We began our trip out West on June 19,
1976, a time when millions of other American families were preparing to crowd
into the Bicentennial shrines of the East. We sized up America's 200th birthday
celebration a bit differently. Although the Republic may have been born in the
East, it had spent most of its time and energies since then moving west. So we
resolved to head in the same direction in 1976, following the old pioneer trails
and the famous rivers. Concentrating primarily on Wyoming and Montana, we would
explore such legendary mountain ranges as the Big Horns, the Bitterroots and the
Swan.
There was one problem though, I was sure our four kids -- educated
about the West through the movies -- would be disappointed. As an environmental
editor, I knew that strip mining was tearing up many scenic areas and that
clear-cutting was causing widespread damage in the mountains. I was well aware
that draining and damming were making a mess of many rivers and wetlands. The
grasslands were overgrazed and coal-burning power were befouling the air.
Wildlife was on the run everywhere and tourists were burning the national parks
into slums.
I was prepared for the worst. But how to prepare the kids?
The
answer, we decided, was to undertake our journey not just as tourists on a
holiday, but as reporters on the trail of "the real West." So all of us, from my
kids to my wife, pledged to do our homework before we left and to record on the
way everything we did, saw, hear, felt or thought.
Predictably, we did not
uncover any new truths about the West in three short weeks. But there were
plenty of surprises on that 5,200-mile journey and the biggest one was this: I
had been wrong. Some of the troubles we saw were every bit as bad as I had
dreaded. But by and large, the country was as glorious, as vast and as
overwhelmingly spectacular as those know-nothing kids had expected!
Half the
fun of going west is discovering, along the way, how much the past is still with
us. Old wives'tales. Little old farm towns shaded from the summer heat by
enormous maple trees on streets. White-haired folks reading the paper on their
farmhouse porches at sunset. Worn-out windmills standing alone in pasture… All
in all, we did not see much evidence that small-town America is vanishing as we
traveled through rural Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota. It's true that
many new homes are rising in many old cornfields. But for the most part, life in
vast areas of the American heartland remains pretty much the same as it was 30
and 40 years ago.
In the hilly farmlands of southern Wisconsin and Minnesota,
we found the fields and forests green and the creeks still flowing. The farms,
with their "eggs for sale" signs and enormous "grandma's gardens" in the front
yards, looked prosperous and secure. Not much further north, though, a drought
was threatening the land.
In South Dakota, the situation was far worse.
"Haven't seen anything like this since the dirty thirties," one farmer told us.
Even in normal times, most of South Dakota is dry. Now it was being burned to a
crisp. The water holes were dried up and we saw dead cattle lying here and there
on the treeless, rolling range. Some farmers were hauling water out to their
thirsty stock daily; others were trying to drill deep wells.
We saw two
distinctly different Wyomings. We crossed the first Wyoming between the Black
Hills and the Big Horns. Wide-open grassland, fenced and colorless, with red
rocks and sweet-smelling shrubs scattered about, it was typical of a hard-used
land. Cattle grazed on it. Oil rigs pumped on it and power lines zigzagged all
over it. Freight trains labored across it, hauling coal from strip mine to power
plant, hauling uranium and other minerals to refineries. This Wyoming, clearly,
was booming.
The other Wyoming started some miles east of Buffalo, an
unexpectedly graceful community in the foothills of the Big Horns. On one side
of town, antelope abounded by fours and fives in the hills, and yellow wild
flowers lined the roads. On the other side rose the Big Horns and nearly 10,000
feet up, Powder River Pass cut through them.
The Big Horn canons were
incredible, with four and five distinct layers of pine trees somehow clinging to
the steep, rocky walls. Far, far below, Ten Sleep Creek was a thin, white
torrent on the rampage. In some of the less wild terrain, we saw deer on the
high green hillsides and, as we climbed up toward our picnic spot, we flushed
two does and two fawns. That night, we fell asleep with the roar of Ten Sleep in
our ears.
We had picked by chance for our stopping place an area rich in
western lore. At one time, Ten Sleep -- a small village at the western base of
the Big Horns -- lay midway between two great Indian camps. In those days, the
Indians measured distances by the number of sleeps and the halfway mark between
those two camps was exactly ten sleeps.
We crossed the Continental Divide for
the first time on a cool morning, cutting through the Rockies in northwestern
Wyoming at a place called Togwatee Pass (at a height of 9,656 feet). Our van had
just leveled off and we were rounding a downhill bend when, all at once, there
they were, stretched out before us in a spectacular procession of massive white
peaks: the Tetons. My wife gasped and, behind us, the kids began to yell. In
truth, it was a startling sight—— a sight none of us will ever forget.
We had
seen mountains before, but we had never experienced anything even remotely like
that initial impact of the Tetons. It was exactly what we had in mind when we
decided to take our first trip "out West."
bicentennial a. happening once in 200 years; of a 200th
anniversary
n. 200th anniversary
shrine n. a building or place associated with sth. or sb. deeply respected
神殿，圣地
resolve vt. make up one's mind (to do sth); decide 决心；决定
trail n. a path across rough country made by the passing of people or
animals 小径，小道
legendary a. of, like or told in a legend 传奇（似）的
mountain range: a row of connected mountains 山脉
disappointed a. sad at not getting what was hoped for 失望的
environmental a. having to do with environment 环境的
environment n.
editor n. 编辑
strip mine n. a mine which is operated from the surface by removing the
overlying layers of earth 露天矿
vt. take (a mineral or ore) from a strip mine
露天开采（矿物）
scenic a. of or having to do with natural scenery 天然风景的
clear-cut vt. cut all the trees in (a given area or forest) 将……的树木砍伐光
drain vt. carry away the surface water of 排（水等）
dam n. a wall or bank built to keep back water 坝，水闸
vt. build a dam
across
mess n. staate of confusion, dirt or disorder 混乱、肮脏
wetland n. land or areas containing much soil moisture; swamp 沼泽地
grassland n. land covered with grass, esp. wild open land for cattle to
feed on 草地；牧场
overgraze vt. allow animals to graze to the point of damaging the grass
cover 在……上过度放牧
power plant 发电厂
befoul vt. make dirty 弄脏
wildlife n. animals and plants which live ad grow in natural conditions
野生动植物
tourist n. a person making a tour for pleasure 游客
slum n. (often pl.) street, alley, or building in a crowded, run-down,
dirty part of a city or town, where the poorest people live 贫民窟
undertake vt. take up (a duty, etc.); start on (work) 承担；从事
pledge vt. make a solemn promise or agreement 发誓，保证
predictably ad. as one may predict
uncover vt. remove a cover from; find out, discover 揭开……盖子；发现
know-nothing a. ignorant
n. ignoramus
shade vt. shelter from direct light or heat 荫蔽
maple n. 槭树，枫树
folk (AmE folks) n. people
worn-out a. used until no longer fit for use; very tired 破旧的；精疲力尽的
windmill n. a mill operated by the action of the wind on sails which
revolve 风车
pasture n. grassland for cattle; grass on such land 牧场；牧草
rural a. of or relating to the country, country people or life, or
agriculture 农村的
cornfield n. (AmE) 玉米田；(BrE)小麦田，谷物田
heartland n. any area or region that is the center of, or vital to , a
country 心脏地带，中心地带
hilly a. full of hills
grandma n. (informal) grandmother
secure a. safe; having no doubt, fear, or anxiety 安全的
drought n. a long period of dry weather, when there is not enough
water干旱
crisp a. dry; hard; easily broken 脆的；易碎的
n. something crisp
rolling a. rising and falling in long gentle slopes 绵延起伏的
haul vt. pull or drag with force 拖曳
stock vt. farm animals, usu. cattle 牲畜
distinctly ad. clearly
graze v. feed on growing grass (in) 吃（……的）草
rig n. 钻塔
pump vt. force (water, etc.) out by using a pump 泵
zigzag vi. go in a zigzag 弯弯曲曲地行走，蜿蜒曲折
n. a line shaped like a row of
z's
freight n. the goods carried from place by water or by land 货物
fright train n. (AmE) goods train
uranium n. 铀
refinery n. a building and apparatus for refining sth. (metals, oil, or
sugar) 精炼厂，提炼厂
boom vi. grow rapidly; develop rapidly in population and importance
迅速发展，兴盛
graceful a. (of shape or movement) pleasing to the eye 优雅的
grace n.
foothill n. a low hill at the foot of a mountain 山麓小丘
antelope n. a deer-like, fast-running animal with thin legs 羚羊
abound vi. have or exist in great numbers or quantities （物产）丰富
canyon n. a deep narrow steep-sided valley (usu. with a river flowing
through) 峡谷
distinct a. easily seen, heard, understood; plain; clearly different or
separate 明显的；不同的
pine n. 松树；松木
cling vi hold tightly; remain close 紧握着；粘着
steep a. rising or falling sharply or at a large angle 陡峭的
torrent n. a violently rushing stream of water 激流
rampage n. excited and violent behavior 横冲直撞，狂暴行径
terrain n. a stretch of land, esp. when considered in relation to its
nature 地带，地形
hillside n. the sloping side of a hill 山腰
picnic n. 野餐
roar n. a deep loud sound as of a lion, or thunder, etc. 吼叫，轰鸣
western a. of, in, from, characteristic of the west.
lore n. tradition and knowledge, esp. handed down from past times
（口头）传说
midway a.& ad. in a middle position
continental a. (typical) of a very large mass of land; (AmE) of or in the
North American continent 大陆（性）的；北美大陆的
van n. a covered motor-vehicle for carrying goods and sometimes people
客货两用车
level v. bring or come into a horizontal plane
downhill a. (sloping or going) towards the bottom of a hill
stretch v. (cause to) become wider or longer; spread out 伸延
procession n. a line of people, vehicles, etc. moving forward in an
orderly way 行列，队伍
massive a. large, heavy and solid; huge 粗大的，巨大的
gasp v. struggle for breath with open mouth, esp. because of surprise,
chock, etc. 喘息
n. catching of the breath through surprise, pain, etc.
yell v. make a loud sharp cry or shout, as of pain, excitement, etc.; say
or shout loudly
remotely ad. to a very small degree; far away 很少地，极小地；遥远地
remote a.
initial a. occurring at the beginning; first 最初的，开始的
impact n. a strong effect; the striking of one thing against another
影响；冲击
size up: form an opinion or judgment about
估计；品评
a bit: to some degree; rather 有点儿，相当
tear up： destroy completely by tearing 撕毁，毁掉
make a mess of： disorder, spoil or ruin 把……弄脏；把……弄糟
on the run: running or hurrying from place to place; in flight 奔跑着；奔逃着
do one's homework: make necessary preparations before taking part in an
important activity 作必要的准备
by and large: on the whole; in general
all in all: (informal) on the whole
here and there: scattered about; in various places 零星分散，在各处
burn to a crisp: burn black or dry 烤焦
cut through: 穿过，穿透
cling to: keep a firm hold on 紧紧抓住
be/go on the / a rampage: go about in an excited, mad and violent manner
横冲直撞
by chance: unintentionally; by accident 偶然地；意外地
at one time: formerly 从前，曾经
level off/out: move horizontally (after climbing); remain steady (after a
rise) （爬高后）水平移动；（上升后）达到平稳
stretch out: extend prolong 延伸，延续
in truth: truly; really 的确
have in mind: be considering, intend 考虑，打算
