国家地理-2008-05-11 Fighting Fire with Fire 以火攻火 保护森林

It's been protected from human impact since 1909. With three million acres, nearly a half million under water, Superior National Forest is largely unspoiled. But now the survival of this national treasure rest with those who would see some of it burned. When a massive windstorm flattened¹ nearly a half million acres of trees in July of 1999, the Forest Service knew a major wildfire was inevitable². They refer to this area simply as ‘the blowdown’, over 700 square miles of kindling³ just waiting for a spark.
 
"Yeah, we are kind of wondering why that hasn't happened, um, when it's twice as dry, twice as warm and windy and there is lightning out there. But, er, so far we just haven't had lightning in a good patch of timber to burn." On this day," just to let you know the Magnetic Rock burn is a goal."
 
The Forest Service will strike the match. "The weather forecast for today is favorable". But not before checking that conditions are just right. "Pretty consistent, mainly southwest to leave at 14:50."
 
Gusts of wind more than 15 miles per hour in the wrong direction could be disastrous⁴. And if things go wrong, if the fire gets out of control, it would be burn boss Tim Norman who's responsible. "Yeah, Tim, we're ready to launch the torch of fuel". It will come from above. The helicopter disappearing over this ridge⁵ will drop a flaming gel on the forest floor. The natural fuel there does the rest. For hours, wave after wave of air assaults rein⁶ fire from above. This is the time when all that planning to keep homeowners safe is put to the test.
 
"Before the burn, during the burn and after the burn, we're trying to look at it as many angles as we can, we're trying (to) outguess what could possibly happen and conduct it safely." In the end, a plan with promise gave way to some disappointment. No safety problems, but the Forest Service had hoped to burn 1300 acres, shifting winds and problems with the flaming gel limited the burn to just 200. But that is still a significant amount of forest to burn.
 
"How long will this area take to green up?" "Oh, it'll be green by next spring". This area now creates a much needed buffer⁷ between the blowdown and hundreds of homes and businesses on the edge of the wilderness⁸ .Burning the forest to keep a future wildfire in check. It's a huge job that's only just begun.
 
1. Superior National Forest: n.
Superior National Forest is a national forest of the United States located in the Arrowhead Region of the state of Minnesota between the U.S.-Canadian border and the north shore of Lake Superior. The area is part of the greater Boundary Waters region along the border of Minnesota and the Canadian province of Ontario, a historic and important thoroughfare in the fur trading and exploring days of British North America.
 
2. kindling: n.
Kindling is small pieces of dry wood and other materials that you use to start a fire.
 
3. gel: n.
A colloid⁹ in which the disperse¹⁰ phase has combined with the dispersion medium to produce a semisolid material, such as a jelly.
 
4. in check: idiom.
Restrained from moving or acting¹¹; under control.

1 flattened   

[医]（水）平扁的，弄平的

参考例句：

• She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
• I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。

2 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

3 kindling   

n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• There were neat piles of kindling wood against the wall. 墙边整齐地放着几堆引火柴。
• "Coal and kindling all in the shed in the backyard." “煤，劈柴，都在后院小屋里。” 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

4 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

5 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

6 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

7 buffer   

n.起缓冲作用的人(或物)，缓冲器；vt.缓冲

参考例句：

• A little money can be a useful buffer in time of need.在急需时，很少一点钱就能解燃眉之急。
• Romantic love will buffer you against life's hardships.浪漫的爱会减轻生活的艰辛。

8 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

9 colloid   

n.胶体；adj．胶体的，胶质的

参考例句：

• No colloid,surfactants or emulsifying agents are employed in the process.本法不使用胶、表面活化剂或乳化剂。
• Most colloid have a milky appearance under bright lights.多数胶体在强光照射下呈乳浊状。

10 disperse   

vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散

参考例句：

• The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
• The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。

11 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。