江苏省响水中学高中英语美文阅读Thecoldestplaceontheearth.docx

江苏省响水中学高中英语美文阅读Thecoldestplaceontheearth.docx

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江苏省响水中学高中英语美文阅读Thecoldestplaceontheearth

江苏省响水中学高中英语美文阅读Thecoldestplaceontheearth

    Chapter1TwoShips

Theracebeganinthesummerof1910．

    OnJunelst，inLondon，ablackship，theTerraNova，wentdowntheriverThamestothesea．Thousandsofpeoplestoodbytherivertowatchit．Theywereallexcitedandhappy．

    OntheTerraNova，CaptainRobertFalconScottsmiledquietly．Itwasaveryimportantdayforhim．Hewasastrongman，notverytall，intheblueclothesofacaptain．Hewasforty-oneyearsold，buthehadayoungface，likeaboy．Hiseyesweredarkandquiet．

    Onemanontheship，TitusOates，smiledatScott．

    'Whatanexcitingday，Captain！

'hesaid．'Lookatthosepeople！

Ifeellikeanimportantman！

'

    Scottlaughed．'Youareimportant，Titus，'hesaid．'Andyou'regoingtobefamous，too．Weallare．Doyouseethisflag？

'HelookedatthebigBritishflagatthebackoftheship，andsmiledatOates．'Thatflagiscomingwithus，'hesaid．

    'IntheAntarctic，I'mgoingtocarryitundermyclothes．We'regoingtobethefirstmenattheSouthPole，andthatflagisgoingtobefirst，too！

'

    *****

    Fivedayslater，onJune6th，amanopenedthedoorofhiswoodenhouseinNorway．Hewasatallman，withalongface．Hewaitedoutsidethehouseforaminute．Everythingwasveryquiet．Hecouldseenohouses，onlymountains，trees，andwater．Itwasnearlydark．Theskywasblackoverthemountains．

    Themansmiled，andwalkedquicklyawayfromthehouse，downtothesea．Inthewater，abigwoodenshipwaitedforhim．Themangotontotheship，andtalkedandlaughedquietlywithhisfriends．

    Theship'snamewasFram，andthemanwasRoaldAmundsen．TheFramwasthemostbeautifulshiponearth，Amundsenthought．

    Hisfriendswerethebestskiersonearth，too．Oneofthem，OlavBjaaland，smiledathim．

    'NorthPole，herewecome，Captain，'hesaid．

    'Yes．'Amundsensaid．Hisfriendscouldnotseehisfaceinthedark．'FramisgoingtotheArctic．'

    EveryoneontheFramwasreadytogototheNorthPole，totheArctic．Amundsenwantedtogothere，too．Butfirsthewantedtogosouth．Hisfriendsdidn'tknowthat．

    AtmidnightonJune6th，theFrammovedquietlyawayfromAmundsen'shouse，outtosea．

Chapter2TheRace

    TheFramwenttoanislandinthesouthofNorway．Itwasaverylittleisland，withonlyonesmallwoodenhouse，twotrees—andnearlyahundreddogs．

    'Lookatthat！

'Bjaalandsaid．'It'sanislandofdogs！

Therearedogsinthewater，nearthetrees，onthehouse—dogseverywhere！

'

    Twomencameoutofthehouse．'Hassel！

Lindstrom！

'Amundsensaid．'It'sgoodtoseeyou！

Howmanydogsdoyouhaveforme？

'

    'Ninety-nine，Roald，'saidHassel．'Thebestninety-ninedogsfromGreenland．Andthey'reveryhappy！

Theydon'twork；theyjusteatandplayallday！

They'rehavingawonderfulsummerhere！

'

    'Good，good．'Amundsenlaughed．'Butthat'sfinishednow．Hey，Bjaaland！

Stoplaughing—comedownhereandhelpme．Let'sgetallthesedogsontotheship！

'

    Itwasnoteasy．Thedogswerefatandstrong，andtheydidn'twanttogoontheship．Butatlast，afterthreehours'hardwork，allninety-ninewereontheship，andtheFramwentouttoseaagain．

    Themenwerenothappy．Theweatherwasbad，thedogsweredirty，andsomeofthemenwereill．Theybegantoaskquestions．

    'Whyarewebringingdogswithus？

'askedoneman，Johansen．'We'regoingthousandsofkilometressouth，pastCapeHorn，andthennorthtoAlaska．Whynotwait，andgetdogsinAlaska？

'

    'Don'taskme，'saidhisfriend，HelmerHanssen，'Idon'tunderstandit．'

    Thementalkedforalongtime．Then，onSeptember9th，Amundsencalledevery

onetothebackoftheship．Hestoodquietlyandlookedatthem．Behindhimwasabigmap．ItwasnotamapoftheArctic．ItwasamapofAntarctica．

    BjaalandlookedatHelmerHanssen，andlaughed．ThenAmundsenbegantospeak．

    'Boys，'hesaid．'Iknowyouareunhappy．Youoftenaskmedifficultquestions，andIdon'tanswer．Well，I'mgoingtoanswerallthosequestionsnow，today．

    Webegantoworkforthisjourneytwoyearsago．Then，wewantedtobethefirstmenattheNorthPole．Butlastyear，Peary，an

American，foundtheNorthPole．SoAmericawasfirsttotheNorthPole，notNorway．We'regoingthere，butwe'retoolate．'

    'Idon'tunderstandthis，'Bjaalandthought．'WhyisAmundsentalkingabouttheNorthPole，withamapofAntarcticabehindhim？

'

    Amundsenstoppedforaminute，andlookedatallthemenslowly．Noonesaidanything．

    'WehavetogoalongwaysouthbeforewegettoAlaska，'hesaid．'VerynearAntarctica，youknow．AndCaptainScott，theEnglishman，isgoingtotheSouthPolethisyear．HewantstoputhisBritishflagthere．AnAmericanflagattheNorthPole，aBritishflagattheSouthPole．'

    Bjaalandbegantounderstand．Hestartedtosmileandcouldn'tstop．Hewaswarmandexcited．

    'Well，boys，'Amundsensaidslowly．'DowewanttheBritishtoputtheirflagattheSouthPolefirst？

Howfastcanwetravel？

Wehavealotofdogs，andsomeofthemostwonderfulskiersonearth—BjaalandhereisthebestinNorway！

SoIhaveanidea，boys．Let'sgototheSouthPole，andputtheNorwegianflagtherebeforetheBritish！

Whatdoyousay？

'

    Foraminuteortwoitwasveryquiet．Am

undsenwaited，andthemenwatchedhimandthought．ThenBjaalandlaughed．

Chapter3ThePonies

    OnOctober27th，theTerraNovaarrivedinWellington，NewZealand．WhenScottcameofftheship，anewspa-permanwalkeduptohim．

    'CaptainScott！

CaptainScott！

CanItalktoyou，please！

'hesaid．

    Scottstoppedandsmiled．'Yes，ofcourse，'hesaid．'Whatdoyouwanttoknow？

'

    'Areyougoingtowin？

'themanasked．

    'Win？

'Scottasked．'Winwhat？

'

    'WintheracetotheSouthPole，ofcourse，'thenewspapermansaid．'It'saracebetweenyouandAmundsen，now．Lookatthis！

'HegaveanewspapertoSco

tt．Scottlookedatit．Itsaid：

Scott'sfacewentwhite．'Givemethat！

'hesaid．Hetookthenewspaperandreaditcarefully．Thenewspapermanwatchedhim，andwaited．'Well，CaptainScott，'hesaidatlast．'Who'sgoingtowinthisrace？

Tellmethat！

'

    Scottlookedathimangrily．'Thisisstupid！

'hesaid．'It'snotarace！

IcameheretolearnabouttheAntarctic—I'mnotinterestedinAmundsen，orinraces！

'Thenhewalkedbackon-tohisship，withthenewspaperinhishand．

    Laterthatday，hetalkedtohismen．Hegavethemthenewspaper，andlaughed．

    'Itdoesn'tmatter，'hesaid．'We'reinfrontofAmundsen，andwehavemoremen，andmoremoney．Hehasonlyeightmen，andalotofdogs．Iknowaboutdogs—theydon'tworkintheAntarctic．Wehavesixteenmenandthenewmotorsledges—theyaremuchbetter．Andtomorrowtheponiesarecoming．Weneedponies，motorsledges，andgoodstrongBritishmen—that'sall．ForgetaboutAmundsen！

He'snotimportant！

'

    ScottaskedOatestolookaftertheponies，buthedidnotletOatesbuythem．WhenOatesfirstsawtheponies，inNewZealand，hewasveryunhappy．Mostoftheponieswereold，andsomeofthemwereill．

    'They'rebeautifulponies，Titus，'Scottsaid．'TheycomefromChina—they'rewonderfulponies！

'

    Oateslookedatthemangrily，andsaidnothing．Thenheasked：

'Whereistheirfood，Captain？

'

    'Here！

'Scottopenedadoor．

    Oateslookedinside．Hethoughtforaminute．'Weneedmorefoodthanthis，CaptainScott！

Theseponiesaregoingtoworkinthecoldestplaceonearth—theyneedalotoffood—morethanthis！

'

    Scottsmiledquietly．'Wecan'ttakemorefoodonthisship，Titus．Wherecanweputit？

Butitdoesn'tmatter，oldboy．They'reverystrongponies，youknow．Thebestponiesonearth．'

    Laterthatnight，Oateswrotealettertohismother．TherearenineteenponiesontheTerraNovanow，hewrote．Alltheponiesareinasmallroomatthefrontoftheship．Weeatourfoodintheroomundertheponies，soourtableisoftenwetanddirty．Scottmakesalotofmistakes，Ithink，andAntarcticaisaverydangerousplace

Chapter4FoodDepots

    Thetwoships，TerraNovaandFram，arrivedinAntarctica，inJanuary1911，attheendofsummer．TheEnglishmenandtheNorwegianswantedtostayontheiceallwinter．TheywantedtobereadytogototheSouthPoleatthebeginningofthenextAntarcticsummer．

    ThedogspulledtheNorwegians'sledges．Theyranquicklyoverthesnowandpulledthebigsledgesfromtheshipontotheice．Themenranbesidethemonskis．

    Theyputabigwoodenhouseontheice．Thehousewasfulloffood，andskis，andsledges．TheycalleditFramheim．Out-sidethehouse，thedogslivedinholesunderthesnow．Whenthehousewasready，themenmadetheirfirstjourneysouth．

    Beforethewinter，theywantedtotakealotoffoodsouth，andleaveitindepots．ForthelongjourneytothePole，theyneededalotoffood，andtheycouldn'tcarryitallwiththem．OnFebruary10th，fivemen，threesledges，eighteendogs，andhalfatonoffoodleftFramheimandwentsouth．

    Itwaseasy．TheweatherwaswarmfortheAntarctic，be-tween—7°Centigradeand—17°Centigrade．Thesnowwasgood，andthedogsandskiswentfast．Theywentfiftyorsixtykilometreseveryday．Afterfourdaystheyreached80°South，andmadethefirstdepot．

    Amundsenmadehisdepotverycarefully．Itwasveryimportanttofinditagain，nextsummer．Soheputabigblackflagontop．Thenheputtenflagstotheeastofthedepot—eachflaghalfakilometrefromthenext—andtenflagstothewest．Sotherewereflagsforfivekilometrestotheleftofthedepot，andfivekilometrestotheright．

    ThentheywentbacktoFramheim，andtooksomemorefoodsouth，thistimeto82°South．

    Thistimeitwasharder．Thetemperaturewassometimes－40°Centigrade，andtherewerestrongwindswithalotofsnow．Thedogsandmenwereverytired，andthetentsandbootswerebad．Atthesecond