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Pro:So we have been discussing 16th century's native American lives and today we are gonna focus on Iroquois and Hooray peoples.
教授:我們一直都在討論16世紀美洲原住民的生活，而今天我們就來討論一下Iroquois和Hooray人。
They lived in the northeastern great lakes region of North America.
他們住在北美東北地區(qū)的五大湖區(qū)。
Now, back then, their lives depended on the natural resources of the forests,
當(dāng)時他們的生活主要依賴森林中的自然資源，
especially the birch tree.
尤其是白樺樹。
The birch tree can grow in many different types of soils and it's prevalent in that area.
白樺樹可以在很多中土壤中生長并且在那個區(qū)域十分盛行，
Now can anyone here describe the birch tree?
現(xiàn)在有沒有人能描述一下白樺樹？
Stu:They are tall and white, the bark, I mean.
學(xué)生:它們很高，樹皮很白。
Pro:Yes. The birch tree has white bark, and this tough protective outer layer of the tree, this white bark, is waterproof.
教授:是的。樺樹有著白色的樹皮，這種堅硬的保護外皮是防水的，
And this waterproof quality of the bark, it made it useful for making things like cooking containers, a variety of utensils.
而這樣的特性使得白樺樹可以用作烹飪器具，各種各樣的器具。
And if you peel birch bark in the winter, we call it 'the winter bark',
而且如果你在冬天剝?nèi)グ讟鍢涞臉淦ぃ覀兘兴岸瑯淦ぁ保?/div>
another layer a tougher inner layer of the tree adheres to the bark, producing a stronger material.
另外一層更加堅硬的緊貼樹皮的樹層可以生產(chǎn)出更強更硬的材料。
So the winter bark was used for larger utensils and containers.
所以冬樹皮就可以用作更大的器具和容器。
Stu:I know people make utensils out of wood, but utensils out of tree bark?
學(xué)生:嗯，我知道人們用木頭做器具，但是用樹皮做器皿？
Pro:Well, birch bark is pliable and very easy to bend.
教授:是這樣，樺樹皮柔韌性很強極易彎曲，
The Native Americans would cut the bark and fold it into any shape they needed, then secure with cords until it dried.
美洲原住民經(jīng)常切斷樹皮并且把它們折成各種需要的形狀，然后再用繩子固定，直到徹底干燥。
They could fold the bark into many shapes.
他們能把樹皮做成千奇百怪的形狀。
Stu:So if they cooked in bowls made of birch bark, wouldn't that make the food taste funny?
學(xué)生:那么他們要是用樺樹皮做成的碗做飯，食物的味道是不是嘗起來怪怪的？
Pro:Oh, that's one of the great things of birch bark.
教授:這恰恰是樺樹皮的一大優(yōu)點。
The taste of the birch tree doesn't get transferred to the food.
樺樹皮的味道并不會浸到食物里面，
So it was perfect for cooking containers.
所以可以作為理想的炊具。
But the most important use of the bark, by far, was the canoe.
但是樹皮最重要的用途是作為獨木舟。
Since the northeastern region of North American is interconnected by many streams and waterways, water transportation by vessels like a canoe was most essential.
由于北美的東北區(qū)域處在河流航道交匯的地帶，水上運輸像獨木舟這樣的船運就顯得尤為重要。
The paths through the woods were often over-grown, so water travel was much faster.
通過樹林的小徑通常是航道，因此水運要快很多。
And here's what the Native Americans did.
美洲原住民就是這么做的，
They would peel large sheets of bark from the tree to form light-weight yet sturdy canoes.
他們削掉大塊的樹皮做成輕而堅固的獨木舟。
The bark was stretched over frames made from tree branches, stitched together and sealed with resin.
樹皮用樹枝做好的框架中進行延展，然后縫合在一起通過樹脂密封好，
You know that sticky liquid that comes out of the tree? And when it dries, it's watertight.
就是那些從樹中流出的黏黏的液體，當(dāng)它干了以后不漏水。
One great thing of these birch bark canoes was that they could carry a large amount of cargo.
這種樺樹皮獨木舟的一大優(yōu)點就是可以裝載大量的貨物。
For example, a canoe weighing about 50 pounds could carry up to nine people and 250 pounds of cargo.
比如一只50磅的木舟可以載到大約9個人加上250磅的貨物的重量。
Stu:Wow! But how far could they drive that way?
學(xué)生:太神奇了，但是這樣的話它們能走多遠？
Pro:Well like I said, the northeastern region is interconnected by rivers and streams and the ocean at the coast.
教授:嗯就像我說的，東北地區(qū)處在河流匯集區(qū)域并且臨海。
The canoes allow them to travel over a vast area that today it would take a few hours to fly over.
這些木舟使得他們可以穿越大面積區(qū)域，這樣大的區(qū)域在現(xiàn)今坐飛機都要幾個小時。
You see, the Native Americans made canoes of all types, for travel on small streams or on large open ocean waters.
你們知道，美洲原住民制作多種類型的木舟，既有可以在河中行進的又有可以在海中航行的。
For small streams, they made narrow, maneuverable boats, while a large canoe was needed for the ocean.
對于小的溪流他們會做一些窄的，操作自如的小船，而大船則用于航海。
They could travel throughout the area only occasionally having to portage, to carry the canoe over a land short distance to another nearby stream.
他們在大部分區(qū)域內(nèi)都可航行，僅僅偶爾需要陸上運輸，比如說把木舟帶到另一條附近的溪流。
And since the canoes were so light, this wasn't a difficult task.
由于木舟很輕，這并不是很困難。
Now how do you think this affected their lives?
現(xiàn)在你們想想這些會怎樣影響他們的生活。
Stu:Well if they could travel so easily over such a large area,
學(xué)生:嗯如果他們很輕易的就可以航行這么廣闊的區(qū)域，
they could trade with people from other areas which I guess would lead them to form alliances?
那么這可以使他們和其他部落的人交易并且形成聯(lián)盟？
Pro:Exactly.
教授:沒錯，
Having an efficient means of transportation, well, that helps the Iroquois to form a federation linked by natural waterways.
有了如此便利的交通運輸工具，這就使得他們可以通過自然航道形成聯(lián)盟，
And this federation expanded from what is now Southern Canada all the way south to the Dalever River.
而這樣的聯(lián)盟從加拿大南部一直到達拉瓦河。
And this efficiency of birch bark canoe also made an impression on newcomers of the area.
這樣高效的樺樹皮木舟同樣給這個區(qū)域新來的人以深刻的影響。
French traders in the 17 century modeled their well they adopted the design of Yreka's birch bark canoes,
17世紀的法國商人采取了Iroquois人的樺樹皮木舟制造了自己的船，
and they found they could travel great distances more than 15 kilometers a month.
他們發(fā)現(xiàn)這樣使得他們每月航行的距離超過了15公里。
Now besides the bark, Native Americans also used the wood of the birch tree. The young trees were used to support for loggings with the waterproof bark used as roofing.
除了樹皮，美洲原住人還使用了樺樹的木材用于蓋房而用防水的樹皮蓋屋頂。
Branches were folded into snow shoes and the Native American people were all adept to running very fast over the snow in these birch brand snow shoes which if you ever tried walking in snow shoes you know wasn't easy.
樹枝則被折疊后做成踏雪靴而且他們都可以非常嫻熟的在雪上跑得很快，如果你有機會穿上雪鞋的話就會發(fā)現(xiàn)在雪上走并不是那么簡單的事情。
