国家地理 牧野分歧(1)

We bounce in the truck along a furrowed¹ road, through a mud slick and up to a bluff² that looks out to the curve of the Earth.

卡车在裂痕纵横的道路上颠簸，开过一片滑溜的泥地登上断崖，弧形的天际线尽收眼底。

The plains glow emerald in this wet spring, rolling toward distant hills. Near an oxbow in the creek³ beneath us, a herd⁴ of buffalo⁵ graze. They are primeval creatures, bearded and huge, their winter fur peeling off in strips like old wallpaper.

春雨的浸润让草原像绿宝石般发光，连绵铺向远方的山丘。脚下蜿蜒的溪水形如牛轭，一群野牛在旁吃草。这些古老生灵身形庞大，胡须缀面，过冬的厚毛一条条脱落，如同破旧的墙纸。

In the days before horses and guns, Plains Indians chased buffalo off this steep embankment to their deaths. It's late in May, late in the afternoon, and the light has taken on a rich, nostalgic cast. Damien Austin, a former zookeeper with rectangular glasses and a rectangular fringe of hair, extends his hand across the humped expanse of prairie. "Just imagine grizzly⁶ bears running around out there," he says.

在枪支和奔马被引入这片大地之前，“大平原印第安人”的狩猎方式就是驱赶野牛摔下这道断崖。如今正是五月下旬，傍晚时分，光线带着浓浓的怀旧气息。当过动物园管理员的达明·奥斯汀的眼镜框和发型同样方方正正，手臂伸向起伏绵延的草地。“想象一下大灰熊在那里奔跑的场景。”他说道。

1 furrowed   

v.犁田，开沟( furrow的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Overhead hung a summer sky furrowed with the rash of rockets. 头顶上的夏日夜空纵横着急疾而过的焰火。 来自辞典例句
• The car furrowed the loose sand as it crossed the desert. 车子横过沙漠，在松软的沙土上犁出了一道车辙。 来自辞典例句

2 bluff   

v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗

参考例句：

• His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
• John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

3 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

4 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

5 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

6 grizzly   

adj.略为灰色的，呈灰色的；n.灰色大熊

参考例句：

• This grizzly liked people.这只灰熊却喜欢人。
• Grizzly bears are not generally social creatures.一般说来，灰熊不是社交型动物。