关于雪人的传说

The Yeti is an animal that walks on two legs like a man, but is hairy.[1] Over the years, many people say they’ve seen one, especially in the mountains. So far, there is no proof. Have you heard of strange animals like this, such as the Scottish Loch Ness Monster[2]? Do you believe in them?

A: This is a story about the Yeti. There has been a sighting[3]!

B: What’s a Yeti?

A: He’s a creature, also known as The Abominable Snowman or Bigfoot[4]. People catch glimpses ofhim from time to time, but nobody’s sure if he’s real. They haven’t caught one yet.

B: Is he kind of like the Loch Ness Monster? I already know about that one.

A: Yes, he’s an almost extinct hairy animal who walks on two legs like a human and leaves big tracks, so they call him “Bigfoot”.

B: I see. Is he like a missing link, between an ape and a human?[5]

A: Perhaps. Someone saw him yesterday in the Rocky Mountains[6]. They took a picture. Have you seen it yet? It’s a little fuzzy. Still, you can see his outline.

B: Oh, that. Yes, I saw it this morning. I didn’t read the caption. It’s pretty blurry, it could be anything.

A: Here’s another picture, taken in Asia ten years back, and yet another.

B: I’ve already seen them. They’re yet more unclear. I can make out[7] nothing.

A: Yes, but Yeti don’t stand still for pictures. They’re strong yet shy. They run away from people. That’s why they’ve yet to get a convincing picture.

B: I see. Do you believe in Bigfoot?

A: I’m open[8] to it. How about you?

B: I’m inclined to think it’s a hoax. People claim they’ve seen one, yet they haven’t found a Yeti yet. Still, it’s a nice fantasy[9].

A: Don’t dismiss it out of hand. Aliens[10] are stranger still, yet many scientists believe they exist.

B: I still think it’s all rubbish. Why do you believe in Bigfoot?

A: Because I think my mother-in-law[11] is one.

Vocabulary

1. Yeti: (传说中喜马拉雅山的)雪人;hairy: 多毛的。

2. Loch Ness Monster: 尼斯湖水怪。

3. sighting: 目击，看见(不寻常的事物)。

4. Bigfoot: 大脚，长毛野人(传说生存于美国西北部山区的长毛猿人)。

5. missing link: (类人猿进化到人类的过程中)或许存在过的一种过渡动物;ape: 猿。

6. Rocky Mountains: 落基山脉，位于北美洲西部，北起阿拉斯加北部，纵贯加拿大和美国西部，南至墨西哥边境。

7. make out: 看出，辨认出。

8. open: 不对某事存先入之见。

9. fantasy: 幻想，想像。

10. alien: 外星人。

11. mother-in-law: 岳母，丈母娘。

Exercise

1. abominable a. I won’t use your idea or think about it

2. catch a glimpse of b. tending to behave in a particular way

3. from time to time c. animal kind is all dead now

4. extinct d. not clear

5. tracks e. not clear

6. fuzzy f. to state that something is true, even though it

has not been proved

7. outline g. it’s not just a story, but is real in the world

8. caption h. see (only for a second)

9. blurry i. footprints

10. convincing j. garbage or nonsense (you’re wrong, I disagree)

11. inclined k. only sometimes, not regularly

12. hoax l. writing under a picture to explain it

13. claim m. the shape around it

14. dismiss it out of hand n. making you believe that something is true or right

15. exist o. terrible

16. rubbish p. trick. Makes many people believe a lie (for fame/cash)

Answers: 1–o, 2–h, 3–k, 4–c, 5–i, 6–e, 7–m, 8–l, 9–d, 10–n, 11–b, 12–p, 13–f, 14–a, 15–g, 16–j.