荒野遇獅記：我偉大的逃亡

江西南昌經濟技術開發區桑海中學 馮杏莉

Jntroduction

茫茫的荒野、干旱的燥熱、壞掉的引擎，又遇到了猛獅。山重水復疑無路，柳暗花明又一村。它們，正是構成我在南非的偉大逃亡的重要部分。

體裁 游記 文章詞數 2 8 3 難度指數 ★★題材 人與自然 建議用時 5′

I used to live in South Africa and recently went back to Botswana to visit the Central Kalahari Game Reserve with my friend Oscar.There's nothing quite like the vast African wilderness.

Our jeep lurched（突然前傾） along the too-hot-to-touch sand.With no AC and a temperamental（喜怒無常的） engine,it was tough work.The dry heat was intense and the only break came from using our precious water for brief bucket showers.

With no suppliesavailable within the park—it was a sort of no man's land populated by the occasional cow—it's necessary to bring all your fuel,food and water with you.

We camped in small clearings.At the height of the dry season,shade was in very little supply,so we angled ourselves near an isolated,leafless tree.As the sun descended，we drove towards the watering hole a few miles away,and were reminded just why we'd chosen to spend weeks experiencing this difficult,unpleasant,and painful exercise on ourselves.A lone lion paused his lapping to acknowledge our arrival.He yawned,then carried on drinking.

That night,sleeping on the roof of the jeep,we felt his roar as much as we heard it.Those vast African skies offered the only hint that the outside world hadn't come to a standstill,where all movement or activity had stopped，as bright satellites whipped across the blackness.

In the morning we saw that the lion had walked on the road overnight,his paw prints pressed into yesterday's tyre tracks.We set off for another morning inching through the sand;another day of shifting landscapes and raw,wild beauty;another night lit by fireflies and shooting stars.

——FromReader's Digest

Reading Check

I.Decide if the following statements are true （T） or false （F）.

（ ）1.The author went to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve because it was quite different.

（ ）2.The author's trip to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve went quite smoothly.

（ ）3.There were many cows in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.

（ ）4.The lion was unfriendly to the author and his partners.

（ ）5.The lion was quiet at night.

Ⅱ.Critical thinking

Do you think the author really regrets his/her trip to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve？Why or why not？

Language Study

I.Match the words with their definitions.

Ⅱ.Using the vocabulary above,complete the sentences below.

1.As we marchedn on,the path_____________steeply into the valley.

2.He's dropped a few____________________to the boss that he'll quit if he doesn't get a promotion.

3.There's no money_____________________for an office party this year.

4.She is usually _____________________to be one of our best artists.

Ⅲ.Recommended paragraphs for recitation and appreciation

That night,sleeping on the roof of the jeep,we felt his roar as much as we heard it.Those vast African skies offered the only hint that the outside world hadn't come to a standstill,where all movement or activity had stopped，as bright satellites whipped across the blackness.

那天晚上，睡在吉普車的車頂上，我們聽到了它的咆哮聲。這廣袤的非洲天空提供的唯一的跡象表明，外面的世界并沒有陷入停滯，所有的運動或活動都停止了，當明亮的衛星在黑暗中飛舞而過時。

In the morning we saw that the lion had walked on the road overnight,his paw prints pressed into yesterday's tyre tracks.We set off for another morning inching through the sand;another day of shifting landscapes and raw,wild beauty;another night lit by fireflies and shooting stars.

早上，我們看到獅子在路上走了一夜，它的爪子印在昨天的輪胎印跡上。另一天早晨我們又出發了，在沙灘上緩慢地穿行；又是一天的風景如畫和原始野性的美麗，又是一個被螢火蟲和流星照亮的夜晚。