Lesson 42 Modern cavemen 現代洞穴人

　　Cave exploration, or pot-holing, as it has come to be known, is arelatively new sport. Perhaps it is the desire for solitude or the chance ofmaking an unexpected discovery that lures people down to the depths of theearth. It is impossible to give a satisfactory explanation for a pot-holersmotives. For him, caves have the same peculiar fascination which high mountainshave for the climber. They arouse instincts which can only be dimly understood.

　　Exploring really deep caves is not a task for the Sunday afternoonrambler. Such undertakings require the precise planning and foresight ofmilitary operations. It can take as long as eight days to rig up rope laddersand to establish supply bases before a descent can be made into a very deepcave. Precautions of this sort are necessary, for it is impossible to foretellthe exact nature of the difficulties which will confront the pot-holer. Thedeepest known cave in the world is the Gouffre Berger near Grenoble. It extendsto a depth of 3,723 feet. This immense chasm has been formed by an undergroundstream which has tunneled a course through a flaw in the rocks. The entrance tothe cave is on a plateau in the Dauphine Alps. As it is only six feet across,it is barely noticeable. The cave might never have been discovered had not theentrance been spotted by the distinguished French pot-holer, Berger. Since itsdiscovery, it has become a sort of pot-holers Everest. Though anumber of descents have been made, much of it still remains to be explored.

　　A team of pot-holers recently went down the Gouffre Berger. Afterentering the narrow gap on the plateau, they climbed down the steep sides ofthe cave until they came to narrow corridor. They had to edge their way alongthis, sometimes wading across shallow streams, or swimming across deep pools.Suddenly they came to a waterfall which dropped into an underground lake at thebottom of the cave. They plunged into the lake, and after loading their gear onan inflatable rubber dinghy, let the current carry them to the other side. Toprotect themselves from the icy water, they had to wear special rubber suits.At the far end of the lake, they came to huge piles of rubble which had beenwashed up by the water. In this part of the cave, they could hear an insistentbooming sound which they found was caused by a small water-spout shooting downinto a pool from the roof of the cave. Squeezing through a cleft in the rocks,the pot-holers arrived at an enormous cavern, the size of a huge concert hall.After switching on powerful arc lights, they saw great stalagmites -- some ofthem over forty feet high -- rising up like tree-trunks to meet the stalactitessuspended from the roof. Round about, piles of limestone glistened in all thecolours of the rainbow. In the eerie silence of thecavern, the only sound that could be heard was made by water which drippedcontinuously from the high dome above them.

　　洞穴勘查或洞穴勘探是一項比較新的體育活動。尋求獨處的愿望或尋求意外發現的機會的欲望吸引人們來到地下深處。要想對洞穴探險者的動機作出滿意的解釋是不可能的。對洞穴探險者來說，洞穴有一種特殊的魅力，就像高山對登山者有特殊魅力一樣。為什么洞空能引發人的那種探險本能，人們對此只能有一種模模糊糊的理解。

　　探測非常深的洞穴不是那些在星期日下午漫步的人所能勝任的。這種活動需要有軍事行動般的周密布署和預見能力。有時需要花費整整8天時間來搭起繩梯，建立供應基地，然后才能到一個很深的洞穴里。作出這樣的準備是必要的，因為無法預見到洞穴探險者究竟會遇到什么性質的困難。世界上最深的洞穴是格里諾布爾附近的高弗.伯杰洞，深達3,723英尺。這個深邃的洞穴是由一條地下暗泉沖刷巖石中的縫隙并使之慢慢變大而形成的。此洞的洞口在丹芬阿爾卑斯山的高原上，僅6英尺寬，很難被發現。若不是法國著名洞穴探險家伯杰由于偶然的機會發現了這個洞口的話，這個洞也許不會為人所知。自從被發現以后，這個洞成了洞穴探險者的珠穆朗瑪峰，人們多次進入洞內探險，但至今尚有不少東西有待勘探。

　　最近，一隊洞穴探險者下到了高弗.伯杰洞里。他們從高原上的窄縫進去，順著筆直陡峭的洞壁往下爬。來到一條狹窄的走廊上。他們不得不側著身子往前走，有時過淺溪，有時游過深潭。突然，他們來到一道瀑布前，那瀑布奔瀉而下，注入洞底一處地下湖里。他們跳入湖中，把各種器具裝上一只充氣的橡皮艇，聽任水流將他們帶往對岸。湖水冰冷刺骨，他們必須穿上一種特制的橡皮服以保護自己。在湖的盡頭，他們見到一大堆一大堆由湖水沖刷上岸的碎石。在這兒，他們可以聽見一種連續不斷的轟鳴聲。后來他們發現這是由山洞頂部的一個小孔里噴出的水柱跌落到水潭中發出的聲音。洞穴探險者從巖石縫里擠身過去，來到一個巨大的洞里，其大小相當于一個音樂廳。他們打開強力弧光燈，看見一株株巨大的石筍，有的高達40英尺，像樹干似地向上長著，與洞頂懸掛下來的鐘乳石相接。周圍是一堆堆石灰石，像彩虹一樣閃閃發光。洞里有一種可怕的寂靜，唯一的可以聽見的聲響是高高的圓頂上不間斷地滴水的嘀嗒聲。

　　Lesson 42 Modern cavemen 現代洞穴人

　　Cave exploration, or pot-holing, as it has come to be known, is arelatively new sport. Perhaps it is the desire for solitude or the chance ofmaking an unexpected discovery that lures people down to the depths of theearth. It is impossible to give a satisfactory explanation for a pot-holersmotives. For him, caves have the same peculiar fascination which high mountainshave for the climber. They arouse instincts which can only be dimly understood.

　　Exploring really deep caves is not a task for the Sunday afternoonrambler. Such undertakings require the precise planning and foresight ofmilitary operations. It can take as long as eight days to rig up rope laddersand to establish supply bases before a descent can be made into a very deepcave. Precautions of this sort are necessary, for it is impossible to foretellthe exact nature of the difficulties which will confront the pot-holer. Thedeepest known cave in the world is the Gouffre Berger near Grenoble. It extendsto a depth of 3,723 feet. This immense chasm has been formed by an undergroundstream which has tunneled a course through a flaw in the rocks. The entrance tothe cave is on a plateau in the Dauphine Alps. As it is only six feet across,it is barely noticeable. The cave might never have been discovered had not theentrance been spotted by the distinguished French pot-holer, Berger. Since itsdiscovery, it has become a sort of pot-holers Everest. Though anumber of descents have been made, much of it still remains to be explored.

　　A team of pot-holers recently went down the Gouffre Berger. Afterentering the narrow gap on the plateau, they climbed down the steep sides ofthe cave until they came to narrow corridor. They had to edge their way alongthis, sometimes wading across shallow streams, or swimming across deep pools.Suddenly they came to a waterfall which dropped into an underground lake at thebottom of the cave. They plunged into the lake, and after loading their gear onan inflatable rubber dinghy, let the current carry them to the other side. Toprotect themselves from the icy water, they had to wear special rubber suits.At the far end of the lake, they came to huge piles of rubble which had beenwashed up by the water. In this part of the cave, they could hear an insistentbooming sound which they found was caused by a small water-spout shooting downinto a pool from the roof of the cave. Squeezing through a cleft in the rocks,the pot-holers arrived at an enormous cavern, the size of a huge concert hall.After switching on powerful arc lights, they saw great stalagmites -- some ofthem over forty feet high -- rising up like tree-trunks to meet the stalactitessuspended from the roof. Round about, piles of limestone glistened in all thecolours of the rainbow. In the eerie silence of thecavern, the only sound that could be heard was made by water which drippedcontinuously from the high dome above them.

　　洞穴勘查或洞穴勘探是一項比較新的體育活動。尋求獨處的愿望或尋求意外發現的機會的欲望吸引人們來到地下深處。要想對洞穴探險者的動機作出滿意的解釋是不可能的。對洞穴探險者來說，洞穴有一種特殊的魅力，就像高山對登山者有特殊魅力一樣。為什么洞空能引發人的那種探險本能，人們對此只能有一種模模糊糊的理解。

　　探測非常深的洞穴不是那些在星期日下午漫步的人所能勝任的。這種活動需要有軍事行動般的周密布署和預見能力。有時需要花費整整8天時間來搭起繩梯，建立供應基地，然后才能到一個很深的洞穴里。作出這樣的準備是必要的，因為無法預見到洞穴探險者究竟會遇到什么性質的困難。世界上最深的洞穴是格里諾布爾附近的高弗.伯杰洞，深達3,723英尺。這個深邃的洞穴是由一條地下暗泉沖刷巖石中的縫隙并使之慢慢變大而形成的。此洞的洞口在丹芬阿爾卑斯山的高原上，僅6英尺寬，很難被發現。若不是法國著名洞穴探險家伯杰由于偶然的機會發現了這個洞口的話，這個洞也許不會為人所知。自從被發現以后，這個洞成了洞穴探險者的珠穆朗瑪峰，人們多次進入洞內探險，但至今尚有不少東西有待勘探。

　　最近，一隊洞穴探險者下到了高弗.伯杰洞里。他們從高原上的窄縫進去，順著筆直陡峭的洞壁往下爬。來到一條狹窄的走廊上。他們不得不側著身子往前走，有時過淺溪，有時游過深潭。突然，他們來到一道瀑布前，那瀑布奔瀉而下，注入洞底一處地下湖里。他們跳入湖中，把各種器具裝上一只充氣的橡皮艇，聽任水流將他們帶往對岸。湖水冰冷刺骨，他們必須穿上一種特制的橡皮服以保護自己。在湖的盡頭，他們見到一大堆一大堆由湖水沖刷上岸的碎石。在這兒，他們可以聽見一種連續不斷的轟鳴聲。后來他們發現這是由山洞頂部的一個小孔里噴出的水柱跌落到水潭中發出的聲音。洞穴探險者從巖石縫里擠身過去，來到一個巨大的洞里，其大小相當于一個音樂廳。他們打開強力弧光燈，看見一株株巨大的石筍，有的高達40英尺，像樹干似地向上長著，與洞頂懸掛下來的鐘乳石相接。周圍是一堆堆石灰石，像彩虹一樣閃閃發光。洞里有一種可怕的寂靜，唯一的可以聽見的聲響是高高的圓頂上不間斷地滴水的嘀嗒聲。