Ghost Towns

deserted town. In 1862, John White found gold by a creek in what is now Montana. Soon after, many people went there in hopes of finding more gold. By the next year, about 3 ,000 people lived in the nearby town. Millions of dollars worth of gold was found Once gold became hard to find, the town turned into a ghost town.

被废弃的城镇。 1862年，约翰·怀特在如今蒙大拿州的一条小溪边发现了黄金。 没过多久，很多人纷纷赶来，盼着能找到更多黄金。 到第二年，这座小镇周边已经住了约三千人。 人们挖出了价值数百万美元的黄金，等黄金越来越难开采后，这座小镇就变成了空城。

Ghost towns are places where people no longer live. As shown on the map above, these empty towns are found around the world. People often leave a town because of some threat or because they can no longer find work. Visitors imagine what life was like for the people who once called these places home.

空城就是再也没有人居住的地方。 就像上图展示的那样，世界各地都有这样空荡荡的城镇。 人们常常因为遭遇灾祸，或是找不到工作，被迫离开城镇。 游客们会忍不住想象，曾经把这里当家的人们过着怎样的生活。

Resources vanish. Many ghost towns, like the one in Montana, are left after a resource runs out. In 1908, a railroad worker found a diamond in an African desert. People moved to the area, and soon a new town was born. After diamonds became hard to find there, everyone left.

资源渐渐枯竭。 很多空城，就像蒙大拿那座，都是资源耗尽后被遗弃的。 1908年，一名铁路工人在非洲沙漠里发现了一颗钻石。 人们搬到这里，很快一座新城镇就诞生了。 等这里的钻石越来越难找到后，所有人都离开了。

An animal can also be an important resource. An island in the Atlantic Ocean is home to a haunting ghost town that was once a busy whaling port. In the 1900s, many companies on the island hunted whales. Over time, there were fewer whales around the island. Wailing companies were soon gone, and everyone left the island. Buildings, boats, and equipment can still be found in this deserted town.

动物也可能是重要的资源。 大西洋的一座岛上，有一座令人唏嘘的空城，这里曾经是繁忙的捕鲸港口。 20世纪，岛上很多公司都以捕鲸为生。 久而久之，小岛周边的鲸鱼越来越少。 捕鲸公司很快接连倒闭，所有人都离开了这座岛。 这座废弃的城镇里，至今还保留着建筑、船只和作业工具。

Forces of nature. Some places become ghost towns because of natural events. More than 10 ,000 people used to live on an island in the Caribbean Sea. A volcano on the island had not been active for many years. In 1995, the volcano erupted and it has been active ever since. The capital city was left in ruins. More than half the people who lived on the island have moved away.

大自然的力量。 有些地方因为自然灾害变成了空城。 曾经有一万多人住在加勒比海的一座小岛上。 岛上的一座火山已经休眠很多年了。 1995年，这座火山喷发了，从那之后一直处于活跃状态。 岛上的首府变成了一片废墟。 岛上超过一半的居民都搬走了。