外研社版高中英语新教材必修一Unit 6课文文本和翻译Longji Rice Terraces龙脊梯田Imagine mountains wrapped in silver water, shining in the spring sun. Summer sees the mountains turn brightgreen with growing rice. During autumn, these same mountains are gold, and in winter they are covered in sheets of white frost. These are the colours of the Longji Rice Terraces.想象一下：春日，群山被银白色的水包裹着，在阳光下闪闪发光；盛夏，佳禾吐绿，将群山染成一片青翠。秋收，满山黄金，而隆冬，它们又披上了冰霜做成的雪白毛毯。这，就是绚丽多彩的龙脊梯田。These terraces were built by the local Zhuang and Yao people, to whom Guangxi is home. Starting in the Yuan Dynasty, work on the terraces took hundreds of years, until its completion in the early Qing Dynasty. Reaching as far as the eye can see, these terraces cover tall mountains, often from the bottom to the very top.龙脊梯田的建造者是广西当地的壮族和瑶族居民。梯田从元朝开始修建，历经数百年，直到清初才完工。目之所及，梯田包裹着巍峨的高山，往往从山脚一直盘绕到山顶。So why did these people go to so much trouble to turn the entire mountains into terraces? Firstly, there are few large, flat areas of land in the region. Building the terraces therefore meant that they could increase the areas in which they could grow rice. Secondly, although the region has plenty of rain, the mountains are steep and the soil is shallow. The flat terraces catch the rainwater and prevent the soil from being washed away.为什么当地人要如此大费周章，把整片山区变成梯田呢？首先，这里缺乏大面积的平原，建造梯田意味着他们可以扩大水稻的种植面积。其次，尽管该地区雨水充沛，但山地坡度大，土层浅薄。水平的梯田能够储存雨水，防止土壤被冲走。But perhaps what is most significant is the way in which people have worked in harmony with nature to make these terraces and grow rice. The terraces are cleverly designed, with hundreds of waterways that connect with each other. During the rainy season, it is along these waterways that rainwater moves down the mountains and into the terraces. The sun heats the water and turns it into vapour.This forms clouds from which rain falls down onto the mountain terraces once again. These terraces also provide a perfect environment for birds and fish, some of which feed on insects that can harm the rice crops.1


传统的当地人来说仍然意义重大。这种知识通过家庭
代相代传，后代子孙一直沿用古老的农耕方法来维持的梯田着运作。今天，成千上万的游客慕赏名前来欣
这由人与自然创共同造的壮丽奇观wA Love of Gardening热爱园艺“If you look the right 。ay, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” These words come from the author of the book The Secret Garden, first published in 1911. At that time, only the very rich in Britain had gardens. Very soon after this, homes with gardens began to be built. This is what started the British love of gardening！Today, millions of Brits like to say that they have “green fingers”, with around half the population spending their free time gardening.“如
果欣赏的角对度了，你会发整现个世界就是一个花园。》《秘”花园密一书的作者曾这样说本这。书1911年首次
出版。在当时的英国，只有富人才拥有花园。不久之后，人们开始建造带有花园的英子。房
国人对园艺的爱热就此开始！如今，数百万的英国人喜欢说有们他“绿手指(意为，擅艺)”园长约半有一
的英国人都把空闲时间用在打理花园h。For many people in the UK, their garden is t上eir own private world. Each spring, children plant sunflowers and wait to see which one is the tallest.Expert gardeners know just the right corner for roses, and others spend hours trying to grow perfect vegetables to enter into competitions. And while many Brits like nothing better than spending their Sunday cutting the grass, some are happy just to sit under the branches of the trees and enjoy the beauty of the world around them.2
但也许最令人惊叹的还是人们与自然和谐相处建造梯田和种植水稻的方式。梯田设计巧妙，其间有数百条相互连接的水渠。在雨季，雨水会沿着这些水渠从山上流入梯田。水分经太阳蒸发成水蒸气，水蒸气形成云，而雨水又从云中再次落到山上的梯田里。这些梯田还为鸟类和鱼类提供了绝佳的栖息地，而一部分鸟和鱼又以危害水稻作物的昆虫为食。Although modern technology could help produce more crops, these terraces still mean a lot to the people for whom traditions hold much value. This knowledge is passed down through families, which means that new generations continue to use ancient methods of agriculture to maintain the terraces. Today, the Longji Rice Terraces attract thousands of visitors who come to admire this great wonder created by people and nature working together.尽管现代技术可以帮助提高农作物产量，但这些梯田对珍视


于许多英国人来说，花园的他们是秘密世界。每年春天，孩子们种下向日葵，满怀期待地看谁种的长得
最高。高明的艺园对于花园哪角个落最适合种植玫瑰了如掌指，其他人则大量时间力图种出最完美的赛蔬菜参加竞
。虽然许多英国人认为草除是周日最棒的活动人但也有的，只能要坐在树下受享周的围世界
美丽就心满意足 。But in cities, limited space has led to了people looking for new solutions. Those without outside space can rent small pieces of land on which to grow things. Today, there are over 4,000 people in London waiting for such pieces of land. One recent idea has been to turn rooftops and walls into private gardens. These gardens have helped make the cities greener and improve air quality.但在
城市里，有限的空间促使人们寻找新的解决方案。住宅部外没有空民间的可以居块租用小土地种如作物。现植
今，伦敦有四千多人在用待租等这样的土地。近期一的个理念将是屋顶和改壁墙造成私人园花
。这些花园可以帮助绿化城市，改善空气质o。As well as being good f量r the environment, gardening is also good for the soul. What other free-time activity allows you to be at one with nature and create more beautiful living things? And if you’re in any doubt about this, take a moment to reflect on this line from The Secret Garden: “Where you tend a rose... A thistle cannot grow.”除
能了境改善环，园艺还能灵化心净。还有什么其他动业活余能让你在受享自然的创同时造出美更生丽的
呢？如物果你对此有问任何疑，请停下片刻，回味一下《秘密花园》中的这句话：“玫瑰生长的土地上
没有蓟草。”3
对