希望英语--我看世界

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二套周日19:00首播 一套周日14:00 十套12:00,19:00重播

The Blind Leading the Blind  
  There would be no resting on the paddles here, no cruising down the face of a wave. Every step of this leg of the journey will be an individual effort.

  They will cross the Owen Stanley ranges through Deniki, Alola and Templetons Crossing. After a rest day at Myola they will continue on to Efogi, Menari and then the final haul over the Imita Range to Owers Corner, their destination above Port Moresby.

  As they settled in the first camp on the bank of the Manbare River, it was already apparent, from the newly emerging aches and blisters, that the Kokoda was going to be no walk in the park.

  The Owen Stanley Range rises to over 13,000 feet. The only way over these mountains is on a slippery, perpetually sodden, virtually impenetrable jungle trail, the Kokoda Track. Crossing raging rivers, it is the natural home for malaria, dengue fever, scrub typhus and dysentery. It is swarming with leeches, fires, mosquitoes and ants.

  On the second day, the ascent of the Owen Stanley begins. The plan is to stop in Deniki for lunch and to move on to the village of Alola, where they will spend the night.

  That was really an introduction to Kokoda Track. The ground was very uneven. The rainfall from the night before had washed out all the roots. The trees are very slippery. I found it very difficult to walk, let alone the visually impaired.

  I was in a fit of trouble. The first day a blister appeared on my feet. In the kayak we had two inches of water all the time. It was being soaked constantly. The skin softened. The robbing in the kayak never helped. Now I put them in hot boots. It was so soft and still constant rubbing when you are walking. Then the blister I had.

  This slowed us down of course. That created a problem that Ched liked to keep going and keep the rhythm going. That's something difficult for me to understand, because I got my sight. But during the course of the walk, I could see how he needed to keep moving. Because stopping and starting, he would not be able to settle his mind to move in along.

  I thought once a day that if Russell's feet got cut up or bruised, we will have to figure out some way of getting into the nearest village and send out the radio message for help. But it turned out that Ched started to get cramp. So all of a sudden, the focus was drawn away from Russell. We have to sit there and figure out what we are going to do with Ched.

  We got in through to a small village where we decided to stay for the night. That was putting off, sort of like half a day behind than we were supposed to be. But I think that was also a sort of blessings in disguise. Because I was also given some time to think about what to do with Russell's situation.

  You go along. You slip on the rock. Everything is damp over there. You slip on the other side of the rock and your toes will get jammed into another rock. My toes, the underneath of my feet was cut as well, just from walking barefoot. I found when I got back, I lost seven of my ten toenails. They all fell off.

  By the evening of the third day, food rations were running low. A combination of inexperienced planning and local opportunism left the expedition with only bully beef and rice. All other food had to be acquired from villages along the way.

  Such interludes did little to lift Russell's spirits. Walking barefoot on the second day had proved a misjudgment and no matter how determined he was to keep up, he was suffering.

  In these Papua highlands, the weather can turn sour in minutes. During a single day, it can rain and shine a dozen times. And when it rains it pours. There's little escape. Tracks turn to creeks. And the wet jungle comes alive with sweet smelling beauty.

  The fifth day is a rest day. The early morning rain sets the pace for a slow start. It is the first chance to recuperate, wash clothes, try to dry out the gear and load up on the first real food for days.

  But for Russell, unfortunately more bad news. He has fallen victim to a gastric infection. He makes the effort to go on, but becomes weak, dizzy and nauseous.

  Another rest day will create even more trouble for the team. At the end of the track, a local gang problem means it's too risky for them or their transport to wait around.

  It is a tough decision, with no alternatives but to leave Russell behind to be flown out on the mail plane in a day or so.

  Leaving him, that's the worst thing that could possibly happen. He was a sort of the inspiration of doing the trip. You felt like that we are going to complete what we started, with only one of us short. We could just walk down and did what we have to do. No enthusiasm, no jokes.

  I shed tears. I don't cry often, but tears welling up. I remembered them across miles in the mountain. I was destroyed.

  Just before ANZAC Day the following year, Stuart and Russell hitched a ride on a RAAF Hercules to Port Moresby, and go back to the Kokoda Track to finish what they had started.

  You take a look at Russell and Ched. And they've literally brought the meaning of the term inside home to you. You know I could be a crowd in the street, standing back in civilization, so-called civilization. And I look around. I wonder to myself that who really is blind.


盲区

  在这里, 他们不能靠在桨上休息, 也不可能随着波浪轻轻落下。在这一部分的冒险里,每一步都得靠自己。

  要越过Owen Stanley山脉,他们将经过Deniki、Alola、Templetons Crossing,然后在Myola休息一天。接着经过Efogi、Menari,最后越过Imita山地到达位于Moresby港口上游的终点,Owers Corner。

  他们先在Mambare河边扎营住下。新添的疼痛和刚磨出的水泡证明,Kokoda山径显然不是公园小路。

  Owen Stanley山脉高达13000多英尺。越过山脉的唯一路径,是永远泥泞湿滑、人际罕至的丛林小径--Kokoda山径。这条山径很多地方被大河隔断。这里流行疟疾、登革热、羌虫病和痢疾,到处都是水蛭、苍蝇、蚊子和蚂蚁。

  第二天他们开始翻越Owen Stanley山脉。他们计划在Deniki吃午饭,然后到Alola村过夜。

  (同期)那天让我们见识了什么是Kokoda山径。路面起伏不平,前夜雨水的冲刷让树根露出来,树干湿滑,我觉得路特别难走,更别说盲人了。

  (同期)我的境况有些糟糕,第一天我的脚上就起了水泡。因为独木舟里总有两英尺积水,脚一直泡在里面,皮肤被泡软了,按摩也没用。现在我们穿的靴子里又很热,靴子不停地摩擦跑软的皮肤,所以脚上就起了水泡。

  (同期)毫无疑问,我们放慢了速度。于是产生了一个问题,Ched喜欢不停地并保持稳定的节奏,我很难理解他为什么要这样做,因为我有正常的视力。他之所以需要不停地走,是因为停停走走,他就弄不清大致的方向了。

  (同期)有一天我想,如果Russell的脚被划破或肿了,我们就得想想办法,比如去最近的村子用无线电讯号求助。但后来,Ched开始抽搐。突然间,大家暂时不再关注Russell。我们坐了下来,考虑该怎样照顾Ched。

  (同期)我们到了一个小村庄,决定在那里过夜。这其实耽误了行程,行程会比预计的晚半天。但这也未尝不是一件好事,我们可以有足够的时间考虑如何处理Russell的情况。

  (同期)一路走着山路,总会在山岩上滑倒,那里总是很潮。在这块岩石上滑倒,脚趾就嵌入另一块岩石的缝中。我的脚趾、脚底板都被割破了,因为后来我是脱了靴子赤脚走的。回来以后我发现我七个脚趾的指甲都脱落了。

  第三天晚上食品开始不够吃了,原因包括:制定计划时缺乏经验,以及当地人随遇而安的个性。结果,食物只剩牛肉罐头和大米。他们必须从沿途村庄获得食物。

  这样的小插曲并不能让Russell打起精神。第二天赤脚走路是错误的决定,无论他走下去的决心有多大,他的确非常痛苦。

  在巴布亚新几内亚的高原地区,天气瞬间就会变糟。一天之内,晴雨的交替可达数十次,一旦下雨就是瓢泼大雨。没有躲雨的地方,山径变成溪流,湿漉漉的雨林充满甜香,恢复了它的美丽。

  第五天是休息日,清晨阳光和煦,这一天的节奏缓慢悠闲。他们终于可以稍作调整,洗洗衣服,晒干携带的工具,准备比较好的食物储存。

  但是Russell的情况却越来越糟,他已经患上胃炎。他想尽力继续走下去,但他很虚弱,头昏伴有呕吐。

  他们又休息了一天,但更多的坏消息传来了。山径那头,当地有人在滋事。继续耽搁下去很危险。

  他们难以做出决定,但他们别无选择,只能留下Russell,让他等着乘邮政飞机返回。

  (同期)把他独自留下,这简直太糟糕了,他是这次的冒险的灵魂人物;我们只是去走完剩下的路,我们的团队少了一个人。我们只是继续走,不再有热情,不再互相开玩笑。

  (同期)我哭了,通常我是不哭的,但那一刻眼泪涌了上来。我还记得那样的场景,我看着他们在山径上走远。当时我真是无法承受这一切。

  第二年澳新将士节的前一天,Stuart和Russell搭乘澳大利亚皇家空军的大力神飞机去Moresby港口,他们要回到Kokoda山径完成他们未竟的心愿。

  (同期)看看Russell和Ched,他们能让你真正了解内心的力量。在街市里,我可能面对文明感到惊恐,那些所谓的文明;我在街市里茫然四顾,我问自己,"谁才是真正的盲人?"





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