After the Fire

旁白 neutral

Firemen had been fighting the forest fire for nearly three weeks before they could get it under control.

消防队员们同那场森林大火搏斗了将近3个星期才把火势控制住。

旁白 neutral

A short time before, great trees had covered the countryside for miles around.

不久前，大树还覆盖着周围几英里长的乡村。

旁白 neutral

Now, smoke still rose up from the warm ground over the desolate hills.

如今，烟雾依然从荒凉山丘的温暖地面上冉冉升起。

旁白 neutral

Winter was coming on and the hills threatened the surrounding villages with destruction,

冬天快到了，这些山丘威胁着周围的村庄，要将它们毁灭，

旁白 neutral

for heavy rain would not only wash away the soil but would cause serious floods as well.

因为大雨不仅会冲走泥土，还会引起严重的水灾。

旁白 neutral

When the fire had at last been put out,

大火最终被扑灭后，

旁白 neutral

the forest authorities ordered several tons of a special type of grass-seed which would grow quickly.

森林管理机构订购了几吨很快就能生长的特殊草籽。

旁白 neutral

The seed was sprayed over the ground in huge quantities by aeroplanes.

草籽由飞机大量地撒向地面。

旁白 neutral

The planes had been planting seed for nearly a month when it began to rain.

飞机撒播草籽将近一个月后，天下起了雨。

旁白 neutral

By then, however, in many places the grass had already taken root.

然而，到那时许多地方的草已经生根了。

旁白 neutral

In place of the great trees which had been growing there for centuries,

原本在那里生长了几个世纪的大树，

旁白 neutral

patches of green had begun to appear in the blackened soil.

如今在焦黑的泥土上开始出现一片片绿色。