E70 滟滪大如马，瞿塘不可下

E70 滟滪大如马，瞿塘不可下

课程导读

上节课我们讲到，“长江三峡，无人不知其风光壮丽，但对旅客而言，则是险象环生”。对苏东坡一行而言，这趟出川旅程的惊险之处，正是从瞿塘峡开始。今天这节课，我们将走进惊涛骇浪的峡口，一睹大自然的壮阔。“滟滪大如马，瞿塘不可下”，这句谚语说的是什么意思？在奇妙的自然界中，三峡正好是奇谈异闻滋生之处，这里又有什么山间奇事呢？

英文原文

The thrills and dangers began at Chutang, conveniently indicated by a group of rocks which sometimes stood up thirty feet above water and sometimes were partly submerged, as the water rose and fell according to the seasons.

It was winter, a difficult time for navigation.

Because of the narrow passage, the difference in the level between the summer floodtime and the dry winter could be as much as a hundred feet.

The boatmen usually watched the level of the water at this group of rocks in the middle of the river.

These rocks, called Yenyu, took their name from the appearance of swirling waters which, breaking against them, formed spray like the misty, tremulous hair of women.

When completely submerged, they formed a vortex even more dangerous for the sailors.

There was a local proverb, "When Yenyu appears like a horse, down the Chutang do not pass; when Yenyu becomes an elephant, up the Chutang do not ascend."

But the saying really did not help much because of the varying nature of the river bed; it was desirable at one place for the water to be low, and at others to be high, all depending on the height of the hidden rocks under the water.

At a certain point, if there was a sudden storm, the boatmen would wait for days for the water to recede to its safe level before they proceeded.

Still, through these gorges people went and were willing to risk their lives for money or for fame, as the Su brothers were doing now.

All a traveler could do was to confide the care of his soul to God, because there was nothing else he could do about it.

People usually offered a prayer at the beginning of the gorges and another prayer of thanks at the end, in whichever direction they were traveling, and consequently the gods at the more dangerous sections of the voyage were always well provided with wine and beef.

One of Nature's wonders, the gorges provided the proper setting for strange tales and legends of fairies living on the mountaintops.

Just before coming to the entrance to the Chutang Gorge, there was the "Spring of the Holy Mother."

This was a small crevice in the rock on the bank, responsive to the sound of human voices.

Whenever a traveler went up to this crevice and shouted loud enough, "I am thirsty!" the spring would give forth water to the amount of exactly one cup and then stop.

A man who wanted a second cup had to shout again.