In this valley, some eighteen miles long and two miles wide, almost all the land up to the foot of the mountain was years ago cultivated. 这个山谷大约十八英里长，两英里宽，几乎所有的土地到山脚下都是多年前开垦的。

But one after another the hillside farms and the creek-bottom pastures have been deserted. 但是，山坡上的农场和爬山倒海的牧场一个接一个地荒芜了。

People have moved to the towns. 人们已经搬到城镇去了。

In this whole valley now there are not more than eight or ten homes. 在整个山谷里，现在只有八到十户人家。

Nature, in her quiet, joyous way, has re-taken land that in pioneer days was taken from her and from the Indians. 大自然以她平静、欢乐的方式重新夺回了拓荒者时代从她和印第安人手中夺走的土地。

Wild things have helped to recapture their home of pioneer days. 野生动物帮助他们夺回了拓荒者的家园。

Here in a deserted orchard, where a few apple trees still are bearing, deer munch the fallen fruit. 在一个荒芜的果园里，几棵苹果树还在结果，鹿在津津有味地嚼着落下的果实。

In this old upland field where some volunteer buckwheat has sprung up, wild turkeys feed. 在这片自愿种植荞麦的古老高地上，野火鸡在觅食。

Beside a pathway leading from a deserted mountain home down to the spring, ruffed grouse can be seen. 在一条从荒山人家通往泉水的小路旁，可以看到松鸡。

Along the creek in the shellbark hickory trees which farm boys used to raid for nuts, gray squirrels now gather their winter supply of food. 在农场男孩们过去常去采摘坚果的山核桃林中的小溪边，灰色的松鼠们现在正在收集过冬的食物。

In the creek itself wade migrating ducks on their way to the South for the winter. 在小溪里，迁徙的鸭子正跋涉着去南方过冬。