TED演讲:特殊环境里的不同寻常的房子(9)

 But then in the apartment across the hall from this cow shed lives a newly married couple in what locals describe as one of the nicest apartments in the area. 不过从这个牛棚穿过楼道的这个公寓住着一对新婚的夫妻，这里被当地人形容为当地最好的一座公寓之一。

The attention to this detail astonished me, 公寓里对细节的注意使我震惊，

and as the owner of the home so proudly led me around this apartment, 并且当公寓的主人很自豪地让我在这个公寓里随便走动时，

from floor to ceiling, every part was decorated. 从地板到屋顶，这里的每处都经过装点。

But if it weren't for the strangely familiar stomach-churning odor that constantly passes through the apartment, 但假如不是那让人无法忍受的持续穿过公寓的让人恶心的气味，

it would be easy to forget that you are standing¹ next to a cow shed and on top of a landfill. 你会非常容易忘记你正站在牛棚的隔壁和垃圾清理厂的上方。

What moved me the most was that despite these seemingly inhospitable conditions, 让我感动的是除了那些看上去不宜居的条件，

I was welcomed with open arms into a home that was made with love, care,and unreserved passion. 我被非常热情地邀请进入一个充满爱，关怀和没有保留热情的家。

Let's move across the map to China, 让我们跨越来到中国，

to an area called Shanxi, Henan and Gansu. 来到一个叫陕西，河南和甘肃的区域。

In a region famous for the soft, porous² Loess Plateau soil, 一个以柔软松散的黄土高原黄沙而闻名的地区，

there lived until recently an estimated 40 million people in these houses underground. 最新估计那里有四千万人住在地下的房屋里。

These dwellings³ are called the yaodongs. 这种住宅称为窑洞。

Through this architecture by subtraction⁴, 通过这种往下建的建筑方式，

these yaodongs are built literally⁵ inside of the soil. 这些窑洞真的是建在土地下面。

In these villages, you see an entirely⁶ altered landscape, 在这些村子里，你可以看到完全改变了的地貌， 

and hidden behind these mounds⁷ of dirt are these square, rectangular houses which sit seven meters below the ground. 而在这些土丘背后藏着的是广场，长方形的房子坐落在地下7米的地方。

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 porous   

adj.可渗透的，多孔的

参考例句：

• He added sand to the soil to make it more porous.他往土里掺沙子以提高渗水性能。
• The shell has to be slightly porous to enable oxygen to pass in.外壳不得不有些细小的孔以便能使氧气通过。

3 dwellings   

n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The development will consist of 66 dwellings and a number of offices. 新建楼区将由66栋住房和一些办公用房组成。
• The hovels which passed for dwellings are being pulled down. 过去用作住室的陋屋正在被拆除。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 subtraction   

n.减法，减去

参考例句：

• We do addition and subtraction in arithmetic.在算术里,我们作加减运算。
• They made a subtraction of 50 dollars from my salary.他们从我的薪水里扣除了五十美元。

5 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

6 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

7 mounds   

土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆

参考例句：

• We had mounds of tasteless rice. 我们有成堆成堆的淡而无味的米饭。
• Ah! and there's the cemetery' - cemetery, he must have meant. 'You see the mounds? 啊，这就是同墓，”——我想他要说的一定是公墓，“看到那些土墩了吗？