纪录片《冰冻星球》 第54期 最后的边疆（2）

 

Here, in the coldest part of Arctic,

在北极最寒冷的地带

the only way to get water for nine months

一年中有九个月

of the year is to melt ice from the frozen rivers.

只能靠融化冰河中的冰块来汲水

At least there's no problem preventing food from decay.

但至少食物不会变质

Outside is one big deep-freeze.

户外是个硕大的冷冻室

Survival is only possible because of reindeer¹ fur.

有了驯鹿的皮毛 人们才得以生存

It makes wonderfully warm clothing,

它可以用来制作相当保暖的衣服

though small children still have to be

但为了防止小孩子冻伤

sewn into their clothes to prevent instant frostbite.

必须将他们整个人都缝进衣服里

The Dolgan even use reindeer fur to insulate their huts.

多尔干人甚至会用驯鹿皮来为小屋保暖

This is living at its most communal².

这里的生活方式类似公社性质

Good relations with the in-laws are essential.

与公婆和睦相处 至关重要

Reindeer are so valuable

驯鹿弥足珍贵

that the people only eat them if they have no other choice.

除非迫不得已 否则人们不会以之为食

Their favourite food is raw fish from the frozen rivers.

从冰河里捕来的生鱼 是他们最爱的美味

Every week or so, these families have to travel to find

基本上每周 这些家庭都要为牧群

new feeding grounds for their herds³.

寻找新的觅食地

First, they round up their strongest animals with lassoes,

首先 他们用套索将最强壮的牲畜套住

a skill that their ancestors brought with them

他们的祖先从中亚北迁至此时

when they came north from Central Asia.

便掌握了这项技能

And then, literally⁴, they move house.

然后 毫无夸张的说 把家搬走

1 reindeer   

n.驯鹿

参考例句：

• The herd of reindeer was being trailed by a pack of wolves.那群驯鹿被一只狼群寻踪追赶上来。
• The life of the Reindeer men was a frontier life.驯鹿时代人的生活是一种边区生活。

2 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。

3 herds   

兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众

参考例句：

• Regularly at daybreak they drive their herds to the pasture. 每天天一亮他们就把牲畜赶到草场上去。
• There we saw herds of cows grazing on the pasture. 我们在那里看到一群群的牛在草地上吃草。

4 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。