在地毯下面的一幅畫的輪廓和顏色。

Lesson 4 Seeing hands

Other experiments showed that her knees and shoulders had a similar sensitivity.

其他實驗表明，她的膝蓋和雙肩有類似的感覺能力，

Lesson 4 Seeing hands

During all these tests Vera was blindfold;

在所有這些實驗中，維拉的雙眼都是蒙著的。

Lesson 4 Seeing hands

and, indeed, except when blindfold she lacked the ability to perceive things with her skin.

如果不蒙上雙眼她的皮膚就不再具有識別物體的能力。這是千真萬確的。

Lesson 4 Seeing hands

It was also found that although she could perceive things with her fingers this ability ceased the moment her hands were wet.

同時還發現，盡管她能用手指識別東西，但她的手一旦弄濕，這種功能便會立即消失。

Lesson 5 Youth

People are always talking about 'the problem of youth'.

人們總是在談論“青年問題”。

Lesson 5 Youth

If there is one -- which I take leave to doubt -- then it is older people who create it, not the young themselves.

如果這個問題存在的話 -- 請允許我對此持懷疑態度 -- 那么，這個問題是由老年人而不是青年人造成的。