Modern Cavemen 現(xiàn)代洞穴人
Cave exploration, or potholing, as it has come to be known, is a relatively new sport. Perhaps it is the desire for solitude or the chance of making an unexpected discovery that lures men down to the depths of the earth. It is impossible to give a satisfactory explanation for a pot-holer's motives. For him, caves have the same peculiar fascination which high mountains have for the climber. They arouse instincts which can only be dimly understood. Exploring really deep caves is not a task for the Sunday afternoon rambler. Such undertakings require the precise planning and foresight of military operations. It can take as long as eight days to rig up rope ladders and to establish supply bases before a descent can be made into a very deep cave. Precautions of this sort are necessary, for it is impossible to foretell the exact nature of the difficulties which will confront the potholer. The deepest known cave in the world is the Gouffre Berger near Grenoble. It extends to a depth of 3723 feet. This immense chasm has been formed by an underground stream which has tunnelled a course through a flaw in the rocks. The entrance to the cave is on a plateau in the Dauphine Alps. As it is only six feet across, it is barely noticeable. The cave might never have been discovered had not the entrance been spotted by the distinguished French potholer, Berger. Since its discovery, it has become a sort of potholers' Everest. Though a number of descents have been made, much of it still remains to be explored. A team of potholers recently went down the Gouffre Berger. After entering the narrow gap on the plateau, they climbed down the steep sides of the cave until they came to a narrow corridor. They had to edge their way along this, sometimes wading across shallow streams, or swimming across deep pools. Suddenly they came to a waterfall which dropped into an underground lake at the bottom of the cave. They plunged into the lake, and after loading their gear on an inflatable rubber dinghy, let the current carry them to the other side. To protect themselves from the icy water, they had to wear special rubber suits. At the far end of the lake, they came to huge piles of rubble which had been washed up by the water. In this part of the cave, they could hear an insistent booming sound which they found was caused by a small water-spout shooting down into a pool from the roof of the cave. Squeezing through a cleft in the rocks, the potholers arrived at an enormous cavern, the size of a huge concert hall. After switching on powerful arc lights, they saw great stalagmites—some of them over forty feet high--rising up like tree-trunks to meet the stalactites suspended from the roof. Round about, piles of lime-stone glistened in all the colours of the rainbow. In the eerie silence of the cavern, the only sound that could be heard was made by water which dripped continuously from the high dome above them.
4.For him, caves have the same peculiar fascination which high mountains have for the climber.
對洞穴探險者來說，洞穴有一種特殊的魅力，就像高山對登山者有特殊魅力一樣。
語言點(diǎn):have fascination的意思是“具有吸引力”。
5.They arouse instincts which can only be dimly understood.
為什么洞空能引發(fā)人的那種探險本能，人們對此只能有一種模模糊糊的理解。
6.Exploring really deep caves is not a task for the Sunday afternoon rambler.
探測非常深的洞穴不是那些在星期日下午漫步的人所能勝任的。
語言點(diǎn):句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:afternoon rambler的意思是“下午的漫步者”，為含蓄陳述修辭格。
7.Such undertakings require the precise planning and foresight of military operations.
這種活動需要有軍事行動般的周密布署和預(yù)見能力。
8.It can take as long as eight days to rig up rope ladders and to establish supply bases before a descent can be made into a very deep cave.
有時需要花費(fèi)整整 8天時間來搭起繩梯，建立供應(yīng)基地，然后才能到一個很深的洞穴里。
語言點(diǎn):句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:句子的主體結(jié)構(gòu)是it can take+(time)to do sth，意思是“需要花多長時間去做某事”。
Cave exploration, or potholing, as it has come to be known, is a relatively new sport. Perhaps it is the desire for solitude or the chance of making an unexpected discovery that lures men down to the depths of the earth. It is impossible to give a satisfactory explanation for a pot-holer's motives. For him, caves have the same peculiar fascination which high mountains have for the climber. They arouse instincts which can only be dimly understood. Exploring really deep caves is not a task for the Sunday afternoon rambler. Such undertakings require the precise planning and foresight of military operations. It can take as long as eight days to rig up rope ladders and to establish supply bases before a descent can be made into a very deep cave. Precautions of this sort are necessary, for it is impossible to foretell the exact nature of the difficulties which will confront the potholer. The deepest known cave in the world is the Gouffre Berger near Grenoble. It extends to a depth of 3723 feet. This immense chasm has been formed by an underground stream which has tunnelled a course through a flaw in the rocks. The entrance to the cave is on a plateau in the Dauphine Alps. As it is only six feet across, it is barely noticeable. The cave might never have been discovered had not the entrance been spotted by the distinguished French potholer, Berger. Since its discovery, it has become a sort of potholers' Everest. Though a number of descents have been made, much of it still remains to be explored. A team of potholers recently went down the Gouffre Berger. After entering the narrow gap on the plateau, they climbed down the steep sides of the cave until they came to a narrow corridor. They had to edge their way along this, sometimes wading across shallow streams, or swimming across deep pools. Suddenly they came to a waterfall which dropped into an underground lake at the bottom of the cave. They plunged into the lake, and after loading their gear on an inflatable rubber dinghy, let the current carry them to the other side. To protect themselves from the icy water, they had to wear special rubber suits. At the far end of the lake, they came to huge piles of rubble which had been washed up by the water. In this part of the cave, they could hear an insistent booming sound which they found was caused by a small water-spout shooting down into a pool from the roof of the cave. Squeezing through a cleft in the rocks, the potholers arrived at an enormous cavern, the size of a huge concert hall. After switching on powerful arc lights, they saw great stalagmites—some of them over forty feet high--rising up like tree-trunks to meet the stalactites suspended from the roof. Round about, piles of lime-stone glistened in all the colours of the rainbow. In the eerie silence of the cavern, the only sound that could be heard was made by water which dripped continuously from the high dome above them.
4.For him, caves have the same peculiar fascination which high mountains have for the climber.
對洞穴探險者來說，洞穴有一種特殊的魅力，就像高山對登山者有特殊魅力一樣。
語言點(diǎn):have fascination的意思是“具有吸引力”。
5.They arouse instincts which can only be dimly understood.
為什么洞空能引發(fā)人的那種探險本能，人們對此只能有一種模模糊糊的理解。
6.Exploring really deep caves is not a task for the Sunday afternoon rambler.
探測非常深的洞穴不是那些在星期日下午漫步的人所能勝任的。
語言點(diǎn):句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:afternoon rambler的意思是“下午的漫步者”，為含蓄陳述修辭格。
7.Such undertakings require the precise planning and foresight of military operations.
這種活動需要有軍事行動般的周密布署和預(yù)見能力。
8.It can take as long as eight days to rig up rope ladders and to establish supply bases before a descent can be made into a very deep cave.
有時需要花費(fèi)整整 8天時間來搭起繩梯，建立供應(yīng)基地，然后才能到一個很深的洞穴里。
語言點(diǎn):句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:句子的主體結(jié)構(gòu)是it can take+(time)to do sth，意思是“需要花多長時間去做某事”。