【一起听英语】南极探险队

每年都会有探险队前往南极进行考察，有些人甚至再也没有回来过，这些人的工作真的很伟大...

Michelle: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm

Michelle.

Helen: And I'm Helen.

Michelle: Today we're talking about one of the most famous explorers of all time - Scott of

the Antarctic. 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of Captain Scott and his team

making their epic¹ journey to the South Pole. An expedition from which, sadly,

they never returned.

Helen: Now the Natural History Museum in London is marking the anniversary with a

new exhibition.

Michelle: And we'll hear more about that shortly, because of course first it's time for your

quiz question Helen. Are you ready?

Helen: Go on then.

Michelle: OK. Now, Scott and his team were the first British explorers to reach the South

Pole. But my question is; going back in history to 1773, which other famous

British explorer led the first successful expedition across the Antarctic Circle?

Was it:

a) Captain James Cook

b) Sir Francis Drake

c) Admiral Horatio Nelson

Helen: I have no idea! I'm going to have a guess. Captain James Cook?

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2012

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Michelle: Well we'll find out the answer at the end of the programme. But back to Scott and

his Antarctic expedition. Captain Robert Falcon² Scott was a British Royal Navy

Officer and an adventurer. In 1912 he and his team set off on an expedition to be

the first people to reach the South Pole.

Helen: Yes but the British team were beaten by a Norwegian group, and on their way

back, the men sadly died of exposure in the freezing conditions.

Michelle: So sadly the epic journey ended in failure and tragedy.

Helen: Let's hear from Natural History Museum curator Douglas Russell talking about

Scott's journey, or as he calls it, a "polar endeavour". To endeavour means to

make a great effort to try to achieve something. In this clip³ see if you can catch

what sort of extreme conditions Scott and his team had to face during their

journey.

Douglas Russell, curator, Natural History Museum, London:

It's one of the most gallant⁴ stories in the history of Polar endeavour. Three men spent five weeks

walking across Ross Island in Antarctica in pitch darkness. The temperatures that they endured

were extraordinary. It's very difficult, I think, for most people to understand that it's your ability

to function at those extraordinary low temperatures.

Michelle: So did you catch some of the extreme conditions the curator described there Helen?

Helen: Yes he said that the men had to spend five weeks walking in pitch darkness.

Michelle: Yes pitch darkness, or as we sometimes say 'pitch black', means no light at all.

And did you hear how he described the temperatures in the South Pole?

Helen: Yes he said that "the temperatures they endured were extraordinary". To endure

something means to carry on through hardship or difficult conditions. It's hard to

even imagine how cold it must get in the Antarctic! 

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Michelle: Well did you know that temperatures dropped to minus forty degrees Celsius⁵?

And it was so freezing that the men's teeth actually cracked!

Helen: Minus forty degrees. That really is extraordinary!

Michelle: But even though we know Scott's race to the South Pole ended in failure, the

Natural History Museum wants to celebrate the explorers' achievements.

Helen: Yes in fact while Scott and his team were in the Antarctic, they collected a

number of interesting scientific items. For example they collected rocks. But

probably the most famous item they collected was emperor penguin⁶ eggs.

Michelle: So these items are on display in the exhibition along with some of the equipment

the men used during their journey. In this next clip we'll hear from another curator

at the museum, Elin Simonson. What items is she describing here?

Elin Simonson, curator, National History Museum, London:

We also have the balaclava that Cherry-Garrard wore, and you can see how he attached a nose

piece to the balaclava and he actually writes about it later, talking about how cold it was and he

needed to protect his nose. And it's really nice to actually see that. And a thermal⁷ flask⁸ they had,

and a light - of course it was dark - so this is a light they had with them.

Michelle: So did you catch the first item the curator described there Helen?

Helen: Yes a balaclava which is a type of hat that covers the whole head and neck. And

it sounds like this one was specially⁹ made to protect the wearer's nose against the

freezing weather.

Michelle: That's right this balaclava was worn by an explorer called Cherry-Garrard, who

had joined Scott in some of his earlier journeys. And did you catch the other two

items mentioned there?

Helen: There was a thermal flask and a light they used. 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2012

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Michelle: So these are just some of the items which tell the story of Scott's epic journey, or

as it's sometimes called, 'his voyage to the end of the world'. Well Helen it's time

to find out if you got your quiz question right. I asked you; which famous British

explorer was the first person to cross the Antarctic Circle in 1773. And your

choices were:

a) Captain James Cook

b) Sir Francis Drake

c) Admiral Horatio Nelson

And what was your answer?

Helen: I think I said Captain James Cook.

Michelle: A good guess. I can tell you that the answer is Captain James Cook. He set sail on

a ship called the Resolution with his crew and a number of scientists on board.

And although the ship was the first to cross to Antarctic Circle in 1773. He never

actually saw Antarctica itself because too much ice blocked the way. OK Helen

please could you remind us of today's words?

Helen: Of course. They are:

explorers

epic journey

expedition

exhibition

exposure

endeavour

pitch darkness

endured 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2012

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a balaclava

Michelle: Thanks very much Helen. And that's all we've got time for today, but please do

join us again for more 6 Minute English. Bye

Helen: Bye 

1 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

2 falcon   

n.隼，猎鹰

参考例句：

• The falcon was twice his size with pouted feathers.鹰张开羽毛比两只鹰还大。
• The boys went hunting with their falcon.男孩子们带着猎鹰出去打猎了。

3 clip   

n.夹子，别针，弹夹，片断；vt.夹住，修剪

参考例句：

• May I clip out the report on my performance?我能把报道我的文章剪下来吗？
• She fastened the papers together with a paper clip.她用曲别针把文件别在一起。

4 gallant   

adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的

参考例句：

• Huang Jiguang's gallant deed is known by all men. 黄继光的英勇事迹尽人皆知。
• These gallant soldiers will protect our country.这些勇敢的士兵会保卫我们的国家的。

5 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

6 penguin   

n.企鹅

参考例句：

• The penguin is a flightless bird.企鹅是一种不会飞的鸟。
• He walked with an awkward gait like a penguin.他走路的步子难看得就像企鹅。

7 thermal   

adj.热的，由热造成的；保暖的

参考例句：

• They will build another thermal power station.他们要另外建一座热能发电站。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

8 flask   

n.瓶，火药筒，砂箱

参考例句：

• There is some deposit in the bottom of the flask.这只烧杯的底部有些沉淀物。
• He took out a metal flask from a canvas bag.他从帆布包里拿出一个金属瓶子。

9 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。