Level 3 Reading 4A

Ch.7

第7章

Reading 4A SACRED SUMMITS Volcanoes are creators and destroyers. They can shape lands and cultures, but can also cause great destruction and loss of life. Two of the best-known examples are found at opposite ends of the world, on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Symbol of Japan It's almost sunrise near the summit of Japan's Mount Fuji. Exhausted climbers, many of whom have hiked the 3,776 meters through the night to reach this point, stop to watch as the sun begins spreading its golden rays across the mountain. For the climbers, this is an important moment. They have witnessed the dawn on Mount Fuji—the highest point in Japan. Mount Fuji is a sacred site. Japan's native religion, Shintoism, considers Fuji a holy place. Other people believe the mountain and its waters have the power to make a sick person well. For many, climbing Fuji is also a rite of passage. Some do it as part of a religious journey; for others, it is a test of strength. Whatever their reason, reaching the top in order to stand on Fuji's summit at sunrise is a must for many Japanese. Every July and August, hundreds of thousands attempt to do so. Fuji is more than a sacred site and tourist destination, however. It is also an active volcano around which four million people have settled, and it sits just 112 kilometers from the crowded streets of Tokyo. The last time Fuji erupted, in 1707, it sent out a cloud of ash that covered the capital city and darkened the skies for weeks. Today, new information has some volcanologists concerned that Fuji may soon erupt again. According to Motoo Ukawa and his associates at the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, there has been an increase in activity under Fuji recently. This activity may be caused by low-frequency earthquakes. Understanding what causes these quakes may help scientists predict when Fuji will come back to life. In the meantime, locals living near Fuji hold special festivals each year to offer gifts to the goddess of the volcano—as they have for generations— so that she will not erupt and destroy the land and its people below.

阅读4A 神圣的峰会 火山是创造者和毁灭者。 它们可以塑造土地和文化，但也会造成巨大的破坏和生命损失。 其中两个最著名的例子出现在世界的两端，即环太平洋火山带。 日本的象征 日本富士山山顶附近的日出即将到来。 疲惫的登山者，其中许多人彻夜跋涉3776米才到达这一点， 停下来看太阳开始在山上洒下金色的光芒。 对于登山者来说，这是一个重要的时刻。 他们目睹了日本最高点富士山的黎明。 富士山是一个圣地。 日本本土宗教神道教认为富士山是圣地。 其他人认为，这座山和它的水有能力让病人康复。 对许多人来说，攀登富士山也是一种成年礼。 有些人这样做是宗教之旅的一部分；对其他人来说，这是对力量的考验。 无论出于什么原因， 对于许多日本人来说，在日出时登上富士山顶是必须的。 每年7月和8月，都有数十万人试图这样做。 然而，富士山不仅仅是一个圣地和旅游目的地。 它也是一座活火山，已有400万人在其周围定居， 它距离东京拥挤的街道仅112公里。 富士山上一次喷发是在1707年，它喷出了一团火山灰 它覆盖了首都，使天空几周都变暗了。 今天，新的信息让一些火山学家担心富士山可能很快会再次爆发。 据日本国家地球科学与防灾研究所的Motoo Ukawa及其同事介绍， 富士最近的活动有所增加。 这种活动可能是由低频地震引起的。 了解这些地震的原因可能有助于科学家预测富士何时会复活。 与此同时，居住在富士附近的当地人每年都会举办特别的节日 像几代人一样，向火山女神献上礼物-- 这样她就不会爆发并摧毁下面的土地和人民。

Mexico's Threatening Mountain Halfway across the globe from Fuji, Popocatépetl—one of the world's tallest and most dangerous active volcanoes— stands just 70 kilometers southeast of Mexico City. Although the volcano (whose name means "smoking mountain") has erupted many times over the centuries, scientists believe its last great eruption occurred around AD 820. In recent years, Popocatépetl is once again threatening the lives of the people near the mountain; in December 2000, almost 26,000 people were evacuated when EI Popo— as Mexicans call the mountain—started to send out ash and smoke. As with all active volcanoes, the question is not if it will erupt again (an eruption is inevitable); the question is when it will happen. "Every volcano works in a different way," explains Carlos Valdés González, a scientist who monitors EI Popo. "What we're trying to learn here are the symptoms signaling that EI Popo will erupt." These include earthquakes, or any sign that the mountain's surface is changing or expanding. The hope is that scientists will be able to warn people in the surrounding areas so they have enough time to evacuate. A powerful eruption could displace over 20 million people— people whose lives can be saved if the warning is delivered early enough. For many people living near EI Popo—especially farmers—abandoning their land is unthinkable. As anyone who farms near a volcano knows, the world's richest soils are volcanic. They produce bananas and coffee in Central America, fine wines in California, and enormous amounts of rice in Indonesia. Today, many people continue to see EI Popo as their ancestors did. According to ancient beliefs, a volcano can be a god, a mountain, and a human all at the same time. To appease EI Popo and to ensure rain and a good harvest, locals begin a cycle of ceremonies that starts in March and ends in August. Carrying food and gifts for the volcano, they hike up the mountain. Near the summit, they present their offerings, asking the volcano to protect and provide for one more season.

墨西哥的威胁之山 在距离富士山半个地球的地方，波波卡特佩特火山——世界上最高、最危险的活火山之一-- 位于墨西哥城东南仅70公里处。 尽管这座火山（其名字的意思是“冒烟的山”）在几个世纪以来爆发了多次， 科学家们认为，它最后一次大喷发发生在公元820年左右。 近年来，波波卡特佩特再次威胁着山区附近人民的生命； 2000年12月，当EI Popo撤离时，近26000人被疏散-- 墨西哥人称之为山的火山开始喷出灰烬和烟雾。 与所有活火山一样，问题不在于它是否会再次爆发 （火山爆发是不可避免的）；问题是什么时候会发生。 “每座火山都以不同的方式运作，”监测EI Popo的科学家Carlos Valdés González解释道。 “我们在这里试图了解的是EI Popo爆发的症状。” 这些包括地震，或任何表明山体表面正在变化或扩大的迹象。 希望科学家能够警告周围地区的人们 所以他们有足够的时间疏散。 一次强烈的火山爆发可能会使2000多万人流离失所-- 如果预警足够早，他们的生命可以得到挽救。 对于居住在波波村附近的许多人来说，尤其是农民，放弃他们的土地是不可想象的。 任何在火山附近耕种的人都知道，世界上最肥沃的土壤是火山土壤。 他们在中美洲生产香蕉和咖啡，在加利福尼亚生产优质葡萄酒，在印度尼西亚生产大量大米。 今天，许多人仍然像他们的祖先一样看待波波。 根据古代的信仰，火山可以同时是神、山和人。 为了安抚EI Popo，确保降雨和丰收， 当地人开始了一系列仪式，从三月开始，到八月结束。 他们带着火山的食物和礼物，徒步上山。 在山顶附近，他们献上祭品，要求火山保护并再提供一个季节。

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