英语听力—环球英语 607 Climbing Mount Noshaq

　　Voice 1
Hello and welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Marina Santee.
Voice 2
And I'm Ruby² Jones. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 3
‘There is a path to even the highest mountain.'
Voice 1
This is an old saying from Afghanistan. It can simply mean exactly what it says - there is a physical path to even the highest mountain. But it can also have a deeper meaning. There is an answer to even the biggest of life's problems.
Voice 2
Four Afghan people are discovering both meanings of this saying. In July 2009, they set out to climb the highest mountain in Afghanistan - Mount³ Noshaq. In today's Spotlight we tell about the four climbers. And we hear why climbing this mountain is so important to them.
Voice 1
Afghanistan - the heart of Central Asia. In its north-eastern corner, there are the Hindu Kush Mountains . These mark the beginning of the Himlaya mountain range that stretches across to western China. Mount Noshaq  rises almost 7500 metres above a valley. Its name means⁴ ‘nine valleys' in the Dari language of Afghanistan. Mount Noshaq is surrounded by great beauty. Its white peaks⁵ point high into the blue sky. But still, there are strong winds and freezing temperatures. Standing⁶ at the bottom of Mount Noshaq are four Afghan men. The road before them is long and hard. They have been training for months. This climb is important. They will be the first Afghan people to climb to the top of this mountain. Their climb will demonstrate⁷ the strength of the Afghan spirit. The people of this troubled country have experienced⁸ almost thirty years of war. But their pride in being Afghan is not broken. So let us meet the brave climbers:
Voice 2
A small golden⁹ fire burns over grey stones. A family gathers around it. Among them is one of the four climbers - Malang. Malang is thirty five years old. He has four children. He and his family live in Qazi Deh. This village lies in north-eastern Afghanistan. The people here lead a simple, peaceful life. Malang is a happy character. His dark eyes smile as he speaks:
Voice 4
‘My wish is to build a name for my country. It is to honour Afghanistan. It is a good chance to show that we have good climbers. We can go to the top of big mountains like Noshaq.'
Voice 1
Walk a little way into the village and you will reach another house. This belongs to Afiat Khanis - a second climber. Afiat is twenty eight years old. He has five children. When he was younger, he had planned to be a mountain guide. But the war changed this. Instead, he fought in the war to defend his country. Now, he dreams of entering into a new battle. But this time it is a battle for peace. Climbing Mount Noshaq marks an important part of this battle.
Voice 2
Children gather together in a small village school. They sit on a large piece of material on the floor. The girls sit on one side. And the boys sit on the other. They listen carefully to the words of their teacher - Gurg Ali. ‘Who has heard of Mount Noshaq?' He asks them. All the children raise their hands. They are excited. Their teacher is going to climb the highest mountain in Afghanistan. And he tells them that this will help them and their village. Gurg Ali wants the climb to encourage the people of Afghanistan. He wants Afghans to recover their sense of self worth. He wants them to feel proud of Afghanistan once again.
Voice 1
Amruddin is the youngest member of the team. He is twenty five years old. He lives in Khandud, a village half way through the valley. Amruddin is strong and fearless. He has big dreams for the future. Before the climb started he said:
Voice 5
‘I have never climbed a big mountain before now. If I reach the Noshaq, I will become a real mountain climber. After that, I will be able to aim for higher mountains. My dream is to become one of the first climbers in Afghanistan.'
Voice 1
There are three main purposes behind the project. Firstly¹⁰, it is to send a message of peace. It will show the strength of the Afghan people. It will show that they are able to overcome difficulties¹¹. They can bring peace to their country.
Voice 2
Secondly¹², the climbers will plant an Afghan flag in the top of the mountain. This is a sign of hope. It is to encourage the people of Afghanistan. They have a reason to be proud. They have a reason to gain international respect. They have, and can, overcome difficulties.
Voice 1
The third purpose is to create new businesses. The four climbers hope that their story will bring foreign visitors to the area - to enjoy the beautiful mountains. The climbers plan to become mountain guides. They are leading the way in new possibilities for the economy¹³. They hope to create positive, lasting¹⁴, changes.
Voice 2
After lots of hard training with French mountain climbers, the team began their climb. On the thirteenth of July, they reached their first stop - base camp. Here, at four and a half thousand [4500] metres, they slept for the night. The trip was long and hard. Strong winds blew and snow fell. But strong desire pushed them forwards. And on Sunday the nineteenth of July, the first Afghan feet walked on the top of Mount Noshaq. At last, the mountain-top flies the flag of their country, Afghanistan. There against the white snow, they saw the colours of their country - red, black and green. It was a special moment. This was the first time Afghan people had ever reached the top of Mount Noshaq. They have shown that the spirit of the Afghan people has not been defeated. For them, the old Afghan saying is true
Voice 3
‘There is a path to even the highest mountain.'
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

3 mount   

n.山峰，乘用马，框，衬纸；vi.增长，骑上（马）；vt.提升，爬上，装备

参考例句：

• Their debts continued to mount up.他们的债务不断增加。
• She is the first woman who steps on the top of Mount Jolmo Lungma.她是第一个登上珠穆朗玛峰的女人。

4 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

5 peaks   

n.山峰( peak的名词复数 )；最高点；尖端；帽舌

参考例句：

• There have been peaks and troughs in the long-term trend of unemployment. 长期以来失业率一直时起时伏。
• We looked up at the rocky peaks towering above us. 我们抬头观望高高耸立的遍布岩石的山峰。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 demonstrate   

vt.论证，证明；示范；显示；vi.示威游行

参考例句：

• Let me demonstrate to you how this machine works.我给你演示一下这台机器的运转情况。
• How can I demonstrate to you that my story is true?我怎样才能向你证明我的话是真实的呢？

8 experienced   

adj.有经验的；经验丰富的，熟练的

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather.有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• Perhaps you and I had better change over;you are more experienced.也许我们的工作还是对换一下好，你比我更有经验。

9 golden   

adj.金的，含金的，可贵的，金色的，贵重的，繁盛的

参考例句：

• My teacher is an Englishman with golden hair.我的老师是一个金黄色头发的英国人。
• It's a balmy evening,the golden time for lovers.这是一个暖和的夜晚，是恋人们的黄金时光。

10 firstly   

adv.第一；首先

参考例句：

• Firstly,you must be loyal to your homeland.首先，你必须忠于你的祖国。
• Firstly,let us deal with the most important issue.首先让我们来处理最紧要的问题。

11 difficulties   

n.困难( difficulty的名词复数 )；难度；难事；麻烦

参考例句：

• I am acutely aware of the difficulties we face. 我十分清楚我们面临的困难。
• the difficulties of English syntax 英语句法的难点

12 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

13 economy   

n.经济；节俭；秩序；机体

参考例句：

• We must do our best to develop the national economy.我们必须努力发展国民经济。
• The country's economy is not very healthy.国家的经济不很景气。

14 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。