Ghost Towns

Ghost towns written by Kira Fried. Focus question, what is a ghost town? How does a town become a ghost town?

《鬼镇》，作者：基拉·弗里德 核心问题：什么是鬼镇？ 一座城镇是怎么变成鬼镇的？

A deserted town. Ghost towns are empty places where people once lived. People often leave these towns because of some threat or because they can no longer find work. Each town has a story to tell.

一座被遗弃的城镇。 鬼镇就是曾经有人居住、现在空无一人的地方。 人们离开这些小镇往往是因为遇到了某种威胁，或是因为他们再也找不到工作了。 每座小镇都有自己的故事。

As shown on the map above, empty towns are found around the world. Imagine what life was like for the people who lived in these places. Why do people leave these towns?

就像上方地图展示的那样，世界各地都有这类空无一人的小镇。 想象一下曾经住在这些地方的人们过着怎样的生活吧。 人们为什么要离开这些小镇呢？

Resources vanish. Sometimes people leave a town after they run out of a resource. In 1908, a diamond was found in a desert in Africa. Soon after, a new town was born. Everyone left when the diamonds became hard to find.

资源枯竭。 有时候人们会在当地的某种资源耗尽后离开小镇。 1908年，有人在非洲的一片沙漠里发现了钻石。 没过多久，一座新的小镇就诞生了。 后来钻石很难再找到了，所有人都离开了。

In the 1900s, many people hunted whales around this island. Whales became harder to find over time. Then people stopped hunting whales. People left the town. Old buildings and boats are still there.

20世纪，很多人在这座岛周边捕猎鲸鱼。 随着时间推移，鲸鱼越来越难找到了。 后来人们不再捕猎鲸鱼了。 人们就离开了这座小镇。 老旧的建筑和船只还留在原地。

Forces of nature. Some places become ghost towns because of natural events. In 1995, a volcano erupted on this Caribbean island. The capital city was almost destroyed. Over half the people who lived on the island have left. The volcano is still active today.

自然的力量。 有些地方变成鬼镇是因为自然灾害。 1995年，这座加勒比海岛屿上的火山喷发了。 首都城市几乎被完全摧毁。 岛上超过一半的居民都离开了。 直到今天，这座火山仍然处于活跃状态。