第3课

旁白 neutral

Modern alpinists try to climb mountains by a route which will give them good sport,

现代登山者尝试通过一条能给他们带来良好体验的路线攀登山脉，

旁白 neutral

and the more difficult it is, the more highly it is regarded.

越是困难，就越受推崇。

旁白 neutral

In the pioneering days however, this was not the case at all.

然而，在开创时期，情况并非如此。

旁白 neutral

The early climbers were looking for the easiest way to the top because the summit was the prize they sought,

早期登山者寻找最容易登顶的路线，因为山顶是他们追求的奖品，

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especially if it had never been attained before.

尤其是在从未有人登顶过的情况下。

旁白 neutral

It is true that during their explorations they often faced difficulties and dangers of the most perilous nature,

诚然，在他们的探险过程中，他们经常面临最危险性质的困难和危险，

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equipped in a manner which would make a modern climber shudder at the thought,

他们所装备的方式会让现代登山者不寒而栗，

旁白 neutral

but they did not go out of their way to court such excitement.

但他们并没有刻意追求这种刺激。

旁白 neutral

They had a single aim, a solitary goal -- the top!

他们只有一个目的，一个唯一的目标——顶峰！

旁白 neutral

It is hard for us to realize nowadays how difficult it was for the pioneers.

如今我们很难体会到先驱们当时所面临的困难。

旁白 neutral

Except for one or two places such as Zermatt and Chamonix, which had rapidly become popular.

除了采尔马特和霞慕尼等一两个迅速变得受欢迎的地方，

旁白 neutral

Alpine villages tended to be impoverished settlements cut off from civilization by the high mountains.

高山村庄往往是贫困的定居点，被高山与文明隔绝。

旁白 neutral

Such inns as there were were generally dirty and flea-ridden;

那些仅有的旅馆通常肮脏且跳蚤遍布；

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the food simply local cheese accompanied by bread often twelve months old,

食物只是当地的奶酪，配上通常存放了十二个月的面包，

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all washed down with coarse wine.

所有这些都用粗劣的葡萄酒冲下。

旁白 neutral

Often a valley boasted no inn at all, and climbers found shelter wherever they could --

通常一个山谷根本没有旅馆，登山者只好尽其所能寻找住处——

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sometimes with the local priest (who was usually as poor as his parishioners),

有时是和当地的牧师（他们通常和教区居民一样贫穷），

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sometimes with shepherds or cheese-makers.

有时是和牧羊人或奶酪制造者。

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Invariably the background was the same:dirt and poverty, and very uncomfortable.

背景总是相同的：肮脏和贫困，而且非常不舒服。

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For men accustomed to eating seven-course dinners and sleeping between fine linen sheets at home,

对于在家中习惯享用七道菜晚餐并睡在精细亚麻床单之间的人来说，

旁白 neutral

the change to the Alps must have been very hard indeed.

这种阿尔卑斯山的生活转变一定非常艰难。