[约塞米蒂国家公园] 优胜美地国家公园攻略

　　 　　In this issue of Reader"s Lounge we have two articles about Yosemite National Park in the USA, written by people who work for the park. Yosemite National Park embraces a spectacular tract of mountain-and-valley scenery harboring a grand collection of waterfalls, meadows, and forests. It attracts tourists, nature lovers and scientists in their thousands every year. In the first article, Sorenson describes the beauty of the Yosemite Falls at different times of the year. In the second article, park ranger, Siegenthaler discusses his love for the park.
　　
　　本期《阅读与欣赏》，我们刊登了两篇关于美国约塞米蒂国家公园的文章，作者是该公园的工作人员。约塞米蒂国家公园拥有山谷相融的广袤景致，瀑布、草地和森林一应俱全。这里每年吸引着数以千计的游人、自然爱好者和科学家。在第一篇文章中，索伦森描绘了一年中不同时段的约塞米蒂瀑布之美。在第二篇文章里，公园巡护员希根塞勒论述了他对于这个公园的热爱。
　　
　　The Falls in Four Seasons
　　四季中的瀑布
　　
　　By Karen Sorenson
　　凯伦・索伦森
　　
　　Yosemite Falls: No single feature has contributed more to the wide acclaim of Yosemite National Park. The beauty and power of this waterfall-the world"s fifth tallest-are unrivaled in the United States, and its allure spans the globe. No matter what the season, Yosemite Falls inspires all who view it.
　　Just like other components of nature, Yosemite Falls is highly affected by the seasons. The waterfall is at its height in spring and early summer, when melting winter snow collected along the high country path of Yosemite Creek forms a torrent of water that plunges over the cliffs into the Valley. The avalanche of water fills the rock basin with spray and consequent wind. Rainbows appear and disappear, and the thundering sound of the Falls reverberates in the Valley and rattles windows at Yosemite Lodge. By late summer, Yosemite Falls becomes a mere trickle, and often dries up entirely by autumn when the nearby oaks, dogwoods and maple trees are awash in vibrant color.
　　
　　In winter, a completely different phenomenon occurs at Yosemite Falls. "Every clear, frosty morning loud sounds are heard booming and reverberating from side to side of the Valley," wrote Yosemite"s famous naturalist, John Muir. "The strange thunder is made by the fall of sections of ice formed of spray that is frozen on the face of the cliff along the sides of the Upper Yosemite Fall... This frozen spray ①gives rise to one of the most interesting winter features of the Valley-a cone of ice at the foot of the fall, four or five hundred feet high." In official records, the maximum height of the cone is documented at 322 feet, about as tall as a 25-story building. When temperatures warm in early spring, the water from the Upper Fall begins to drill a hole at the top of the cone, creating a volcano-like structure, and by mid-April, most of the cone has melted. Another winter occurrence in and around Yosemite Falls is "frazil ice", a substance that forms in waterfalls and creeks when water becomes super cooled. Turbulence cools the water so that ice crystals form and group into spongy masses, which sometimes overflow the creek bed. In Yosemite Creek, frazil ice has frequently covered trails and damaged bridges, and has even flowed through buildings that once bordered the creek. In 1997, frazil ice was above the railings of the Lower Yosemite Fall Bridge, almost completely burying it!
　　
　　Throughout most of the year, the beauty of Yosemite Falls is no less breathtaking. But the influence of this waterfall stretches well beyond its immediate impact on viewers. The grandeur of Yosemite Falls played a primary role in motivating key individuals to call for the preservation of natural wonders, rather than exploitation of them. It was this call that led President Abraham Lincoln to ②set aside Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees, in 1864, for permanent protection and the enjoyment of the public. The establishment of national parks was not far behind. The beauty and influence of Yosemite Falls cannot be overestimated. From American Indians and pioneers, to scientists and artists, to millions of annual visitors, Yosemite Falls has inspired all who make the pilgrimage to see this icon of America.
　　
　　约塞米蒂瀑布：约塞米蒂国家公园广受赞誉的最大功臣莫过于这一景观。这条瀑布（瀑长位居世界第五）的美丽与气势在美国无可匹敌，而且它的魅力遍及全球。无论出于何种原因，凡是看过约塞米蒂瀑布的人都会得到启迪。
　　就像自然界中的其它事物一样，约塞米蒂瀑布受季节影响很大。在春天和初夏时，当冬日融雪从约塞米蒂溪谷的高处向下积聚，并形成洪流从悬崖上倾泻到“峡谷”之时，这个瀑布的瀑长达到了最高值。奔腾的水流注入到岩石池中，泛着飞沫，激荡生风。彩虹时隐时现，瀑布的轰鸣声在“峡谷”中回荡，使得“约塞米蒂旅馆”的窗户格格作响。到了晚夏时节，约塞米蒂瀑布就变成了涓涓细流，而当附近的橡树、椋木和枫树在秋天荡漾着生机盎然的色彩之时，它却常常是滴水皆无。
　　
　　冬天，在约塞米蒂瀑布会出现一个别有不同的现象。“在每一个明亮、霜冻的清晨，可以听到响亮的声音在嗡嗡作响，回荡在‘峡谷’的两侧之间，”约塞米蒂的著名自然学家约翰・缪尔写道。“飞沫在约塞米蒂瀑布上部悬崖的侧壁处凝结成冰，部分冰层滑落造成奇怪的轰鸣声……这些冰冻的飞沫成就了‘峡谷’最有趣的冬季景观之一――一座高达四五百英尺的瀑底冰锥。”在官方记录中，有记载的最大锥体高度是322英尺，大约有25层楼那么高。当温度在初春转暖之时，“瀑布”上部的水开始在这个锥体的顶部滴出一个洞，塑造出一个类似火山的结构，到了四月中旬，锥体的大部分就已融化。在约塞米蒂瀑布内和周围发生的另一个冬季现象就是“水内冰”，这是一种当水达到过冷状态时在瀑布和溪流中形成的物质。湍流使水冷却下来，所以冰晶出现了并汇聚成海绵状的块体，它们有时会溢出河床。在约塞米蒂溪谷中，“水内冰”常常会盖满小路并对桥梁造成损伤，甚至还冲刷过以前曾建在溪边的建筑。1997年，“水内冰”盖过了约塞米蒂瀑布底部桥梁的扶手，几乎将其全部淹没！
　　在全年的大部分时间里，约塞米蒂瀑布的美丽总是令人叹为观止。不过，这条瀑布的影响力并非只是局限于给予游客即时的震撼。在促使重要人物呼吁对自然奇观加以保护而不是利用方面，约塞米蒂瀑布的壮丽起到了关键性的作用。正是由于这一呼吁，使得亚伯拉罕・林肯总统在1864年把约塞米蒂峡谷和马里帕沙巨杉区划分出来，进行永久保护并寓乐于民。不久之后国家公园就建立起来了。约塞米蒂瀑布的美丽和影响力是不容低估的。从美国的印地安人和开拓者，到科学家和艺术家，再到每年数百万的游客，约塞米蒂瀑布启迪了所有远游至此来一睹这个美国象征的人。
　　
　　
　　Karen Sorensen is the publications manager for The Yosemite Fund. Her article first appeared in The Yosemite Fund"s periodic magazine, Approach.
　　凯伦・索伦森是“约塞米蒂基金会”的发行经理。她的文章最初刊登在“约塞米蒂基金会”的期刊杂志――《靠近》上。
　　
　　Loving Yosemite
　　约塞米蒂之爱
　　By Ranger David Siegenthaler
　　大卫・希根塞勒（巡护员）
　　
　　"We keep hearing it said that we are "loving our parks to death", but what we really need to know and help others know is how to love our parks." Superintendent David A. Mihalic, Yosemite National Park.
　　I love Yosemite. I also work here. But in spite of the fact that I am in the park so much of the time, I share feelings like those of less frequent visitors: I still ③gasp at the massive granite cliffs of Yosemite Valley; I still inhale deeply to capture the scent of giant sequoias and I still seek the serenity of their groves; I still ④exult in feeling moist sphagnum moss cushioning my feet and squirting water through my toes in the sub-alpine meadows of White Wolf; I am still fascinated by the activities of squirrels, pocket gophers, bears, and nutcrackers; I am still surprised and wonder-struck with new revelations and discoveries; and I still feel I can"t adequately describe in words my feelings and sensations of Yosemite or, for that matter, the meaning this place has for me.
　　Like many millions of other people, I am left with an indefinable sense that this place is sacred. It ⑤takes my breath away. It is bigger than I am and frequently new to me. Yet when I"m here I feel a sense of belonging and relationship to the "ground of being" (for lack of a more precise and inclusive name for the great mystery) that I cannot feel when in more tamed and developed urban areas. The idea of "community" receives a new, richer, radically more inclusive meaning in Yosemite. Here I know that "community" does not just refer to my organized relationships with other people, but also includes my relationships with plants and animals (our "fellow mortals" as John Muir referred to them), and the inorganic components and vital processes that sustain life. I feel that this place is to serve a bigger purpose and deserves its special status as a National Park.
　　I love this place-and I have certain habits of doing so: favorite camping and hiking spots, favorite pastimes, favorite modes of travel. But what distinguishes love from self-indulgence? We hear that our parks are being "loved to death". I presume this means that there are many people like me who love to be here and experience Yosemite on their own terms-and that those "many" in our simple personal pursuits are collectively damaging the very things we profess to love.
　　Can love tolerate lack of regard for the welfare of the other? Is love not reciprocal, requiring one to limit oneself or even give of one"s self out of respect for the integrity and health of that which we love? Like most park visitors, I recoil at the suggestion that I am simply self-indulgent: I get mad when it is suggested that I think I should have special privilege and want to prevent others from having similar opportunities. So what is love to do? How does one love Yosemite in the company of its many other lovers?
　　
　　约塞米蒂国家公园的负责人大卫・A・米赫里奇说过，“我们总是听到有人说，我们‘爱死我们的公园了’，不过我们真正需要知道和需要让别人知道的是如何来爱我们的公园。”
　　我爱约塞米蒂。我也在这里工作。不过，尽管我大部分时间都呆在公园里，但我与那些不怎么频频造访的游客的感受是相同的：我仍会惊讶于约塞米蒂峡谷的巨大花岗岩悬崖；我仍会为了闻到巨型红杉的香味而狠狠地吸上一口气，并仍会在红杉林中寻找静谧之处；我仍会在 行走于“白狼地区”亚高原草地之际，当潮湿的水苔使我的脚下松松软软并将水渗过我的脚缝之时，为那种感觉而惊喜；我仍会为松鼠、口袋地鼠、狗熊和星鸦的活动而着迷；我仍会对新的发现和探索而感到吃惊和万分惊奇；而且我仍会感到我穷于用言语来表达我对约塞米蒂的感觉和感受，甚至不能表达出这个地方对我的意义所在。
　　与其他数百万人一样，我也被给予了一种难以名状的感觉――这个地方是神圣的。它令我目瞪口呆。它使我渺小，对我来说总是新鲜的。然而，当我呆在这里的时候，我感到与“存在基础”（用这个词是因为对这个伟大的神秘事物缺少一种更为精确、更为全面的名称）之间存在着一种归属和关联的感觉，而这在一个更为温顺和发达的都市地区是感觉不到的。在约塞米蒂，“community”的概念融入了一种新的、更加丰富的、在根本上更加全面的意义。在这里我明白了，“community”不仅是指我与他人间的那种有组织的关系，还包括我与动植物（就如约翰・缪尔把它们称之为我们的“生物兄弟”）以及维系生命的无机成分和物化反应之间的关系。我感到这个地方意义更大，无愧于它那国家公园的特殊地位。
　　我爱这个地方――而且我有一些喜好就表露了这份爱：（这里有我）最爱的露营和远足场所、最爱的消遣活动、最爱的旅游方式。但是爱和自我放纵的区别是什么呢？我们听说我们的公园被人 “爱死了”。我姑且认为，这意味着有许多人像我一样喜欢到这里来，以他们自己的方式来体会约塞米蒂――而且还意味着，那些“许多人”都去追求我们那单纯的个人爱好时就是在对那个我们宣称热爱的东西予以破坏。
　　爱能容忍对另一方的利益不管不顾吗？爱不是互惠互利的？需要一方克制自己，甚至为了对我们的所爱的完整性和健康表示敬意而奉献自己？与大多数的游园者一样，在被指称我只是在自我放纵时我畏缩了：当被指称我认为我应该享有特权并想要阻止他人拥有相似的机会时，我发狂了。那么爱能做什么呢？一个人如何在其他许多喜爱约塞米蒂的人的陪伴下去爱它呢？
　　
　　David Siegenthaler has been a National Park Service ranger for 22 years and is currently working closely in the area of public involvement in the park"s planning efforts. His love for Yosemite began during his first visit in 1977.
　　大卫・希根塞勒在国家公园部门担当巡护员已经有22年了，目前正忙碌于让公众参与到公园规划中来的工作。他对约塞米蒂的爱始于1977年初次游览之时。
　　
　　tract /tr2kt/ n.土地
　　harbor /`h3b9/ vt.包含
　　meadow /`med9u/ n.草地
　　ranger /`ren_9/ n.护林员
　　acclaim /9`kleim/ n.喝彩
　　unrivaled /`7n`raiv9ld/ adj.无敌的
　　allure /9`lju9/ n.诱惑力；魅力
　　span /sp2n/ v.横越
　　plunge /pl7n_/ vi.投入；陷入
　　avalanche /`2v9,l3nH/ n.突然到来（出现）
　　的东西
　　reverberate /ri`v8b9reit/ v.反响
　　rattle /`r2tl/ v.发出格格声
　　oak /9uk/ n.橡树；橡木
　　dogwood /`d4Gwud/ n.椋木；狗木
　　maple /`meipl/ n.枫；枫木
　　awash /9`w4H/ adj.被浪冲打的；充沛的
　　cone /k9un/ n.锥形物
　　turbulence /`t/bjul9ns/ n.湍流；紊流
　　spongy /`sp7n_i/ adj.像海绵的
　　railing /`reiliM/ n.栏杆；扶手
　　grandeur /`Gr2n_9/ n.壮观
　　pilgrimage /`pilGrimi_/ n.到个人特别感兴趣的地方；远游
　　icon /`aik4n/ n.图标；肖像
　　granite /`Gr2nit/ n.花岗岩
　　inhale /in`heil/ v.吸气
　　sphagnum /`sf2Gn9m/ n.水藓
　　moss /m4s/ n.苔；藓
　　squirt /skw8t/ v.喷出
　　sub-alpine /`s7b`2lpain/ adj.亚高山带的
　　gopher /`G9uf9/ n.囊地鼠
　　nutcracker /`n7tkr2k9(r)/ n.星鸦
　　inclusive /in`kl6siv/ adj.包括一切的
　　radically /`r2dik9li/ adv.根本上
　　inorganic /,in5`G2nik/ adj.无机的
　　self-indulgence /`selfin`d7l_9ns/ n.自我放纵
　　profess /pr9`fes/ v.表示
　　reciprocal /ri`sipr9k9l/ adj.互惠的
　　integrity /in`teGriti/ n.完整性
　　recoil /ri`k4i/ vi.退却；畏缩
　　privilege /`privili_/ n.特权；特别待遇
　　
　　① give rise to 引起；使发生
　　② set aside 留出
　　③ gasp at 对……大吃一惊
　　④ exult in 狂喜
　　⑤ take sb"s breath away 使某人大吃一惊