VOA慢速英语2021 疫情放缓登山者计划四月份重返珠峰

The world’s tallest mountain has been closed for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

由于新冠病毒大流行，世界最高峰珠穆朗玛峰已经关闭了一年。

But Nepal’s Mount¹ Everest will be open to visitors again next month. The news pleases mountain climbers from around the world.

但是尼泊尔方向的珠穆朗玛峰将在下个月再次向游客开放。这一消息让世界各地的登山者感到高兴。

Climbing season begins in April with the start of better weather. A representative from Nepal’s department of tourism expects about 300 climbers will try to reach the top of the mountain this year.

随着天气的好转，登山季将于4月份开始。尼泊尔旅游部的一位代表估计，今年大约会有300名登山者尝试登上珠峰。

During the climbing season in 2019, a record 381 climbers attempted to reach the top of Everest.

在2019年的登山季中，有创记录的381名登山者试图登顶珠峰。

This year, if someone wants to climb the mountain, they must show a recent negative test for the virus. Visitors also must stay away from other people for a week after arriving in Nepal.

今年，如果有人想要攀登珠峰，他们必须展示近期的新冠病毒阴性证明。游客们在抵达尼泊尔之后还必须隔离一个星期。

Mountain climbing is an important part of Nepal’s economy. Eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains – including Everest – are at least partly in the South Asian country.

登山是尼泊尔经济的重要组成部分。包括珠峰在内的全球14个最高山峰有8个至少有一部分位于这个南亚国家境内。

Nepal closed its mountains in 2020 as the coronavirus spread in the country, which borders India and China. Nepal has recorded nearly 275,000 infections and just over 3,000 deaths from the virus.

随着新冠病毒在尼泊尔境内传播，这个与中国和印度接壤的国家于2020年关闭了它的山峰。尼泊尔录得了近27.5万例病例，死亡人数略高于3000例。

The virus is more controlled now that vaccinations² have started.

由于已经开始接种疫苗，新冠病毒现在得到了更好控制。

The part of Everest in China remains³ closed, so it is possible that more climbers than usual will come to Nepal.

珠峰中国方向仍处于关闭状态，因此可能会有更多登山者来尼泊尔。

Lukas Furtenbach is with Furtenbach Adventures, a California-based company that leads mountain climbing trips. He plans to bring 22 people to Nepal for climbing trips this year. Two of his groups will try to climb Everest.

卢卡斯·弗腾巴赫在富腾巴赫探险公司工作，这家总部位于加州的公司负责登山旅行。他计划今年将22人带到尼泊尔进行登山旅行。他的两个团队将尝试攀登珠峰。

He said his groups will follow COVID-19 rules such as living in a “bubble” at the start of the trip.

他称自己的团队将会遵守新冠规定，例如在行程开始时隔离。

Garrett Madison owns an adventure company called Madison Mountaineering. He plans to bring climbers from April through May.

加勒特·麦迪逊拥有一家名为麦迪逊登山的探险公司。他计划四五月份带登山者进来。

“We are not afraid of COVID, but will take precautions,” he said.

他说：“我们不怕新冠病毒，但也会采取预防措施。”

Another company, however, will stay away this season.

然而另一家公司这个登山季将停业。

Adrian Ballinger works⁴ for Alpenglow Expeditions in California.

阿德里安·巴林格就职于加利福尼亚的朝霞探险公司。

He said it is not a “responsible time” to lead trips to Nepal because of the country’s weak healthcare system.

他说，由于尼泊尔医疗体系薄弱，现在带团前往不太负责。

Ballinger added, “The last thing we want to do is put our climbers in harm’s way or create a rescue situation on the mountain if someone were to get sick that would put others in danger.”

巴林格表示：“我们最不想做的事就是把我们的登山者置于危险境地，或是在山上形成营救的局面。如果有人生病，就会把其他人置于危险当中。”

1 mount   

n.山峰，乘用马，框，衬纸；vi.增长，骑上（马）；vt.提升，爬上，装备

参考例句：

• Their debts continued to mount up.他们的债务不断增加。
• She is the first woman who steps on the top of Mount Jolmo Lungma.她是第一个登上珠穆朗玛峰的女人。

2 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。