Rampageous Currents and Dangerous Shoals of Xiling Gorge

1. Rampageous Currents and Dangerous Shoals of Xiling Gorge Unit Four

2. The Xiling Gorge Military Book and Sword Gorge Ox Liver and Horse Lung Gorge Huangling Temple 中宝岛

3. The Xiling Gorge starts from the entrance of the Xiangxi River in Zigui in the west and ends at Nanjin Pass in Yichang in the east . With the total length of 66 kilometers it ranks the longest gorge in the Three Gorges . It consists of two sections , the east and the west, separated by the 31-kilometer-long Miaonan Broad Valley in the middle , where the famous Yangtze Three Gorges Project was born into the world .

4. 美丽的西陵峡 back

5. The west section includes the Military Book and Sword Gorge, the Ox Liver and Horse Lung Gorge and the Kongling Gorge. The east section includes the Shadow Play Gorge and the Yellow Cat Gorge. The Xiling gorge was noted for numerous shoals and speedy currents. Two famous shoals, Xintan Shoal and Kongling Shoal, are all in the Xiling Gorge. In history, many ships and boats sank into the roaring waves. After liberation, the channel has been harnessed after being dredged for many years .

6. Especially after the construction of the Gezhouba Hydropower Project, the history that “the Three Gorges could not be navigated at night since remote past ” ended. Now here, the winds have subsided and the waves have calmed down. Ships and boats sail on green ripples. All these appear comfortable and carefree. A cruise along this section of the Three Gorges brings the traveler to many sites of scenic and historical interest. The wondrous limestone caves dotting the peaks on both banks are enough to make him or her gasp with admiration,

7. the three biggest and most famous being the Stone Dragon Cave, the Huangsang Cave and the ‘Three Visitors’ Cave. Each with its unique features, these fantastic geological formations provide valuable material for related studies. After the water level rose to 139 meters, some stalactites in the famous scenic spots Military and Sword Gorge and Ox Liver and Horse Lung Gorge, were completely submerged into the river. Xiaozhuang Village, the ancient town built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, was taken apart and submerged too.

8. The wonderful memories seemed to be wiped off the hearts of the people of the Three Gorges. Out of Nanjin Pass at the east mouth of the Xiling Gorge, there comes Yichang. Past Yichang, the Yangtze River enters the Jianghan Plain and the source of the Chu Culture .

9. Translation: 滩险流急的西陵峡 西陵峡西起湖北秭归的香溪河口，东至湖北宜昌市的南津关，全长66公里，这是三峡中最长的一个峡。西陵峡又分为东西两个峡段，中间为长越31公里的庙南宽谷所分隔，闻名中外的长江三峡工程就在这里横空出世，西段包括兵书宝剑峡，牛肝马肺峡和崆岭峡，东段包括灯影峡和黄猫峡。 西陵峡曾以滩多水急而著称。著名的新滩和崆岭滩均在西陵峡内。历史上，许多船只在这里葬身洪涛。解放后，经过多年的整治，航道已经得到了治理，尤其是葛州坝水电工程的完工，结束了“三峡千古不夜航”的历史。今日轮船行驶在峡里风平浪静，碧波荡漾，一切显得舒坦而又轻逸。

10. 滩多水急的西陵峡，遍布着许多令人神往的游览胜地。光是那神奇莫测的石灰岩溶洞，镶珠嵌玉般点缀在两岸幽深险峻的峭壁上，就足以叫万千游人观赏不尽！其中较大而又著名的有石龙洞、黄颡洞和三游洞等。洞洞景色各异，处处别有洞天，是考察人文、地理的绝好场所。 三峡工程蓄水139米水位之后，著名景点兵书宝剑峡和牛肝马肺峡的一些象形物钟乳石已全部沉入江中，明清古镇小庄村也被拆成一片瓦砾而永沉江底，似乎要抹掉三峡人心中美好的记忆。长江冲出西陵峡东口的南津关，便是湖北的宜昌市，过宜昌市就进入了汉江平原和楚文化的发祥地。 back

11. Passage 1 Military Book and Sword Gorge

12. A folk story says that when Zhuge Liang (181---254), a statesman and strategist of the Three Kingdoms period (220---280), was traveling along the Three Gorges, he stored on a sheer cliff a military book he wrote and also a sword, hoping that some talented person in the future might be bold enough to take them for his use. Zhuge Liang

13. but another version goes that Zhuge Liang stressed commanding troops in a way suited to the actual circumstances instead of according to dogmas . Thinking that what he wrote in his book on the art of war should not be mechanically followed by the future generations , he put it away in a mountain valley . Today , the “military book ” and “sword” are found in a cliff side about five or six kilometers downriver from Xiangxi . In fact , the “book” consists of some fossilized ancient coffins and the “sword” is a rock resembling such a weapon pointing skyward !

14. The Military Book and Sword Gorge is otherwise called Granary Gorge . Opposite the “book” and “sword” is a rock cave into which dust falls through a fissure on a windy day . The accumulation looks like a heap of grain . A story says that this is where Zhuge Liang stored grain for his troops . This gorge is a narrow , four-kilometer-long strip sandwiched between Baituo and Xiaoqing shoals . A stone statue of Qu Yuan was excavated at the latter shoal in 1978 . It is a legacy from the Jiajing reign (1522---1565) of the Ming Dynasty , and is now on display in the Qu Yuan Memorial Hall of Zigui County .

15. Downstream from Xiaoqing Shoal , the tourist finds on the north bank a rock face shaped like an old man fishing with a rod . People refer to it as “Duke Jiang Fishing on a River”. ( Duke Jiang was a statesman of the Zhou Dynasty , who lived in the 11th century B.C. ) . A little distance further down lies the Moon Cave , so named because , in the high-water season , the sun shines into the cave entrance to produce a moon-like circle of light .

16. Notes: 兵书宝剑峡：兵书宝剑峡位于长江北岸，因峭壁上有一叠层次分明的岩石，看似一堆厚书，还有一根上粗下尖的石柱指向江中，酷似一把宝剑，故得名。传说这里是诸葛亮存放兵书和宝剑的地方。经过考古学家的实地考证，所谓“兵书”，实为距今二千多年的古代悬棺，各长170厘米，均由四大块木板组成，其一棺两套，三棺重叠，外漆彩绘纹装饰，棺木中出现的雕刻等均为我国考古史所罕见。它下面的“宝剑”，只不过是一块崩落的绝壁上的突出的岩块。

17. New Words: rampageous a. 暴跳的fossilize vt. 使成化石 current n. 涌流, 电流, 水流resemble vt. 象, 类似 military a. 军事的, 军用的skyward ad. 向天空地 sword n. 剑granary n. 谷仓 statesman n. 政治家fissure n. 裂缝, 分歧 strategist n. 战略家sheer n. 峻峭的

18. accumulation n. 积聚, 堆积物heap n. 堆, 大量, talented a. 有才能的narrow a. 狭窄的 version n. 译文, 版本, 翻译strip n. 条, 带 circumstance n. 环境, 境况excavate v. 挖掘, 开凿 dogma n. 教条legacy n. 遗赠(物), 遗产 mechanically ad 机械地reign n. 统治(时期)generation n. 一代, 一代人duke n. 公爵

19. Exercises: Ⅰ Answer the questions : 1.What does the folk story tell us about the Military Book and Sword Gorge ? 2.What the “book” and “sword” actually are ? 3.Why did Zhuge Liang put his book on the art of war away in a mountain valley ? 4.What did the tourists discover on the north bank downstream from Xiaoqingtan Shoal ? Key

20. Ⅱ Decide the statements true or false : 1. Zhuge Liang stored a military book written by himself and a sword in a mountain valley because he expected that they might be useful in the future . ( ) 2. The Military Book and Sword Gorge has got another name , that is Coffin Gorge . ( ) 3. The sword is a rock similar to such a weapon pointing skyward . ( ) 4. The statue of Qu Yuan was excavated in the Military Book and Sword Gorge . ( ) Key

21. III Multiple choice : 1. The Military Book and Sword Gorge has another name .That is . A. Duck Jiang fishing on a river B. Granary Gorge C. a narrow strip D. moon-like circle 2. The Military Book and Sword Gorge sandwiches . A. between Baituo and Xiaoqingtan B. from Baituo to Xiaoqingtan C. opposite the “book” and “sword” D. in the middle of the Moon Cave Key

22. 3. The stone statue of Qu Yuan is now on display in . A. the Zhou Dynasty B. the Qu Yan Memorial Hall C. Zigui County D. Granary 4. The Moon Cave has got the name for . A. an old story B. the shape C. its scene D. its pronunciation Key

23. Translation: 兵书宝剑峡 相传诸葛亮入川时，路过三峡，曾将他亲撰的一部兵书和宝剑，藏于江边难于攀登的峭壁之上，让后世有胆略的勇士去取。但也有另一种说法，诸葛亮用兵素来是因人因时因地制宜，随机应变，从不拘泥于书本。因此，为着不误后人，诸葛亮才决定将他自己所写的兵书，弃置于峡谷中，也不无道理。 今天人们从香溪顺流而下，越五、六公里，便可在江北绝壁上看到当年诸葛亮所弃置的那部“兵书”和那柄“宝剑。其实，所谓“兵书”，却是半腰岩隙中的几块匣状物体，乃是古代的岩棺葬；所谓“宝剑”，却是一柱岩石，不过乍看起来，却象一柄直插在激流中的浮雕巨剑！

24. 兵书宝剑峡又叫米仓峡。在兵书宝剑峡的斜对面，峡口悬崖下有一岩洞，刮风时尘土顺着石孔漏入岩下，好象常年堆积着的粮食，传说是诸葛亮当年屯粮的米仓。兵书宝剑峡又叫米仓峡。在兵书宝剑峡的斜对面，峡口悬崖下有一岩洞，刮风时尘土顺着石孔漏入岩下，好象常年堆积着的粮食，传说是诸葛亮当年屯粮的米仓。 兵书宝剑峡长约四公里，峡内有白沱和小青滩扼守于峡的南北两岸。1978年曾在小青滩挖出一尊屈原石像，系明嘉靖年间的遗物，现已移至秭归县屈原纪念馆。 从小青滩下行，江北岸岩壁上有石如人持杆垂钓，名“江太公钓鱼”。再下行，悬崖下近水处有月亮洞。每当水涨，太阳照射到洞口时，形如圆月。月亮洞因此而得名。 back

25. Passage 2 Ox Liver and Horse Lung Gorge

26. Two ochre rocks hang overlapping from the sheer cliff on the north bank a little distance down from Xintan Shoal . One appears like an ox liver , and the other a horse lung . Hence the name “Ox Liver and Horse Lung Gorge” for this section of the Xiling .

27. Formerly the Horse Lung had a pine tree growing on it like a soldier guarding the spot , and it serves as a sort of natural navigation aid for the boats cruising by. For centuries , these weird-shaped rocks have been a scenic sight. In the Guangxu reign (1875---1908) of the Qin Dynasty, however, the imperialistgunboatsintruding into this part of China bombarded the Horse Lung, destroying the lower half of it . Indignant at this barbarous act, Guo Moruo (1892---1978), an outstanding scholar who visited Xiling Gorge more than once, wrote in a poem :

28. The “Military Book and Sword ” remains as it is , While the “Ox Liver and Horse Lung ” condemns the invaders . The north bank here also highlights a rock in the form of a phoenix whose beak extends towards the shore . During the flood season , this mythical “bird” raises columns of waves with its prolonged beak . The spray flying meters high glistens under the sunshine like so many flowing multi-colored ribbons . Opposite the “Phoenix” is another rock of a bizarre shape lying atop a towering peak .

29. It looks like a warrior riding a horse . Hence the name “Warrior-Horse Rock” . People refer to these two rocks together , calling them “Zhang Xiao Chases the Phoenix” . Legend runs that , in ancient times , a phoenix was pecking away at the wheat crops here . A young warrior , Zhang Xiao , who was chasing the bird arrived on horse back . The bird flew to the other bank to become a green ridge , whereupon Zhang was petrified into human figure watching the “bird” from his horse .

30. Notes: 1.牛肝马肺峡：牛肝马肺峡在新滩与崆岭滩之间，又名马肝峡，全长4.5公里，千仞绝壁，隔岸相峙，大有束长江为一线之势。因峡壁上自然形成的一块形似牛肝和一块形似马肺的怪石而得名。马肺峡在清光绪二十六年（1900）年因被入侵的英国军舰轰掉了下半部，而残缺不全。三峡工程实现135米蓄水目标后，两块怪石所在的位置均淹没水下，代之而出的是更为壮观的高峡平湖景色。 2. hence: for this reason 因此，由是（主要用作书面语） e.g. He has neither ear nor voice , hence he cannot sing . The town was built on the side of a hill , hence the name Hillside .

31. New Words: ochre n. 赭石, 赭色 beak n. 鸟嘴, 喙 overlapping 重叠, 搭接mythical a. 神话的, 虚构的 hence ad. 因此, 从此 prolonged a. 延长的, 拖延的 formerly ad. 从前, 以前 spray n. 喷雾, 飞沫 navigation n. 航海, 航空, 航行 glisten v. 闪光 atop prep. 在...的顶上 cruise vi. n.巡游, 巡航 stud n. 马群 ribbon n. 缎带, 丝带, 带状物

32. imperialist a. 帝国主义的 chase vt. 追赶, 追 n. 帝国主义者 gunboat n. 炮舰, 炮艇 bombard vt. 炮轰；轰击 intrude vi. 闯入, 侵入 ridge n. 山脊, 屋脊, 山脉 peck vt. 啄食, 扔 petrify v. 石化,吓呆 highlight vt. 加亮, 使显著 condemn vt. 声讨, 谴责 indignant a. 愤怒的, 愤慨的 barbarous a. 野蛮的, 残暴的, 粗野的 whereupon ad. 于是, 因此 conj. 在……上面

33. Exercises: Ⅰ Answer the questions: 1. Where is the Ox Liver and Horse Lung Gorge ? 2. Which part of the Horse Lung was destroyed and who did it ? 3. What did Guo Morou write in his poem “Going Through Xiling Gorge”and what feelings did he show ？ Key

34. Ⅱ Decide the statements true or false: 1. The Ox Liver and Horse Lung was named for its appearance . （ ） 2. The Phoenix became a green tablet after being chaisd by Zhangxiao . （ ） 3. Zhangxiao was a brave soldier in the folk story.（ ） 4. Formerly the Horse Lung had a pine tree growing on it like a soldier guarding the spot , and people used it for a sort of natural navigation aid for the boats cruising by . ( ) Key

35. Ⅲ Multiple choice: 1. The Ox Liver and Horse Lung Gorge is in the . A. Qutang Gorge B. Wu Gorge C. Xiling Gorge D. Huangniuyan Gorge 2. The docks have been a scenic sight for centuries . A. ugly-shaped B. strange-shaped C. awful-shaped D. regular-shaped 3. Zhangxiao ran after the phoenix and after then into human figure watching the “bird” from his horse . A. become B. grew C . changed D. transfer Key

36. Translation: 牛肝马肺峡 船过新滩，下行不远，但见两岸峰峦崔嵬，悬崖突露。在千奇百怪的岩壁间，江北有两块重叠下垂的赭黄色岩石，一块形如牛肝，一块酷似马肺，这段峡谷即以“牛肝马肺”而命名。过去的“马肺”上，长有一棵古松，船在远处即可看到，俨如峡中的卫士，成为天然的航标。 多少世纪以来，这“牛肝马肺”一直悬挂在悬崖峭壁之上，供人们观赏。可是，清光绪年间，它却横遭帝国主义炮舰的轰击，造成了“马肺”下半部的残缺。“兵书宝剑存形式，牛肝马肺说寇狂”，郭沫若在《过西陵峡》的两首诗中，便满怀激愤之情，谴责了帝国主义者践踏蹂躏我国大好河山的罪行。

37. 距“牛肝马肺”上游不远处，江北有一山岭，好象一只凤凰，它一直延伸到江边的石尖，活像凤凰的嘴。每到涨水时，江水受凤凰嘴的阻力激起的水柱浪花，高达数米，在阳光照射下，五彩缤纷，如同飘动的彩带。江南岸，山峦高耸如云，遥望最高处，有一异石，如人骑骏马，名为“石人石马”，又叫“人马石”。这一山一石，人们叫做“张孝打凤”。传说昔日有一只仙凤在这里吃麦子，一个叫张孝的年轻武士骑着马追赶，来到江边，见凤凰飞过了江，变成一座绿色山岭，而张孝则化成岩石骑着马，永远高踞于峰峦之颠，监视着那只凤凰。距“牛肝马肺”上游不远处，江北有一山岭，好象一只凤凰，它一直延伸到江边的石尖，活像凤凰的嘴。每到涨水时，江水受凤凰嘴的阻力激起的水柱浪花，高达数米，在阳光照射下，五彩缤纷，如同飘动的彩带。江南岸，山峦高耸如云，遥望最高处，有一异石，如人骑骏马，名为“石人石马”，又叫“人马石”。这一山一石，人们叫做“张孝打凤”。传说昔日有一只仙凤在这里吃麦子，一个叫张孝的年轻武士骑着马追赶，来到江边，见凤凰飞过了江，变成一座绿色山岭，而张孝则化成岩石骑着马，永远高踞于峰峦之颠，监视着那只凤凰。 back

38. Passage 3 Huangling Temple

39. Several kilometers far from the Three Gorges Dam , located at the foot of the Yellow Cow Mountain at the south bank of the Yellow Cow Gorge in the Miaonan Broad Valley , there stands splendid ancient buildings with red walls and yellow titles , which was built in the earliest time in the Three Gorges --- the Huangling Temple ( the Temple of the Yellow Cow ) . This temple is said to have been built during the Spring and Autumn period ( 770---476B.C.) to memorize a divine cow that had ever helped Yu to excavate the gorges .

40. During the beginning period , the Huangling Temple was very magnificent . Then it was destroyed in several wars . After bring rebuilt several times , it was not as magnificent as before , but it is the largest scale of ancient buildings in the Three Gorges , of which , only the hall of Yu and the Wuhou Shrine rebuilt in 1618 , were preserved . During the Three Kingdoms Zhuge Liang passed the temple , leading his troops on their way to Shu and saw it on the verge of collapse . He stopped , took charge of the renovation , and wrote the essay “ Yellow Cow Temple Notes ”,

41. which was later inscribed on a stone tablet standing out of the hall now . One paragraph said : “ From ancient times the legend has been passed down that a holy cow helped Yu gore the mountain to fight against flood . It took them nine years to finish the construction . I believe it was true .” But Ouyang Xiu , a talented writer in Song Dynasty only believed that Yu dug up a mountain and did not believe in the story of the holy Yellow Cow. When he was head of Yiling Cuonty ( Yichang ) , he changed the Huangniu Temple into Huangling Temple .

42. Since ancient times , the temple has attracted many literary men because of its exquisite construction and attractive legends. The hall of King Da Yu is very splendid with zigzag arches and sticking-up eaves. Two big wooden plaques hang over the entrance to the hall .

43. One bearing the inscription “Di Ding Jiang Nan (Pacifying the Turbulent Waves)” written by Empress Dowager Cixi (1835--1908)of the Qing Dynasty and the other one inscribed with four characters meaning “ Illustrious Feat Remembered Through the Ages ” written by a certain Hui Wang . Behind and in front of the temple , mountains and waters are unique and breathtaking . There is an old popular ballad : “ In the morning you start from the bull place and in the evening you still stay in the bull place .

44. Three days and nights you look the bull is the same”. It expresses that the way of traveling is hard everywhere in this area . There are many steles with good hydrology records of the Three Gorges in the past . One of them was about a flood happened in the ninth year of Tongzhi Emperor in the Qing Dynasty . It says that the water rose to the level of the gold tablet inscribed board . This is the highest watermark in the Three Gorged ever since .

45. Notes: 黄陵庙：黄陵庙建于春秋战国时期，位于三峡坝区长江西陵峡南岸黄牛岩山麓 下，又名“黄牛庙”，是目前国内规模最大、保存最完好的纪念大禹治水古建筑群。现存古建筑有山门、禹王殿、武侯祠、清代古民居等，黄陵庙古建筑群后200范围内有放生池、黄牛泉井、白骨塔等附属文物，还有一棵千年铁树。李白、白居易、陈子昂、刘禹锡、苏轼、欧阳修、陆游等都曾在此留下诗文。黄陵庙早在1956年就被湖北省人民政府公布为第一批省级文物保护单位，1998年，国家文物局纳入重要省级文物保护单位。

46. New Words: temple n. 庙, 寺, 神殿, 教堂arch n. 拱门, 拱形 emperor n 皇帝, 君主eave n. 屋檐 scale n. 等级plaque n. 匾 shrine n. 神龟, 神祠inscription n. 题字, 碑铭 preserve vt. 保护, 保持, 保存 pacifying vt. 使平静, 安慰 verge v. 濒临n. 边缘 turbulent a. 狂暴的,吵闹的 collapse n. 倒塌, 崩溃, 失败 dowager n. 继承亡夫爵位(或遗产的)遗孀, 贵妇

47. renovation n. 革新characters n. 字 essay n. 散文, 随笔, 评论illustrious a. 杰出的 inscribe vt. 题字, 记下 刻下feat n. 技艺, 功绩 tablet n. 牌匾便笺簿, 药片zigzag a. 曲折的 ballad n. 民歌, 歌谣,流行歌曲, 情歌 gore vt.（用枪）刺破，（用角）抵伤 stele n. 石碑, 石柱, 匾额 literary a. 文学(上)的,从事写作的 hydrology n. 水文学, 水文,地理学 exquisite a. 优美的, 高雅的, 精致watermark n. 水印

48. Exercises: Ⅰ Answer the questions： 1.What was Huangling Temple’s former name ？ 2.When was the Huangling Temple been built , during the Spring and Autumn period , during the Three Kingdoms or in 1618 ？ 3.Who changed the temple’s name and why did he do that ？ Ⅱ Decide the statements true or false： Key

49. 1.The Huangling Temple is located at the foot of the Yellow Cow Mountain nearly 40 kilometers far from the Three Gorges .（ ） 2.The temple was been built in honor of a divine cow that helped Yu putting the local rivers under control .（ ） 3.The reconstruction of the temple in different dynasties failed to restore its former splendor .（ ） 4.The temple is the biggest and most magnificent ancient building in China . （ ） 5.Both Zhuge Liang and Ouyang Xiu believed the story that a holy cow helped Da Yu in digging up a mountain to fight against floods . （ ） Key

50. Ⅲ Multiple choice: 1. During the beginning period , the Huangling Temple was very . A. excellent B. imposing C. colorful D. numerous 2. Now only rebuilt in 1618 were remained . A. the Yellow Cow B. the stone tablet C. an old popular ballad D. the hall of King Da Yu and the Wuhou Shrine Key