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LESSON 22 Greenland(I)
第二十二課 格陵蘭島（一）
Greenland is a vast island, or cluster of islands perpetually joined together by ice, forming a continent about seven times as large as the British Isles; but its exact extent is not known, as its northern limit, which lies far within the Arctic Ocean, has never been explored.
格陵蘭島是一個(gè)巨大的島嶼，還是一個(gè)永遠(yuǎn)與冰連在一起的群島，形成了一片比不列顛群島大七倍的陸地，可是，它的確切范圍還不清楚，因?yàn)楸边叺倪吔缫呀?jīng)遠(yuǎn)至北冰洋以內(nèi)，而且從未被開(kāi)發(fā)出來(lái)。
The American expedition of 1853, under the command of the celebrated Dr. Kane, reached a point on the western coast of Greenland farther north than had previously been attained. It was within six hundred miles of the North Pole. Here they discovered an immense glacier, since named the Humboldt Glacier, which, as described by Dr. Kane, rose like a solid glassy wall, three hundred feet above the level of the water! He considers this great glacier to be the northern termination of a vast ice ocean, which occupies the interior of nearly the whole of Greenland.
1853年，美國(guó)的遠(yuǎn)征隊(duì)在著名的凱恩博士指揮下，來(lái)到了格陵蘭島西海岸的一個(gè)地方，這比以前已經(jīng)到達(dá)的地方往北更遠(yuǎn)了一點(diǎn)，已經(jīng)進(jìn)入了北極圈六百英里之內(nèi)。他們?cè)谶@里發(fā)現(xiàn)了一個(gè)巨大的冰川，后來(lái)命名它為洪堡冰川，就像凱恩博士所描述的，它就像是一個(gè)高聳起來(lái)的立體玻璃幕墻，比海平面要高出三百英尺！他認(rèn)為這個(gè)巨大的冰川是大冰洋的最北邊，幾乎是整個(gè)格陵蘭島的內(nèi)陸。
Attempts were made by one of Dr. Kane's sledge parties to climb the glacier; but, though provided with apparatus, they failed in all their efforts to scale the stupendous mass. Another party, pushing northward and keeping parallel to the glacier, at a distance of about six miles from it, came in sight of a vast open sea, extending as far as the eye could reach. This sea abounded with seals, bears, and all kinds of Arctic birds. It would thus seem as if the limit of the icy barrier had been reached, and that probably round the pole itself there exists an open sea, in which animal life is abundant.
凱恩博士的雪橇團(tuán)隊(duì)中的一組人員，努力爬上了冰川，可是，盡管有輔助的設(shè)備，他們既然沒(méi)能按比例刻劃出冰川范圍。另一組向北推進(jìn)，并與冰川保持平行的隊(duì)伍，在離他們六英里的位置，看到了一片汪洋大海，目不可及。這片海里滿是無(wú)數(shù)的海豹，北極熊和各種各樣的北極鳥(niǎo)類。因此，看上去好像已經(jīng)到了冰川的邊緣，而且，北極周圍可能存在著一片公海，那里海洋動(dòng)物非常豐富。
The native inhabitants of Greenland are true Esquimaux; and from them, indeed, our earliest knowledge of the Esquimau race was obtained. The habits of these people have been made familiar to us by the accounts given to the world by Danish colonists and missionaries hundreds of years ago; and, in later times, by the Arctic explorers and whale fishers who have visited the frozen regions of the North.
格陵蘭島的原住民是真正地愛(ài)斯基摩人;事實(shí)上，我們對(duì)愛(ài)斯基摩種族的認(rèn)識(shí)和了解就是從他們身上得來(lái)的。我們對(duì)他們的生活習(xí)性非常熟悉，是因?yàn)檫@些知識(shí)都是由丹麥的殖民者和傳教士在幾百年前傳播到世界各地；后來(lái)，由北極探險(xiǎn)者和捕鯨的漁夫在冰天雪地的北極親身到訪。
They inhabit a vast territory, extending from Greenland to the shores of the Pacific; and yet the whole Esquimau race is supposed to number only about fifty thousand, or not much more than the population of such a town as Carlisle.
他們住在一片廣闊的領(lǐng)域，從格陵蘭島延伸到太平洋沿岸，可是，整個(gè)愛(ài)斯基摩種族的人口大約只有五萬(wàn)左右，也就是不超過(guò)卡萊爾鎮(zhèn)的人口數(shù)。
The average stature of the Esquimaux is far below that of European nations. The common height is little more than five feet, and an Esquimau of six feet would be a giant among his people.
愛(ài)斯基摩人的平均身高遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)低于歐洲人。他們的一般身高不過(guò)五英尺，而一個(gè)六英尺的愛(ài)斯基摩人，在他們種族里已是巨人。
