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Unit Two. The Magnificence of the Qutang Gorge. The Magnificence of the Qutang Gorge. The Ancient Town of Fengjie. White King Town ( Baidi Town ). The Heavenly Pit and Earthly Ravine. the Qutang Gorge. 万里长江.
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Unit Two The Magnificence of the Qutang Gorge
The Magnificence of the Qutang Gorge The Ancient Town of Fengjie White King Town ( Baidi Town ) The Heavenly Pit and Earthly Ravine theQutang Gorge 万里长江
The Qutang Gorge, also known as Kui Gorge, runs for a distance of 8 kilometers from Baidi Town in Fengjie County in the west to Daxi Town in Wushan County,Sichuan Province. As the shortest and narrowest one in the Yangtze Three Gorges, it’s the most magnificent and spectacular(壮丽的).After passing Sichuan Basin, the roaring(咆哮)Yangtze River rushes into the Gorge and meets head-on with the imposing(给人印象深刻的)Kui Gate, also called Qutang Pass. Rocky mountains rise perpendicularly(陡峭地)on both sides of the river almost like the gate set by the nature,
squeezing(挤压)the broad river into a narrow ribbon threading(穿行)its way through the Gorge. The south mountain is called the White Salt Mountain, while the north mountain is named the Red Armor Mountain. Here the width of the river is reduced to 100-200 meters and the narrowest places are no more than a few dozens of meters while the principal peaks on the banks are as high as 1000-1500 meters. When a ship sails in the gorge, you will feel “peaks towering into the sky, and boats sailing through the hell”. Here, that famous poet Du Fu in the Tang Dynasty recited, “All the waters converge (会合)at Fu and Wan, fight for the gate at Qutang.”
Cliffs andbluffs(峭壁)on both banks are sharp as if they were just cut by a natural sword. No wonder that the poet Zhang Wentao in Qing Dynasty praised, “Though you have ten thousand clever brushes, it’s hard for you to paint the mountains on the both banks of Qutang.”
Guo Moruo also said here, “if you are looking for unusual scenery, Qutang is the best place to visit.” There are many concentrated historical sites in the Qutang Gorge. They are the ancient town of Fengjie , Eight-Unit Formation(排列), Baidi Town, Bellows Gorge, Mengliang Ladder, the Suspended(悬挂)Coffins(棺材). The Relics of the Daxi Culture has been found at the opening of the Qutang Gorge on the south bank, which has aroused intense interest among archaeologists(考古学家). The site of DuFu’s thatched(用茅草覆盖)cottage(农舍)a few kilometers away from
Baidi Town is a place where poets linger(留恋不舍). After the water level was raised, the scenery in the Qutang Gorge was changed once more. On the south bank, the Phoenix(凤凰)-drinking Spring, the Whitewashed Wall with carved inscriptions(题词)and the Upside Down Monk were all submerged(淹没). On the north bank, most of the Ancient Plank Roads were under the water, too. The famous Yanyu Rock, the last witness of the sorrow shipping history in the Yangtze Three Gorges for thousands of years, has been sunk into the river forever.
Translation: 气势雄伟的瞿塘峡 瞿塘峡又称夔峡,西起奉节县的白帝城,东至巫山县的大溪镇,全长约8公里。在长江三峡中它虽然是最短、最窄的一个峡,却以雄伟壮观而著称。奔腾咆哮的江水在经过四川盆地之后,进入雄踞于此的三峡西大门——夔门,它又名瞿塘关。两岸峭壁对峙,恰似天造地设的大门,把滔滔的江水紧束在沟壑之中。南山名“白盐山”,北山曰“赤甲山”。这里的河宽只有一、二百米,最窄处不过几十米,两岸的主峰高达1000至1500米,船行峡中,真有“峰与天关接,舟从地窟行”的感觉。唐代著名诗人杜甫曾在此欣然吟诵:“众水会涪万,瞿塘争一门。”
瞿塘峡两岸陡峭的峡谷,宛如刀砍斧劈,难怪清代诗人张问陶发出“纵将万管玲珑笔,难写瞿塘两岸山”的赞叹。郭沫若过此地也发出了“若言风景异,三峡为此魁”的感慨。 瞿塘峡的名胜古迹众多。著名的有奉节古城、八阵图、白帝城、风箱峡、孟良梯、天坑地缝等。在瞿塘峡南岸出口处还发掘出大溪文化遗址,它引起了考古学家们的极大兴趣。距白帝城几公里之遥的杜甫寓址也是文人骚客们流连忘返的去处。 三峡工程蓄水之后,瞿塘峡景点的变化较大,南岸的洞幽泉甘的“凤凰饮泉”,题刻满壁的“粉壁墙”,“倒吊和尚”等现在都已 被淹没,北岸的古栈道已大部分被淹而沉入水下,瞿塘峡口著名的滟滪堆作为峡江千百年艰难航运史的最后见证已永沉江底。 back
Passage 1 The Ancient Town of Fengjie
Fengjie , located on the north bank of the Yangtze River , is a famous ancient town in the eastern part of Chongqing City and “the gateway to the entire Shu” . During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period (770-221 B.C.) it was successively under the jurisdiction of several small states, including Kui and Ba. During the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280), Liu Bei, the emperor of Shu State , retreated to the garrison here and renamed the ancient town Yong’an after his troops had been defeated by the general Lu Xun of Wu State .
It was renamed Fengjie in the early Tang Dynasty because it was the site of a prefecture which controlled several surrounding counties. It was also named Kuizhou or Kui Prefecture. According to local annals, the site of Fengjie County had been moved five times from one side of the river to the other along the section from today’s Fengjie to Kui Gate. The city wall was built more than 500 years ago in the reign of Chenghua of Ming Dynasty. Built by the hills and facing the river, the city wall has five gates and a circumference of three kilometers.
Fengjie is situated at the mouth of Qutang Gorge in a dangerous terrain rarely seen anywhere else. The rivers Meixi and Caotang flow into the Yangtze River from the north. The Red Armor and the White Salt are two mountains that stand on each side of the river. It’s said there are “Twelve Scenes of Fengjie” on either bank of the river. They include “Eight-Unit Formation of Zhuge Liang”, “Backwater of Yanyu”, “Serried Hills at Baidi”, “Glorious Sunrays on the Red Armor ”, “Morning Colors on the White Salt ” and “Autumn Moon over the Gorge”, etc. All these natural scenes are composed of mountains and waters, sun and moon.
There are a great number oflegends, customs, historical sites and poems in Fengjie . A special custom in Fengjie is worthy of being mentioned here. According to the research, the people there have been used to visiting the Eight-Unit Formation in groups on January 7 of lunar calendar since Tang Dynasty, which is so-called “Taqi”. Women pick up many pretty pebbles, drill a hole in each pebble and put them on a string for good luck. The custom will disappear with the Eight-Unit Formation submerged into the Yangtze River. Many literary figures, such as Li Bai , Bai Juyi ,
Su Shi and Lu You , had written poems and essays about Fengjie . When Du Fu lived here, he wrote more than 300 poems in less than three years, the most famous of all was the poem “Boundless vegetation drops down bleakly as the waters of Yangtze roll along endlessly.” In the city are the sites of the Yong’an Palace where Liu Bei, the emperor of Shu State in the Three Kingdoms Period , entrusted his sons to Zhuge Liang(It was also said the story happened in Baidi Town); the Tomb of Madam Gan, the wife of Liu Bei; the Dwelling of Du Fu, as well as the Tomb of the Martyr Pen Yongwu.
Notes: 1. “诸葛亮八阵图”:位于奉节古城的东南方,从卧龙山朝长江的江心伸出一道宽600余米,长达1500余米的狭长坝,形成了一道阻拦东进之水的天然屏障,这就是传说当年诸葛亮摆下水八阵的地方。其实八阵图不是诸葛亮摆的,据考古研究,它是新石器时代至青铜器时代,巴蜀居民为纪念或祭祀的需要,根据自己的风俗垒成的石行,俗称八阵图。山峡库区蓄水后,八阵图已没于水中,自成历史典故。 2. are composed of: 由……组成 e.g. The Island of Great Britain is composed of England, Scotland and Wales. 3. a (great) number of: 大量,许多(接名词复数) e.g. Quite a number of people have applied for this job.
Fengjie back
New Words: successively ad. 连续地;接连地 jurisdiction n. 管辖范围;权限 garrison n. 要塞;防驻地 prefecture n. 府;专区;县 annals n. 编年史;历史记载 terrain n. 地区;地带 armor n. 盔甲;甲胄 serried a. 密集的;拥挤的 glorious a. 辉煌的 literary a. 精通文学的 boundless a. 无限的;无穷的 vegetation n. 植物;草木 bleakly ad. 凄凉地;阴郁地 entrust v. 委托;交托 dwelling n. 住所;住处 martyr n. 烈士;殉难者
Exercises: I. Answer the questions: 1. How is the geographical position of Fengjie? 2. Why is Fengjie important for Sichuan Province ? 3. Why was Fengjie named Kuizhou or Kui Prefecture ? 4. What scenic spots among “ Twelve Scenes of Fengjie” are mentioned in this passage? 5. Who wrote the poem “ Boundless vegetation drops down bleakly as the waters of the Yangtze roll along endlessly ”? Key Key
II. Decide the statements true of false: • The ancient town of Fengjie is the gateway to the entire Sichuan Province. ( ) • 2. In Fengjie there were administrative organizations during Spring and Autumn • Period. ( ) • 3. The troops of Liu Bei retreated to Fengjie after he had been defeated by Wei • State. ( ) • 4. The Daxi River near Fengjie flows into the Yangtze River from the north. ( ) • 5. The Tomb of Madam Gan, the wife of Liu Bei, is located in Fengjie. ( ) Key
III. Multiple choices: 1. As early as ago, there were several small states in Fengjie. A. 2800 years B. 2000 years C. 1500 years D. 1000 years 2. Liu Bei was the emperor of in the Three Kingdoms Period. A. Kui State B. Shu State C. Ba State D. Wei State 3. is a correct statement on the martyr of Pen Yongwu. Key
A. He gave his life to the revolutionary of China. B. He sacrificed before the liberation of Chongqing. C. He is the husband of famous Sister Jiang. D. A、B and C. 4. Water ______ hydrogen and oxygen. A. makes up of B. is composed of C. includes D. consists in 5. _____ money has been spent on the new hospital. A. A great number of B. A few C. A good deal of D. Many Key
Translation: 奉节古城 奉节位于长江的北岸,是重庆市东部的著名古城,也是入川的门户。在春秋战国时期,它曾先后为几个小的属国管辖,包括夔子国和巴国。三国时期,蜀汉刘备为吴将陆逊所败,退驻在此,改名永安。唐初改为奉节,因唐朝在此设置了州府,管辖周围的郡县,所以又称为夔州或夔府。根据当地史料记载,奉节古城在今天的奉节城至夔门段和江对面先后经历过五次迁移。城墙是在500年前的明朝成化年间修建的。城墙依山临江,共有五座城门,长达三公里。 奉节古城座落在瞿塘峡口,地势险峻实属罕见。古城的前面有滚滚东流的长江,梅溪河和草堂河则在此从北注入长江,赤甲山与白盐山隔江对峙,
两岸有著名的“奉节十二景”,包括“诸葛亮八阵图”、“滟滪回水”、“翠拥白帝”、“赤甲晴晖”、“白盐曙色”、“秋月映峡”等,山水交融,日月同辉,构成了一副绝妙的自然美景。这里的传闻习俗多、名胜诗词多。奉节有一个特别的风俗值得一提。据研究,从唐朝开始,每年正月初七,人们习惯在八阵图成群结队游览,俗称“踏碛”。妇女在碛上捡石子钻孔串起来,以示吉利。随着八阵图的永存江底,这一风俗也将随之消失。李白、白居易、苏轼、陆游等许多诗人均在此留有诗作。杜甫寓居此地不到三年,写下诗篇三百,其中最著名的诗句是“无边落木萧萧下,不尽长江.滚滚来。”城内有三国时蜀汉刘备托孤诸葛亮的永安宫(亦说是白帝城内的永安宫),甘夫人墓,杜甫寓址等遗迹和彭咏梧烈士墓。两岸有著名的“奉节十二景”,包括“诸葛亮八阵图”、“滟滪回水”、“翠拥白帝”、“赤甲晴晖”、“白盐曙色”、“秋月映峡”等,山水交融,日月同辉,构成了一副绝妙的自然美景。这里的传闻习俗多、名胜诗词多。奉节有一个特别的风俗值得一提。据研究,从唐朝开始,每年正月初七,人们习惯在八阵图成群结队游览,俗称“踏碛”。妇女在碛上捡石子钻孔串起来,以示吉利。随着八阵图的永存江底,这一风俗也将随之消失。李白、白居易、苏轼、陆游等许多诗人均在此留有诗作。杜甫寓居此地不到三年,写下诗篇三百,其中最著名的诗句是“无边落木萧萧下,不尽长江.滚滚来。”城内有三国时蜀汉刘备托孤诸葛亮的永安宫(亦说是白帝城内的永安宫),甘夫人墓,杜甫寓址等遗迹和彭咏梧烈士墓。 back
Passage 2 White King Town ( Baidi Town )
After passing Fengjie, the boat sails downstream and the entrance to Qutang Gorge is in sight. On the north bank of the Yangtze River, a group of imposing and magnificent buildings, with red walls and green tiles, are half hidden in green and luxuriant trees, This is Baidi Town, which has been a famous tourist attraction in the Three Gorges for quite a long time. It is noted for a poem written by the great poet Li Bai in the Tang Dynasty, “Bidding farewell to Baidi enveloped in colorful clouds, a thousand Li return journey is covered in one day. As the monkeys cry ceaselessly on both banks, the light boats speeds past ten thousand peaks.”
When Gongsun Shu ruled over Sichuan at the end of the western Han Dynasty, he had a town built on the top of a mountain. There was a well in the town that often emitted white vapor, which looked like a white dragon. Gongsun therefore named himself the white king and the town “White King Town” or “Baidi Town”. After his death, the local people built a temple on the mountain and put a statue of Gongsun in it. The temple thus became known as the White King Temple. In the Temple are Mingliang Hall, Zhuge Liang’s Shrine, Star-Watching Pavilion and other structures built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. At both sides of
the temple are the East and West Tablet Galleries where there are preserved 74 stone tablets from various dynasties. In the front hall of the White King Temple, there are a group of colorful statues “Liu Bei Entrusting His Sons”, a story which everyone knows from the historical novel “The Romance of the Three Kingdoms”. In 222, Liu Bei led 200000 soldiers to the east in order to revenge Guan Yu, but at Xiaoting Liu Bei was defeated by Lu Xun, a general of the East Wu State, who set fire to the camps of Liu Bei’s army.
Finally, Liu Bei retreated to the White King Town. He was so tired that he fell ill .Before his death, he askedZhuge Liang, his prime minister, to his bed, and entrusted his three sons to the care of him. This is the so-called story of “Liu Bei Entrusting His Sons”. Now, standing in White King Town, you seem to be wandering in the long river of history.
Though the water level was raised to 139 meters in the reservoir area of the Three Gorges Project, it didn’t affect White King Town at all. Now it is surrounded by water on three sides and by mountains on one side. The White King Town, where the famous historical event of “Liu Bei Entrusting His Sons” took place in the Three Kingdoms Period 2000 years ago, now has been a beautiful peninsula. With the next rising of water level in 2006, it will become a fairy island like Penglai, Shandong Province.
刘备托孤 back
Notes: 1. “刘备托孤”:刘备共有三子。他在白帝城病逝时,长子刘禅作为太子留守成 都,次子鲁王刘永、三子梁王刘理随侍白帝城。 2. in order to: 为了(做某事) e.g. She shut the window in order to keep the insects out. 3. took place:发生、产生、进行、举行 e.g. Learning can only take place when there is a motivation.
New Words: tile n. 瓦;瓷砖;花瓷 luxuriant a. 郁郁葱葱的 bid v. 向……告别 envelop v. 笼罩;围绕 ceaselessly ad. 不停地 emit v. 放出;发出 vapor n. 雾汽;蒸汽 statue n. 雕像;塑像 shrine n. 祠堂;圣地 pavilion n. 凉亭;楼阁 tablet n. 碑;牌;匾额 gallery n. 画廊;美术陈列室 revenge v. 为……报仇;报复 wander v. 漫游;徘徊;漫步 affect v. 影响;妨碍 peninsula n.半岛
Exercises: I. Answer the questions: 1. Where is Baidi Town located ? 2. Why is Baidi Town so famous ? 3. When did Gongsun Shu rule over Sichuan ? 4. What are there in the White King Temple ? 5. What will happen at the White King Town in 2006 ? II. Decide the statements true or false: Key
1. The famous historical novel “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” tells us many stories which happened 5000 years ago. ( ) 2. Gongsun Shu ruled over Sichuan at the end of the western Han Dynasty. ( ) 3. There are preserved 74 stone tablets from various dynasties at the both sides of the White King Temple. ( ) 4. The local people built a temple on the mountain in memory of Gongsun Shu after his death. ( ) 5. In the White King Town, Liu Bei entrusted Liu Chan to Zhuge Liang. ( ) Key
III. Multiple choices: 1. In 222, Liu Bei led his troops to attack Wu State in order to revenge . A. Zhang Fei B. Guan Yu C. Zhao Yun D. Ma zhong 2. Liu Bei entrusted his sons to his Premier Minister before his death. A. Zhuge Liang B. Zhuge Zhan C. Jiang wei D. Ma Dai 3. The Baidi Town is also called White King Town because . A. Gongsun Shu built the town on the top of a mountain Key
B. There was a well in the town that often emitted white vapor C .Gongsun named himself the white king. D. All of the above 4. We used computers _____ save time. A. so that B. in order to C. in order that D. in case of 5. The historical event of “Liu Bei Entrusting His Sons” _____ about 2000. years ago. A. showed B. presented C. took place D. went by Key
Translation: 白 帝 城 船过奉节,沿江而下,瞿塘峡口即现眼底。在长江北岸,一幢幢飞檐楼阁和红墙碧瓦,掩映在一片郁郁葱葱的绿树丛中,气势雄伟壮观,这就是久负盛名的三峡旅游胜地——白帝城。唐代大诗人李白的千古绝句:“朝辞白帝彩云间,千里江陵一日还,两岸猿声啼不住,轻舟已过万重山。”更是使白帝城名扬天下. 据史料记载,西汉末年公孙述据蜀称王,在山上筑城,因城中一井常冒白气,宛如白龙,他便借此自号白帝,并命名此城为白帝城。公孙述死后,当地人在山上建庙立公孙述人像,称白帝庙。
白帝庙内有明良殿、武侯祠和观星亭等明清建筑,左右两侧的东西碑林藏有历代石碑七十四块,白帝庙前殿内的大型彩塑“刘备托孤”令人荡气回肠,读过《三国演义》的人,都知道这个故事。公元222年,刘备率20万大军东下,为关羽报仇,在猇亭彝陵之地遭东吴大将陆逊火攻连营八百里,败至白帝城,刘备积劳成疾。临终前,他召丞相诸葛亮于榻前,将三个儿子托付给诸葛亮,史称“刘备托孤”。置身于白帝城,仿佛淌洋于历史的长河之中。 三峡工程库区水位被提升到139米对白帝城没有丝毫影响,现在的白帝城三面环水,一面傍山。这座2000年前曾经上演过"刘备托孤"三国历史大剧的白帝城,今天已经变成了一座美丽的半岛。随着三峡工程2006年再度蓄水,这里最终将变成一座蓬莱式的仙岛。 back
Passage 3 The Heavenly Pit and Earthly Ravine The Xiaozhai Heavenly Pit
The Xiaozhai Heavenly Pit, the largest heavenly pit in the world, which is 66 kilometers far from Fengjie County, lies on the upper reaches of the Daxi River at the east mouth of the Qutang Gorge. Heavenly Pit is called akarst funnel in geology. It was formed through collapse of the limestone cave or erosion when the surface water flew into the ground. The diameter of the upper opening of the Xiaozai Heavenly Pit is 622 meters, the lower one 522 meters. It’s 666.2 meters deep. All sides of the Heavenly Pit are steep cliffs, which seem to be cut by an axe.
There are mountains, waters and overgrown brambles in the Heavenly Pit. The hidden rivers on the bottom of the Heavenly Pit run out of a cave dozens of meters high, rolling and roaring, then go through cliffs and rocks in the bottom. They’re just like a wonderful maze of the rivers. 3 or 4 kilometers far away from the Xiaozhai Heavenly Pit, the TianJing Gorge Earthly Ravine , the longest one in the world, is 37 kilometers long, 1 to over 500 meters wide and 4 to over 900 meters deep. It includes scenic spots such as primeval forest of broad valleys in the upper reaches,
valleys and the Xiaoshui Cave in the middle reaches, underground rivers and the Thread-like Sky in the lower reaches. It seems to be a letter “V” opening towards the north-east. At the edge of the lower reaches, the scenic spots are the Jade Shuttle Waterfall, the Elephant-tasting Spring, the Black Eye, the Seam between Human and Nether Worlds, the Thread-like Sky, and so on. The scenic spot is considerably typical in karst terrain features and it’s a wonder of karst landscapes.
The complete hydrological system created by underground rivers and caves is an excellent record of the evolvement of the Three Gorges. It gives a geological evidence of the history of the Yangtze River, so it’s also called living fossil of the geological changes in the Three Gorges area. After inspecting and exploring there, geologists and adventurers at home and abroad can’t help praising it’s a marvelous spectacle. It’s also an extremely important scenic spot of the tour around the new Three Gorges.
Notes: 1. 喀斯特地貌:又称岩溶地貌。它是地表水和地下水对石灰岩等可溶性岩石以 溶蚀作用为主的地质现象。我国桂林山水、云南石林等自然地形都是岩溶现象。 2. at home and abroad:国内外 e.g. His achievements in the field of biology are thought highly at home and abroad. 3. can’t help ( praising) :禁不住(后接动名词) e.g. He looked so funny that I couldn’t help laughing.
New Words: ravine n. 沟壑;峡谷 primeval a. 原始的;太古的 shuttle n. (织机的)梭 seam n. 裂缝 considerably ad.相当大地, 相当多地 terrain n. 地带;地区 evolvement n.演化;发展; 形成 hydrological a.水文的 fossil n. 化石 geological a. 地质学的 karst n. 岩溶(区); 喀斯特(区) funnel n. 漏斗;漏斗形物 geology n. 地质学 collapse n. 倒塌;塌陷 limestone cave 溶洞 erosion n.腐蚀;侵蚀 diameter n. 直径;对径 overgrown a. 植被, (杂草)蔓生的 bramble n. 有刺灌木 maze (of) n 错综;复杂
Exercises: I. Answer the questions: 1. How is the geographical position of the Heavenly Pit and Earthly Ravine? 2. How was the Heavenly Pit formed? 3. What scenery can you appreciate when you visit the Heavenly Pit? 4. What scenic spots are there at the edge of the lower reaches in the Earthly Ravine? 5. Why is the Heavenly Pit and Earthly Ravine important in geology? II. Decide the statements true or false: 1. The Xiaozhai Heavenly Pit is 3 or 4 kilometer far from Fengjie County. ( ) Key Key
2. The Xiaozai Heavenly Pit looks like a funnel. ( ) • 3. The TianJing Gorge Earthly Ravine is the longest one in the world. ( ) • 4. The Xiaoshui Cave is located in the upper reaches of the Earthly Ravine. ( ) • 5.The Earthly Ravine seems to be a letter “U” opening towards the north-east. ( ) • III. Multiple choices: • The Xiaozhai Heavenly Pit lies on _____. • A. the north bank of the Yangtze River • B. the upper reaches of the Daxi River • C. the middle reaches of Daxi River • D. the lower reaches of the Daxi River Key Key
2. The diameter of the upper opening of the Xiaozhai Heavenly Pit is _____. A. 622 meters B. 666.2 meters C. 522 meters D. 900 meters 3. The primeval forest of broad valley is the scenery in ______ of the Earthy Ravine. A. the lower reaches B. the middle reaches C. the upper reaches D. the beginning 4. The narrowest point in Earthly Ravine is only ______. A. nine hundred meters B. five hundred meters C. four meters D. one meter 5. The Heavenly Pit and Earthly Ravine is called the living ______of the geological changes in the Three Gorges area. A. symbol B. picture C. certificate D. fossil Key