VOA慢速英语2011--Explorer Andrew Skurka Takes Hiking to a

STEVE EMBER: I’m Steve Ember.
BARBARA KLEIN: And I’m Barbara Klein with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Today on our program we meet an extreme hiker. He recently completed a more than seven thousand kilometer exploration of the state of Alaska and Canada’s Yukon territory.
We also travel to the wilderness¹ of southern Africa to learn about some big cats. The movie “The Last Lions” gives viewers an extraordinary look at a mother lion as she struggles to survive and protect her young.
(MUSIC)
STEVE EMBER: Andrew Skurka is an athlete, outdoorsman and writer. But when he goes for a walk outside, it is not your average trip. Mr. Skurka is known for going on hiking trips that last for thousands of kilometers. He walked more than eleven thousand kilometers alone through the western United States in two thousand seven. The next year, he hiked more than eight hundred kilometers to cross Iceland alone.
Andrew Skurka hiking in the Arctic² National Wildlife Refuge³ in Alaska in August of last year
The twenty-nine-year-old has become known among explorers as a very skillful extreme hiker. He is also known for carefully preparing and researching every detail of his trips. A story on his most recent trip was published in this month’s National Geographic⁴ Magazine.
BARBARA KLEIN: Andrew Skurka spent about six months hiking, skiing and rafting through Alaska and Canada’s Yukon Territory. The more than seven thousand kilometer trip lasted from March fourteenth until September first of last year.
It was not an easy trip. Snow covering much of the area was beginning to melt. So it could not support his weight on skis. And it was difficult to walk through the knee-deep snow. Mr. Skurka was not traveling along established paths. He was finding his own way through the complete wilderness of Alaskan “backcountry”.
He said the most difficult period of the trip was crossing the Yukon Arctic and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
ANDREW SKURKA: “And I went six hundred and fifty seven miles, or roughly I guess it’s about about eleven hundred kilometers and twenty four days without seeing another human being and without crossing a road. And it certainly didn’t help that during that section I got clobbered⁵ by bugs⁶ and I was caught by two different floods.”
BARBARA KLEIN: But he says the biggest difficulty he struggled with was how huge and wild that area of the world is.
ANDREW SKURKA: “There is something about that stretch that made me feel so much more vulnerable⁷ and susceptible⁸ and exposed to the natural conditions. And I think a lot of it had to do with knowing that I was so far out there that if anything were to go wrong, help was a long way away”
STEVE EMBER: To succeed on these difficult trips, Andrew Skurka does a great deal of research. He finds out exactly what kind of territory he will be travelling through and what he will need. He uses hundreds of maps to plan his route. And, he does not carry much with him. This way he can move more quickly and is more comfortable as he travels. For example, in summer he carries about ten kilograms of equipment. For the Alaska trip, he planned in advance where he would stop along the way to buy food and supplies so he did not have to carry extra weight.
His diet during his trips includes chocolate candies, nuts, potato chips, cookies, dried beef and energy bars. It is not the most healthful diet, but his aim is to eat as many calories as possible.
ANDREW SKURKA: “I try to eat about forty five hundred to fifty five hundred calories per day. And that is enough for me to avoid losing an excessive amount of weight when I am out there. But it’s also enough to keep me sustained⁹. And I’m putting in really long days. I’m moving for fourteen to sixteen hours a day.”
BARBARA KLEIN: Mr. Skurka says that he always loved the outdoors as a child. But he did not think he could make a career out of this interest. After working at a summer camp for two seasons, he realized he did not have to follow his expected career path of working as a financial expert. He decided¹⁰ to make a career out of being an explorer and athlete.
The National Geographic Society helped Mr. Skurka pay for his most recent trip. But he says if that money had not come through, he was ready to raise money through public speaking, guided trips, and his writing.
STEVE EMBER: We asked Mr. Skurka for advice on how beginners can learn to backpack and take long trips outdoors. He says learning to take these trips is a skill and takes work. He says the best way to learn is to read books about backpacking trips, talk to experts and then get outside and start doing it.
Andrew Skurka says he is not sure where his next trip will be. But he says wherever he goes, it will be under intense conditions through big, wild places.
(MUSIC)
Ma di Tau and her cubs¹¹.
BARBARA KLEIN: The film “The Last Lions” takes place in the Okavango Delta¹² of Botswana. Actor Jeremy Irons explains the action in the movie. A lioness named Ma di Tau (mah dee taw) or “Mother of Lions,” her mate and three cubs live on the grassy¹³ plains. But a group of lions from the north invades and fights them for control of the territory. The father lion is severely¹⁴ wounded and dies.
The lioness must make an important decision if she and her cubs are to survive. She cannot stay and have her cubs killed by the enemy lions. If she travels in one direction, she will find people and villages. And where there are people, there are guns. In another direction, a wildfire is burning the plains. To escape, she chooses to swim across a muddy body of water where crocodiles live.
JEREMY IRONS: "’Til today she had only time to focus on escape and survival¹⁵ but now she must find a way to get her cubs safely through their first critical year until they can fend¹⁶ for themselves. And as a single mother this will take every ounce of her energy and intelligence."
STEVE EMBER: In her new environment on Duba Island, the mother lion must struggle to survive threats from other lions and huge, fierce buffalo¹⁷. She must also risk leaving her cubs unprotected while she hunts for food.
JEREMY IRONS: "A lion hunt is as much a mind game as it is a physical explosion of violence."
BARBARA KLEIN: “The Last Lions” permits viewers to enter into the world of these creatures. You see how the lioness cares for her young and how she plans to attack the buffalo she needs for food.
The movie was made by husband and wife team Dereck and Beverly Joubert with support from National Geographic Entertainment. The Jouberts have spent thirty years filming and observing lions in the African wild. They have made over twenty movies and written many books and articles about the behavior of animals in the wild.
STEVE EMBER: The Jouberts have lived on Duba Island for seven years. They have had the rare experience of watching a group – or pride -- of lions form and evolve. The couple was able to watch the lions get used to living in new and unusual conditions. They came to know each lion well. Mr. Joubert says they know the individual lions as well as they know their own family members.
The Jouberts lived in a small tent not far from the lions. So they were able to quickly film any action during the day or night. The lions became used to humans nearby. This permitted the filmmakers to capture recordings¹⁸ few humans have seen before. New digital cameras also helped them to record images that would not have been technologically¹⁹ possible in the past.
BARBARA KLEIN: The filmmakers followed many lions, but were especially interested in Ma di Tau and her efforts to survive on her own. Mr. Joubert has said this about watching Ma di Tau: “Her struggle was our struggle, her battles were our battles. Perhaps this is consistent²⁰ with any study of the natural world.”
Dereck Joubert at work
He says they were able to share with viewers the emotions they experienced while watching the lioness. These include fear, calm, sadness, happiness and courage.
STEVE EMBER: The Jouberts note that lions play a central role in the fairy tales, stories and language of humans. They say lions are part of the human experience. So, their survival is important to humanity²¹.
The film’s most important message is about the sad reality that these large cats are slowly disappearing from the wild. The movie notes that in the past fifty years the lion population in the wild has decreased from four hundred fifty thousand to as few as twenty thousand. “The Last Lions” shows why it is important to help save these creatures before they disappear from the wild forever.
(MUSIC)
BARBARA KLEIN: This program was written and produced by Dana Demange. I’m Barbara Klein.
STEVE EMBER: And I’m Steve Ember. You can see pictures of Andrew Skurka and “The Last Lions” on our website, voaspecialenglish.com. You can also find a link to the National Geographic’s campaign to help save big cats. Join us again next week for EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English.

1 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

2 Arctic   

adj.北极的；n.北极

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• The sort of animal lived in the Arctic Circle.这种动物生活在北极圈里。

3 refuge   

n.避难（处），庇护（所）；v.庇护，避难（所）

参考例句：

• They took refuge in a cave yesterday.他们昨天是在一个洞里避难的。
• We took refuge in the lee of the wall.我们在墙的背风处暂避。

4 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

5 clobbered   

v.狠揍， （不停）猛打( clobber的过去式和过去分词 )；彻底击败

参考例句：

• The paper got clobbered with libel damages of half a million pounds. 这家报纸被罚以五十万英镑的诽谤损害赔偿金。
• The robbers clobbered the shopkeeper to make him open the safe. 强盗们殴打店主迫使他打开保险箱。 来自辞典例句

6 bugs   

adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误

参考例句：

• All programs have bugs and need endless refinement. 所有的程序都有漏洞，都需要不断改进。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 vulnerable   

adj.易受伤的，脆弱的，易受攻击的

参考例句：

• He volunteered to protect her as she looked so vulnerable.她看上去很脆弱，他就主动去保护她。
• The company is in an economically vulnerable position.该公司目前经济状况不稳定。

8 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

9 sustained   

adj.持久的，持续的v.维持( sustain的过去式和过去分词 )；支撑；忍受；长期保持

参考例句：

• Without correct leadership, the enthusiasm of the masses cannot be sustained. 没有正确的领导，群众的积极性就不可能持久。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He has sustained a great loss by the death of his father. 他父亲的去世使他蒙受巨大的损失。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

11 cubs   

n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lioness guarding her cubs 守护幼崽的母狮
• Lion cubs depend on their mother to feed them. 狮子的幼仔依靠母狮喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

13 grassy   

adj.盖满草的；长满草的

参考例句：

• They sat and had their lunch on a grassy hillside.他们坐在长满草的山坡上吃午饭。
• Cattle move freely across the grassy plain.牛群自由自在地走过草原。

14 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

15 survival   

n.留住生命，生存，残存，幸存者

参考例句：

• The doctor told my wife I had a fifty-fifty chance of survival.医生告诉我的妻子，说我活下去的可能性只有50%。
• The old man was a survival of a past age.这位老人是上一代的遗老。

16 fend   

v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开

参考例句：

• I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
• He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。

17 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。

18 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

19 technologically   

ad.技术上地

参考例句：

• Shanghai is a technologically advanced city. 上海是中国的一个技术先进的城市。
• Many senior managers are technologically illiterate. 许多高级经理都对技术知之甚少。

20 consistent   

adj.坚持的，一贯的，一致的，符合的

参考例句：

• He has been a consistent friend to the Chinese people.他是中国人民始终如一的朋友。
• His action is always consistent with his words.他始终言行一致。

21 humanity   

n.人类，[总称]人(性)，人道[pl.]人文学科

参考例句：

• Such an act is a disgrace to humanity.这种行为是人类的耻辱。
• We should treat animals with humanity.我们应该以仁慈之心对待动物。