VOA慢速英语--佛蒙特州艺术家在美国最古老的徒步旅行道上沿途作画

Rob Mullen is walking the whole length of the northeastern state of Vermont and painting what he sees along the way.

So far, Mullen has walked over 300 kilometers on the Long Trail, what Vermont calls America's oldest long-distance path. Recently, he had only five kilometers to go before he could meet his wife and father for a break and supplies.

It was raining, but he kept dry with his special clothing and equipment as he walked down the trail. The leaves on the trees were showing their autumn colors of orange and yellow. He carried walking sticks and a large blue bag on his back. Inside his bag were his painting supplies.

Mullen is a 64-year-old wildlife and wilderness¹ artist. He is in the middle of hiking the Long Trail, which stretches 440 kilometers. The path runs from Vermont's border with Canada to the Massachusetts state line. During his trip, Mullen has been making art. He paints the things he sees.

He told The Associated Press that his experience on the trail has brought him a sense of hope about the country.

"I'll be painting from this trip for a long time," he said during a recent break from walking.

Mullen has done many wilderness boat trips in Alaska and Canada in the past. This year, he had planned to boat in the Northwest Territories of Canada. But then the coronavirus pandemic hit. Canada's border remains² closed to Americans.

As a result, Mullen decided³ to walk the full length of the Long Trail. He also decided to raise money with his art. The Vermont Wildlife Coalition⁴ and the Green Mountain Club, which takes care of the Long Trail, will receive the money he earns.

Mullen was able to fulfill⁵ his plan to hike a set distance and then paint a painting on the first day on the trail. He got to a shelter at around 4 p.m., painted a piece of art, cooked a meal and went to bed, he said.

But the trail soon got difficult for him. He admitted he had not trained enough, which slowed his speed.

"I mean I was really suffering," he said. He left his painting kit⁶ with his wife temporarily, so he could carry less weight. But he did not give up. As he continued, he gained strength and got back his painting supplies. At times, he said the beauty around him took his breath away.

His wife, Bonnie Rowell, meets up with him every five days to resupply him with food.

Along the way, Mullen has met many hikers who are either walking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine or, like himself, Vermont's Long Trail. The hikers share shelters for the night or talk to each other on the trail.

"You get these ephemeral friendships," he said of the connections he made with strangers along the way. "Ephemeral" means lasting⁷ for a very short time.

The hikers take care of one another. They share equipment and help fix what is broken. When two hikers were low on fuel on a recent night, another hiker loaned⁸ them a fuel canister, Mullen said. People who are called trail angels leave water at road crossings and other places for hikers.

Mullen's month-long hike has also been a break from the political debate going on in the United States, he said. He has not heard a political discussion⁹ in weeks.

He said it gives him hope that the apparent¹⁰ disagreement "...when you're watching the news doesn't go that deeply into the populace maybe, at least not in many of them," he said. "So it was encouraging for me."

Words in This Story

pandemic – n. a contagious¹¹ illness that affects many countries

canister –n. a container with a lid that is used for keeping dry products

angel –n. a person who is very good and kind

populace –n. the people who live in a country or part of a country

encouraging –adj. causing a hopeful feeling

1 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。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

5 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

6 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

7 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

8 loaned   

v.借出，贷与（尤指钱）( loan的过去式和过去分词 )；出借（贵重物品给博物馆等）

参考例句：

• I have loaned his bicycle. 我把他的自行车给借出去了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The ground was loaned out for numerous events including pop concerts. 场地被借用来搞过无数活动，包括流行音乐会。 来自辞典例句

9 discussion   

n.讨论，谈论；论述

参考例句：

• It is certain he will come to the discussion.他肯定会来参加讨论。
• After months of discussion,a peace agreement is gradually taking shape.经过几个月的商讨，和平协议渐渐有了眉目。

10 apparent   

adj.表面上的，貌似真实的，显然的，明明白白的

参考例句：

• The apparent truth was really a lie.表面上看似实话，实际上是个谎言。
• His guilt is apparent to all.他的罪恶尽人皆知。

11 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。