美国学生世界地理教材 第184期:对面脚踩之地续(1)

 India is divided into states like the United States and many of these states have separate rulers called rajahs. 像美国一样，印度也划分为不同的州，很多州有各自的统治者——叫做“邦主”。

Many of the rajahs, however, are more interested in showing off and in having a good time than they are in ruling. 然而，许多邦主感兴趣的不是治理国家，而是炫耀自己和尽情享受。

They love jewels, such as diamonds and pearls, and they collect them as you might collect marbles, 他们喜欢珠宝，比如钻石和珍珠。就像你有可能收集玻璃弹子一样，他们收集珠宝，

though one of their diamonds may be worth a million times what one of your precious marbles is worth. 不过，他收集的其中一个钻石也许比你珍爱的玻璃弹子贵一百万倍。

They own some of the largest and finest jewels that have ever been found. 他们拥有迄今为止所发现的最大最好的珠宝。

We think of diamond and pearl necklaces as something that only women wear, but when the rajahs appear before their subjects or ride in processions, 我们认为钻石和珍珠项链只有女士才佩戴。但是，当这些邦主出现在他们的臣民面前，或是参加列队行进的时候,

as they love to do, they dress themselves up with their wonderful gems,  他们就喜欢有这样的机会，他们穿上盛装，佩戴华丽无比的宝石。

some of them as big as walnuts¹, and wear collars of pearls, rubies², sapphires³, and emeralds. 有的宝石有核桃那么大，衣领上缀有珍珠、红宝石、蓝宝石、绿宝石。

In such processions a rajah rides on an elephant, which is dressed up too. 在队伍中，邦主骑在一头也盛装打扮的大象上，华盖为其遮挡太阳。

The rajah sits on top of the elephant under a canopy⁴ that is so high in the air he has to use a stepladder to climb up. 因为大象太高了，邦主不得不用一个梯子才能爬上去。

Elephants are considered sacred in India, and even though there are many wild ones, it is against the law to shoot one. 在印度，大象被认为是神圣的。尽管有很多野生大象，但是射杀大象是犯法的。

So men hunt them, catch them, and tame them without shooting them. 于是，人们就捕猎大象，而不是射杀，捕获后驯化它们。

Hundreds of men form a long line around the place where there are elephants and beat drums and blow horns to frighten them. 猎象时，数百人把有大象的地方围起来，然后，敲鼓吹号来吓唬它们。

The elephants move away from the noise and, unknowingly, toward a pen that is left open to catch them. 为了避开噪声，大象不知不觉走向一个为捕捉它们而有意敞开的围栏。

In this way they are driven by the terrible racket into the pen, which is then closed. 就这样，大象在喧闹声中被赶进了围栏，这时有人马上就把围栏关上。

After they are caught they must be tamed. This is not an easy job, for some elephants are very dangerous and can easily stamp a man to death. 捕获大象后一定要驯化它们。驯象是一件很难的事，因为有些大象非常危险，能轻易将人踩死。

Once tamed, however, an elephant can be used like a camel in Arabia, a horse in Europe, or an automobile⁵, a tractor, or a piece of machinery⁶ in our country. 然而，一旦驯化，大象就能像阿拉伯的骆驼、欧洲的马、美国的汽车、拖拉机，或一台机器一样被人使用。

1 walnuts   

胡桃（树）( walnut的名词复数 )； 胡桃木

参考例句：

• Are there walnuts in this sauce? 这沙司里面有核桃吗？
• We ate eggs and bacon, pickled walnuts and cheese. 我们吃鸡蛋，火腿，腌胡桃仁和干酪。

2 rubies   

红宝石( ruby的名词复数 )； 红宝石色，深红色

参考例句：

• a necklace of rubies intertwined with pearls 缠着珍珠的红宝石项链
• The crown was set with precious jewels—diamonds, rubies and emeralds. 王冠上镶嵌着稀世珍宝—有钻石、红宝石、绿宝石。

3 sapphires   

n.蓝宝石，钢玉宝石( sapphire的名词复数 )；蔚蓝色

参考例句：

• Again there was that moment of splintered sapphires before the lids, dropping like scales, extinguished it. 她眼眶中又闪烁出蓝宝石的光彩，接着眼睑象鱼鳞般地垂落下来，双目又黯然失色了。 来自辞典例句
• She also sported a somewhat gawdy gold watch set with diamonds and sapphires. 她还收到一块镶着钻石和蓝宝石的金表。 来自辞典例句

4 canopy   

n.天篷，遮篷

参考例句：

• The trees formed a leafy canopy above their heads.树木在他们头顶上空形成了一个枝叶茂盛的遮篷。
• They lay down under a canopy of stars.他们躺在繁星点点的天幕下。

5 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

6 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。