纪录片《美丽中国》 第59期 沃土中原（2）（在线收听）

The mineral-rich soil of the Loess plateau

黄土高原的富矿土壤

is incredibly fertile

难以置信的富饶

People have lived here for thousands of years

人们已经在这儿生活了数千年

hollowing their homes out of the soft soil

在软土中抠建而成了他们的住所

The caves might lack glamour of Beijing

窑洞也许缺乏北京一样的魅力

but people can survive here

对这儿的人们来说却是生活的一部分

warm, secure, but best of all

不但温暖而且安全

well fed

最好的是能够吃得饱

As a result of centuries of farming

作为耕作了数个世纪的结果

the landscape has become scarred

大地被刻下了深深的印迹

with thousands of water-worn gullies

密布着数千条被水冲蚀而成的沟渠

But this spectacular erosion

但是这种壮观的冲蚀结果

has had an unexpected benefit

却带来了一个意想不到的好处

The streams which drain the gullies

席卷沟渠的水流

carry the fertile yellow soil

夹杂着肥沃的黄色土壤

into the plateau's major river

流进了黄土高原的一条较大的河流里

known to the Han people

汉族人把这条河称为

as the mother of Chinese civilization

中华文明的母亲河

This is the Yellow River

这就是——黄河