美国大峡谷是世界著名的自然景观。近年来，越来越多的商业开发使大峡谷的自然风貌受到严重威胁。在这种情况下，对于大峡谷的保护显得尤为重要。
To preserve the Grand Canyon
by Katia Hetter
One of the seven natural wonders of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Grand Canyon is one of the most photographed landscapes in the world.
wonder /ˈwʌndə(r)/ n. 奇观
UNESCO /juːˈneskəʊ/ n. 联合国教科文组织
heritage /ˈherɪtɪdʒ/ n. 文化遗产
grand /ɡrænd/ adj. 壮丽的、宏大的
canyon /ˈkænjən/ n. 峡谷
photograph /ˈfəʊtəɡrɑːf/ v. 拍照
landscape /ˈlændskeɪp/ n. 风景、景色
It is about five or six million years old, but rocks at the canyon bottom date back about 2 billion years. Human artifacts have been found dating back nearly 12,000 years to the Paleo-Indian period, and it's been continuously occupied into the present day.
date back 追溯
billion /ˈbɪljən/ n. 十亿
artifact /ˈɑːtəfækt/ n. 手工制品
Paleo-Indians 古印第安人
continuously /kənˈtɪnjuəsli/ adv. 不间断地（由continuous加后缀-ly变成副词）
occupy /ˈɒkjupaɪ/ v. 占据、占领
Given that illustrious history, Pete McBride, an adventure filmmaker, photographer and writer, was surprised to hear that the canyon faces multiple threats. They come from increased helicopter flights, a proposed tram to the canyon floor and proposed tourist developments.
given /ˈɡɪv(ə)n/ prep. 考虑到
illustrious /ɪˈlʌstriəs/ adj. 辉煌的、显赫的
adventure /ədˈventʃə(r)/ n. 冒险
face /feɪs/ v. 面对、面临
multiple /ˈmʌltɪp(ə)l/ adj. 多个的、多重的
threat /θret/ n. 威胁
helicopter /ˈhelɪˌkɒptə(r)/ n. 直升飞机
propose /prəˈpəʊz/ v. 提议
tram /træm/ n. 有轨电车
development /dɪˈveləpmənt/ n. 房地产开发（由develop加后缀-ment变成名词）
So McBride decided to hike the length of the canyon, a 1,200-kilometer journey, in order to draw attention to the magnificent natural wonder. The hike would include an elevation gain and loss of around 30,000 vertical meters, unstable rock and temperatures fluctuating from -13 to 47 degrees Celsius.
hike /haɪk/ v./n. 徒步旅行
magnificent /mæɡˈnɪfɪs(ə)nt/ adj. 宏伟的、壮丽的
elevation /ˌelɪˈveɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 海拔高度
gain /ɡeɪn/ n. 增量
loss /lɒs/ n. 失去、减少
vertical /ˈvɜːtɪk(ə)l/ adj. 垂直的、竖直的
unstable /ʌnˈsteɪb(ə)l/ adj. 不稳定的、不牢固的（由stable加上表示否定的前缀un-）
fluctuate /ˈflʌktʃueɪt/ v. 上下波动
Celsius /ˈselsiəs/ n. 摄氏
"I figured it'd be challenging, but I've done a lot in the backcountry and wilderness and I figured it couldn't be that hard," he says. "Oh, how wrong I was."
figure /ˈfɪɡə(r)/ v. 认为（某事将发生）
challenging /ˈtʃælɪndʒɪŋ/ adj. 有挑战性的、有难度的
backcountry /ˈbækkʌntri/ n. 边远地区（尤其指山区）
wilderness /ˈwɪldənəs/ n. 荒野
In October 2015, McBride and his friend, writer Kevin Fedarko, started a hiking trip that involved hiking the canyon in two- to three-week stints, often bringing more experienced Grand Canyon hikers along, traveling about 24 kilometers per day and 240-320 kilometers per trip. They skipped hiking during the deadly hot summer months and finished up their last two-week stint in late October of 2016.
stint /stɪnt/ n. 专门做某事的时间段
hiker /ˈhaɪkə(r)/ n. 徒步旅行者（由hike加上表示人的后缀-er）
skip /skɪp/ v. 跳过、略过
deadly /ˈdedli/ adv. 极其、非常
finish up 完成
"There's no trail for 70 to 80 percent of it, so you have to find your way and you have to learn how to find water. You have to make sure you don't get pinned up on a cliff, just kind of figure out how to stay alive," McBride said. "It's a great lesson in humility and self-sufficiency and getting back in tune with our natural world."
trail /treɪl/ n. 小路
make sure 确保
pin /pɪn/ v. 使不能动弹
cliff /klɪf/ n. 峭壁
kind of 有点、在某种程度上
figure out 设法解决
humility /hjuːˈmɪləti/ n. 谦卑、不自大
self-sufficiency /ˌselfsəˈfɪʃ(ə)nsi/ n. 自给自足、自力更生
in tune 和谐、协调
McBride went through eight pairs of shoes, hiked through four sprained ankles, two broken fingers, a case of hyponatremia（低钠血症）, lost two girlfriends and even threw his heart out of rhythm, requiring heart surgery.
sprain /spreɪn/ v. 扭伤（关节）
ankle /ˈæŋk(ə)l/ n. 脚踝
case /keɪs/ n. 一例（疾病）
rhythm /ˈrɪð(ə)m/ n. 节奏、节律（这里out of rhythm指心率不齐）
surgery /ˈsɜːdʒ(ə)ri/ n. 手术
The lessons he learned, the wisdom he gained, the humility he earned – all of that, plus a careful selection of his images, were more than enough to fill a book.
wisdom /ˈwɪzdəm/ n. 智慧
selection /sɪˈlekʃ(ə)n/ n. 选集（由select加后缀-ion变成名词）
image /ˈɪmɪdʒ/ n. 图片、照片
If you take some time to listen to the sounds of the canyon, quietly, McBride says it may change you. "The silence of this natural wonder starkly contrasts with the noise we make everywhere else, and the canyon invites us to carry some of that silence within ourselves as we return to the world beyond the rims," writes McBride.
starkly /ˈstɑːkli/ adv. 明显地、清楚地
contrast /kənˈtrɑːst/ with 跟…完全不同
rim /rɪm/ n. 圆角、圆边
"After spending so many months drenched in the silence and magic of the seventh natural wonder of the world, I know there is only one place that looks and sounds like this."
drench /drentʃ/ v. 弄湿、使湿透（引申为沉浸在…之中）
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