美国国家公共电台 NPR--The golden rule of dog sledding? Don't let go of the sled

The golden rule of dog sledding? Don't let go of the sled

Transcript¹

In a cold winter, some Minnesotans embrace the season with dog sleds. A reporter learns firsthand what it's like to be in the driver's seat.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

There has not been very much snow at all here in Washington, D.C., this winter. But some parts of this country have had enough snow for dog-sledding, which was a lifelong ambition for Minnesota Public Radio's Catharine Richert. Here's her report.

(SOUNDBITE OF DOGS BARKING)

CATHARINE RICHERT, BYLINE²: Here's the first thing you need to know about dog-sledding.

DAWN LANNING: Golden rule of dog-sledding? Don't let go of the sled.

RICHERT: Repeat that, Catharine.

D LANNING: (Laughter) Don't...

RICHERT: Don't let go of the sled.

I'm heading out with Dawn Lanning, owner of HHH Ranch³. She's a dog-sledding expert near Rochester, Minn., and my guide for the day.

D LANNING: I'd like to tell you if you lose the sled, the dogs will say, oh, no, we lost them, and they'll sit down and wait for you. Does it sound like they're going to sit and wait for you, right? So hang on to the sled.

RICHERT: And as if on cue, Clyde, one of 10 dogs Lanning has for our expedition, slips out of his harness and bolts into the woods.

D LANNING: Uh-oh.

SHAWN LANNING: There goes Clyde.

D LANNING: Clyde. Clyde.

S LANNING: (Laughter) Come on, Clyde.

RICHERT: Clyde sheepishly comes back as soon as Dawn and her son Shawn (ph) call for him.

Did you tell them to do that? That was a (laughter)...

S LANNING: (Laughter) No, yeah, that was good...

RICHERT: ...Perfect illustration.

S LANNING: Yeah.

RICHERT: Clyde and I, we have something in common - we both love our jobs. If it's not clear already, Clyde and his colleagues cannot wait to get out on this dog-sledding trail. And neither can I. Since moving to Minnesota in 2009, I've always wanted to try this sport. But before we can hit the trail, Lanning wants to introduce me to the rest of the crew - like Rivet⁴.

Do you want to smell me?

D LANNING: Come here, Rivet.

RICHERT: Hi. You might smell my cats on me. That's a little weird⁵, huh?

Rivet is a good-looking dog - blond hair, part husky, part greyhound, giving him those long legs he needs to take big strides, friendly too. And his bloodline is special. He's related to dogs used by Lance Mackey.

D LANNING: He's an Iditarod legend. He actually won four Iditarods in a row.

RICHERT: Rivet is the leader of one of today's teams, a quality not all dogs have.

D LANNING: It's always good to have that confident dog for a lead dog that'll listen to you and isn't afraid to run up front. You know, it's pretty easy to chase a tail.

RICHERT: Lanning says forming teams from the 40 dogs she cares for is one of the best parts of the job.

D LANNING: I just love it when they all come together as a team.

(SOUNDBITE OF DOGS BARKING)

RICHERT: It's finally time to race. I've learned how to get on and off the sled properly. I've learned how and when to brake. I've learned that my many years of downhill skiing will pay off when I have to lean into those turns. And I've learned that you don't say mush. That's just something Hollywood made up. For this first round, I'm going to be the passenger while Lanning guides the dogs.

Oh, my God. That was so fast. Woah. It's a little bumpy⁶ (laughter).

Being in the passenger seat so low to the ground, I'm getting sprayed with snow as the dogs kick it back. And from down here, this ride feels really fast. It's like you're part of the pack. One of the things I'm struck by is how quickly things quiet down. Those howling, impatient dogs from a few minutes ago are silent now, laser focused on their run.

It's really awesome⁷ just to watch all of their legs kind of running in sync with each other, too. It's really cool from this perspective down here.

After about 10 minutes...

D LANNING: OK. You want to try driving?

RICHERT: I think so.

D LANNING: OK. Come here...

RICHERT: Oh, my gosh.

D LANNING: ...With me, girl.

RICHERT: Dawn and I carefully swap⁸ spots driving the sled, making sure one of us always has a foot on the brake.

D LANNING: Ready? Let's go. On by, on by.

RICHERT: Woo-hoo. I'm doing it.

D LANNING: On by, on by, on by.

RICHERT: What a beautiful sport. What a way to enjoy the cold with a group of beautiful animals doing what they love. It's all joy. Just don't let go of the sled.

For NPR News, I'm Catharine Richert near Rochester, Minn.

(SOUNDBITE OF COM TRUISE'S "PROPAGATION")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

4 rivet   

n.铆钉；vt.铆接，铆牢；集中(目光或注意力)

参考例句：

• They were taught how to bore rivet holes in the sides of ships.有人教他们如何在船的舷侧钻铆孔。
• The rivet heads are in good condition and without abrasion.铆钉钉头状况良好，并无过度磨损。

5 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

6 bumpy   

adj.颠簸不平的，崎岖的

参考例句：

• I think we've a bumpy road ahead of us.我觉得我们将要面临一段困难时期。
• The wide paved road degenerated into a narrow bumpy track.铺好的宽阔道路渐渐变窄，成了一条崎岖不平的小径。

7 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

8 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。