牛津書蟲系列 世界上最冷的地方 04 Food depots

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　　The two ships，Terra Nova and fram，arrived in Antarctica，in January 1911，at the end of summer.The Englishmen and the Norwegians wanted to stay on the ice all winter.They wanted to be ready to go to the South Pole at the beglnning of the next Antarctic summer.

　　The dogs pulled the Norwegians'sledges.They ran quickly over the snow and pulled the big sledges from the ship onto the ice.The men ran beside them on skis.

　　They put a big wooden house on the ice.The house was full of food，and skis，and sledges.They called it Framheim.Out-side the house，the dogs lived in holes under the snow.When the house was ready，the men made their first journey south.

　　Before the winter，they wanted to take a lot of food south，and leave it in depots.For the long journey to the Pole，they needed a lot of food，and they couldn't carry it all with them.On February 10th，five men，three sledges，eighteen dogs，and half a tonne of food left Framheim and went south.

　　It was easy.The weather was warm for the Antarctic，be-tween—7°Centigrade and—17°Centigrade.The snow was good，and the dogs and skis went fast.They went fifty or sixty kilometres every day.After four days they reached 80°South，and made the first depot.

　　Amundsen made his depot very carefully.It was very im-portant to find it again，next summer.So he put a big black flag on top.Then he put ten flags to the east of the depot—each flag half a kilometre from the next—and ten flags to the west.So there were flags for five kilometres to the left of the depot，and five kilometres to the right.

　　Then they went back to Framheim，and took some more food south，this time to 82°South.

　　This time it was harder.The temperature was sometimes -40°Centigrade，and there were strong winds with a lot of snow.The dogs and men were very tired，and the tents and boots were bad.At the second depot，they put out sixty flags，to help them find it again.

　　They came back to Framheim on March 23rd.It was nearly winter in the Antarctic.Their ship Fram was far away now，near South America.They were alone on the ice.

　　* * * * *

　　Oates went with Scott to make the first British depot.They left Cape Evans on January 25th.There were thirteen men，eight ponies，and twenty-six dogs.The dogs were faster than the ponies—they ran quickly over the top of the snow，but the ponies'feet went through it.Every morning the ponies started first，and the dogs started two hours later，because they ran faster.At night，the dogs made warm holes under the snow，but the ponies stood on top of the snow.It was -20°Centigrade.

　　After fifteen days Oates talked to Scott.There was a strong wind，and the two men's faces were white with snow.

　　'Three of these ponies are ill，Captain，'Oates said.'They can't go on.'

　　'Don't be stupid，Oates，'Scott answered.'They're good strong animals—the best ponies on earth.'

　　'Not these three，'Oates said.'They're ill，and unhappy，and now they can't walk.Let's kill them，and leave the meat here，in the snow.We can eat it，or the dogs can.'

　　'Of course not!'Scott said angrily.'These ponies are our friends，they work hard for us.I don't kill my friends!'

　　Three days later，two of the ponies were dead.

　　Scott's men were slower than Amundsen's;it took them twenty-four days to get to 80°South.They made a big depot there，and put one large black flag on top of it.Then they went back to Cape Evans.

　　Their camp was on an island in the ice，and the sea ice moved sometimes.There were holes in the ice，and black sea water under it.One day seven ponies went through the ice into the sea，and died.One motor sledge also went into the sea.

　　4 食品貯藏屋

　　兩艘船，特若·諾瓦號與弗雷門號都抵達(dá)南極洲，時間為1911年1月，夏末。英國人與挪威人均想在這冰封的天地里度過整個冬天。他們都想做好準(zhǔn)備工作，以求這兒第二年夏天剛開始時能向南極進(jìn)軍。

　　群狗拉著挪威人的雪橇，在雪地上高速奔跑，將從船上卸下來的大雪橇拉到了冰封世界。眾人踩著滑雪板滑行在一旁。

　　他們在冰封世界上建起一座大木屋。屋子里堆滿了食品、滑雪板以及雪橇。他們將這木屋稱作弗雷門海姆。木屋外，群狗住在雪下挖出的狗洞里。當(dāng)木屋準(zhǔn)備就緒時，他們開始了首次南行征途。

　　在冬天來臨之前，他們打算向南方運(yùn)出許多食物，并將食物放到各個貯藏屋里。因?yàn)樵诒几澳蠘O的漫長旅程中，他們需要許多食物。他們不可能隨身帶著所有的食物!2月10日，5個人、3輛雪橇、18條狗、以及半噸食物離開了弗雷門海姆，向南而去。

　　事情進(jìn)行得頗為順利。此時的南極氣候相對來說還算暖和，介于-7℃與-17℃之間。雪地質(zhì)量不錯，狗與雪橇都跑得不慢，每天能走五六十公里。4天之后，他們到達(dá)南緯80°的地方，建立了第一個貯藏屋。

　　阿蒙森非常精心地修建他的貯藏屋。明年夏天需要再度找到它，這點(diǎn)特別重要。所以，他在貯藏屋頂上插上一面黑旗。隨后他在貯藏屋的東邊插上10面旗幟：每半公里插一面;在貯藏屋西邊也插上10面旗幟。所以，從貯藏屋向左延伸5公里，見得著旗幟;向右延伸5公里，也看得見旗幟。

　　隨后，他們返回弗雷門海姆，帶上更多的食品后，再度南行。這次抵達(dá)了南緯82°的地方。

　　這次旅程辛苦多了。溫度有時低達(dá)-40℃。寒風(fēng)凜冽，雪花漫天。人困狗乏，帳篷與靴子也不頂事了。在第二個貯藏屋附近，他們插了60面旗，目的是幫助他們能再次找到它。

　　他們再度回到弗雷門海姆時，已是3月23日。這時南極時近冬天。他們的弗雷門號船早已遠(yuǎn)駛而去，現(xiàn)在到了南美洲附近。只有他們孤獨(dú)地留在冰封的天地里。

　　* * * * *

　　奧茨跟隨斯科特，前往修建第一座英國人的貯藏屋。他們于1月25日離開了開普埃文斯。一行13人、8匹小馬、26條狗。這些狗比小馬要快：它們能夠在雪地上快速地奔跑，但是馬腿卻要陷進(jìn)雪里。每天早晨，都是小馬首先出發(fā)。2小時后，狗兒們才上路，因?yàn)樗鼈儽寂芩俣瓤煨?。夜里，狗躲進(jìn)挖在雪下面的溫暖的洞里，但是小馬只能站在雪地上，承受著-20℃的氣溫。

　　15天后，奧茨向斯科特請示。當(dāng)時強(qiáng)勁的寒風(fēng)刮起，兩人臉上都沾上一層白雪。

　　“隊(duì)長，有3匹小馬病了，”奧茨說，“走不動了。”

　　“別犯傻了，奧茨，”斯科特回答說，“它們都是強(qiáng)壯的好畜牲，地球上最好的小馬。”

　　“這3匹不是，”奧茨說，“它們病歪歪的，無精打采。現(xiàn)在它們根本無法走路。殺了它們吧，將肉留在這兒的雪里。要么我們吃，要么讓狗吃。”

　　“絕對不行!”斯科特生氣地說，“這些小馬是我們的朋友，它們拼命地為我們干活兒。我可不想殺掉自己的朋友!”

　　3天后，其中有2匹小馬死了。

　　斯科特的人比阿蒙森的人動作慢。他們花了24天才抵達(dá)南緯80”地區(qū)。他們在那兒修建了一個大貯藏屋，在棚頂上插了一面大黑旗。然后，他們返回開普埃文斯。

　　他們的營地構(gòu)筑在冰島上，海冰有時還會移動。冰層中還有些空洞，可以看到冰下的黑色海水。一天，7頭小馬從冰窟中掉進(jìn)海里，死了。還有一輛機(jī)動雪橇也掉進(jìn)了海里。