VOA标准英语2010年-Room at the Inn Along Oldest US Hiking

Vermont's Long Trail is the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the country.

It follows the spine¹ of the Green Mountains more than 400 kilometers from one end of the northeastern state to the other and inspired the much longer Appalachian Trail, which stretches 3,500 kilometers from Maine to Georgia.

The two trails merge² in Killington, Vermont, where an historic inn has drawn³ hikers for almost 90 years.

Welcome stop

If you ask a hiker what they like most about hiking, chances are they'll tell you it's taking their boots off at the end of the day.

This is especially true for a hiker who's been on the trail for weeks or even months. In Vermont, many of these so-called through hikers will stop at a historic hotel called the Inn at Long Trail.

 
Courtesy Inn at Long Trail
Owner Murray McGrath tends bar McGrath's Irish Pub at the Inn at Long Trail.
 

"We've had a lodge⁴ here since 1923 catering⁵ to hikers," says innkeeper Oke O'Brien. "You don't hike the Long Trail or the Appalachian Trail without stopping here."

Green Mountain Club, which oversees⁶ the Long Trail, built the lodge as a summer retreat. It burned down in the 1960s and its ruins are still visible across the street from the inn, which the club built as a winter annex⁷ in 1939.

Innkeeper O'Brien says even if hikers don't spend the night , most will at least stop in to have a beer and sign the guest book - typically with their trail names - the nicknames they pick up on their journey.

O'Brien says hearing all the back-stories is one of the best parts of his job.

"There was a hiker in here last year and his trail name was Not Yet. He was doing the Long Trail last year and the year before he'd done the Appalachian Trail and he said his first day on the trail, someone asked him if he had a trail name and he said Not Yet, and that became his trail name."

O'Brien introduces a hiker named Sunshine, who's making use of the coin operated washer and dryer⁸.

"I've been averaging about 18 miles [29 kilometers] a day and I finally got here at the inn and I'm really excited for my first shower and some clean clothes," she says.

After a week on the trail, Sunshine says taking a zero day - that's what hikers call a day they don't do any walking - is priceless.

"Taking your hiking boots off is probably the best feeling in the whole entire world. If you've ever been on a long hike you know, it's like instant relief you put up your feet and the blood is flowing. It's like being born. I don't know, it's awesome⁹."

Room at the inn

Murray and Patty McGrath, whose family bought the inn in the late 1970s, say the hotel hasn't changed much in 70 years.

Aside from a few additions, there's the same rustic¹⁰ stone fireplace in the living room, plenty of bentwood furniture to plunk down on and the original beamed ceiling.

The McGraths did add the Irish pub, which Murray says has been a big hit with the hikers.

"When the trail used to run right through our parking lot we were the only draft beer restaurant on the trail for them and that was perfect for them," says Murray McGrath.

According to Patty McGrath, their non-hiking guests are sometimes a bit put off by the hikers. But because most of the rooms don't have TVs, she says, everyone usually ends up in the pub, laughing and sharing stories.

"First impressions with hikers - that can be challenging. They're a bit of a ragtag looking bunch. They smell to high heaven," she says. "But they are the funniest, most diverse group. The variety of age, in social strata¹¹, the whole thing is just absolutely amazing."

And some have a hard time moving on from the inn.

Murray McGrath remembers a hiker named Port-a-Can Dan.

"He was a riot. He packed his pack probably five times to head out and would meet another hiker whom he hadn't seen since Virginia  and the next day he'd be back at his barstool. He was hilarious¹².I said, 'Dan, we're going to have to call you Backspin because he just never left.' It was great."

Port-a-Can Dan did finish his hike, eventually. The McGraths say he sent them a grinning photo of himself at the end of the Appalachian Trail later that fall.
 

1 spine   

n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊

参考例句：

• He broke his spine in a fall from a horse.他从马上跌下摔断了脊梁骨。
• His spine developed a slight curve.他的脊柱有点弯曲。

2 merge   

v.(使)结合，(使)合并，(使)合为一体

参考例句：

• I can merge my two small businesses into a large one.我可以将我的两家小商店合并为一家大商行。
• The directors have decided to merge the two small firms together.董事们已决定把这两家小商号归并起来。

3 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

4 lodge   

v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆

参考例句：

• Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？
• I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。

5 catering   

n. 给养

参考例句：

• Most of our work now involves catering for weddings. 我们现在的工作多半是承办婚宴。
• Who did the catering for your son's wedding? 你儿子的婚宴是由谁承办的？

6 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

7 annex   

vt.兼并，吞并；n.附属建筑物

参考例句：

• It plans to annex an England company in order to enlarge the market.它计划兼并一家英国公司以扩大市场。
• The annex has been built on to the main building.主楼配建有附属的建筑物。

8 dryer   

n.干衣机，干燥剂

参考例句：

• He bought a dryer yesterday.他昨天买了一台干燥机。
• There is a washer and a dryer in the basement.地下室里有洗衣机和烘干机。

9 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

10 rustic   

adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬

参考例句：

• It was nearly seven months of leisurely rustic living before Michael felt real boredom.这种悠闲的乡村生活过了差不多七个月之后,迈克尔开始感到烦闷。
• We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust.我们希望新鲜的空气和乡村的氛围能帮他调整自己。

11 strata   

n.地层（复数）；社会阶层

参考例句：

• The older strata gradually disintegrate.较老的岩层渐渐风化。
• They represent all social strata.他们代表各个社会阶层。

12 hilarious   

adj.充满笑声的，欢闹的；[反]depressed

参考例句：

• The party got quite hilarious after they brought more wine.在他们又拿来更多的酒之后，派对变得更加热闹起来。
• We stop laughing because the show was so hilarious.我们笑个不停，因为那个节目太搞笑了。