二十一世纪大学英语读写基础教程学习笔记（原文）——5

Unit 5 - Shipwrecked in Antarctica（沉船南极洲）

Ernest Shackleton made many great achievements in his life as an explorer. The following story does not tell us, however, what he achieved but how he managed to rescue his men after his failure to reach his goal.

Perhaps being a hero does not necessarily lie in what you do but in how you do it.

Shipwrecked in Antarctica

When Ernest Shackleton packed for his trip to Antarctica in July 1914, he seemed ready for anything. Among the items he and his crew stowed in his ship were cans of meat, a bicycle and soccer balls. Shackleton hoped to become the first person to travel across the frozen continent at the bottom of the world.

But nothing could have prepared Shackleton or his crew for what did happen. Instead of crossing Antarctica, they made history in one of the most incredible survival stories ever.

Stuck in Miles of Ice

Shackleton was already famous when he prepared for the 1914 trip. In 1908 he had come within 100 miles of the South Pole but had turned back because of bad weather.

By 1914, he was eager for another adventure. Nearly 5,000 people volunteered to go with him. Shackleton chose a crew of 26 sailors and scientists, plus a photographer, Frank Hurley. On the way to Antarctica, he picked up at least 69 sled dogs to pull the explorers on the long trek across land.

Shackleton's last stop before heading for Antarctica was a whaling station on South Georgia Island. Norwegian whalers told the crew that it was "a bad year for ice."

They were right. Upon entering the Weddell Sea, Shackleton was forced to zigzag through dangerous ice sheets, sometimes passing more than 400 icebergs a day! On January 18, 1915, the ice closed around the ship. It was stuck, as one sailor put it, "like an almond in the middle of a chocolate bar."

Although he was less than 100 miles from Antarctica, Shackleton soon realized he could not possibly cross the continent that winter. The crew would just have to wait.

Fighting Boredom and Cold

As the ship slowly drifted with the ice, the sailors played cards, listened to records and held singing contests. "This was before TV," says Armstrong. "People were used to entertaining themselves." On the snow outside, the men built fancy "doghouses" with porches and domes. Some even slept with the dogs for warmth.

Meanwhile Frank Hurley kept busy taking photos. Often braving the cold while others stayed indoors, "he would do anything to get his shot," says Armstrong.

The ship was locked in ice for 10 months. By October 1915, the ice was crushing its thick wooden walls. "It was a sickening sensation," Shackleton wrote in his diary. He ordered the crew to leave. They grabbed what they could, including 150 of Hurley's precious photos.

A Heroic Rescue

The sailors struggled to reach land on three lifeboats they dragged across ice and rowed through frigid waters. They shivered in their thin coats, which often froze solid. At times they had to crawl through slush to avoid sinking. While killer whales swam around them, Shackleton and his men ate penguin and burned seal blubber for fuel. Sadly, when they ran out of food for the dogs, the crew had to shoot them.

Eventually, the crew landed on Elephant Island. But it was deserted. So Shackleton bravely set out again with five of his strongest men. They sailed and rowed 800 miles in a tiny boat, battling high waves, winds and severe thirst. Finally they landed at South Georgia Island, where they almost died climbing jagged peaks for three days before reaching the whaling station. "The thought of those fellows on Elephant Island kept us going," said Shackleton.

Four months after Shackleton sailed away, one of the men on Elephant Island spotted a ship offshore. When it came closer, the crew recognized Shackleton. They began to laugh and hug. They were rescued!

To the world's amazement, all 28 members of the expedition arrived home safely. How? Armstrong and others say it is because Shackleton was a true hero. As the explorer said, "If you're a leader, you've got to keep going."

New Words

shipwreck

vt. 使…遭受海难

item

n. one of a list of objects （清单上或一组事物中的）一项，一件

crew

n. 1. a group of people working together 一队工作人员

2. 全体船员（或机务人员）

stow

vt. pack or store away 堆垛；装载；装填

soccer

n. 英式足球

incredible

a. unbelievable or very hard to believe 难以置信的

survival

n. the act, state or fact of surviving 幸存

adventure

n. an unusual, exciting and possibly dangerous journey, experience, etc. 冒险活动（或经历等）

volunteer

n. sb. who does work, esp. socially useful work, for which they are not paid 志愿者

plus

prep.1. increased by 加，加上

2. in addition to 外加；另有

photographer

n. a person who takes photographs esp. as a professional or as an artist 摄影师

sled

n. 雪橇

explorer

n. sb. who travels for the purpose of discovery 探险者

trek

n. a long and hard journey 长途跋涉

head

vi. move or go toward 朝…行进

whale

vi. engage in the activity of hunting whales 捕鲸

Norwegian

挪威人

whaler

n. 捕鲸人

zigzag

vi. move forward by going at an angle first to the right and then to the left 曲折行进

iceberg

n. 冰山，浮在海洋上的巨大冰块

almond

n. 杏仁

bar

n. 条；块

boredom

n. the state of being bored 厌倦

drift

vi. be carried along or driven by wind, waves or currents 飘；飘流

entertain

vt. keep interested or amused 给…娱乐；使快乐

doghouse

n. 狗窝

* porch

n. 门廊

* dome

n. 圆屋顶；穹顶

meanwhile

ad. in the intervening period of time; at the same time 在间隔时间里；（与此）同时

brave

vt. face or risk facing (danger, pain, or trouble) without showing fear 勇敢地面对

indoors

ad. inside a building 在室内

shot

n. a photograph 照相，快照；拍摄

crush

vt. press so as to break or destroy 压碎，压坏

sickening

a. very unpleasant, disgusting 令人厌恶的

sensation

n. a general feeling caused by a particular experience 感觉，知觉

grab

vt. take or pick up suddenly and roughly 抓取，攫取

precious

a. of great value or worth 贵重的；珍贵的

heroic

a. brave and courageous 英雄的；英勇的

rescue

n. a successful attempt to save sb. or sth. from a difficult or dangerous situation 营救，救援

vt. save; set free 营救，救出

lifeboat

n. 救生艇

drag

vt. pull along with effort or difficulty （用力地或慢慢地）拖，拉

frigid

a. very cold, icy 寒冷的

shiver

v. shake slightly, esp. because of cold or fear 颤抖，哆嗦

crawl

vi. move slowly on hands and knees 爬，爬行

slush

n. partly melted snow 半融化的雪；雪泥

avoid

vt. keep away or to prevent from happening 避免；防尘

killer whale

n. 逆戟鲸

penguin

n. 企鹅

seal

n. 海豹

blubber

n. 鲸脂，海兽脂

eventually

a. in the end; at last, finally 终于，最终

desert

vt. abandon, leave; go away from (a place) without intending ever to return 抛弃；遗弃；离弃（某地方）

deserted

a. with no one present; abandoned 无人的；被离弃的；被遗弃的

severe

a. serious; extreme 严重的；剧烈的

thirst

n. a feeling of needing to drink water 渴

jagged

a. having a rough and sharp edge 参差不齐的；嶙峋的

peak

n. the pointed top of a mountain 山峰

spot

vt. catch sight of; recognize; discover 看出；认出；发现

offshore

a. & ad. a small distance away from the coast （在）离岸一定距离的（地方）

hug

vt. hold (sb.) tightly in the arms 拥抱

amazement

n. great surprise, astonishment 惊奇，惊诧

expedition

n. a long journey for a certain purpose 远征

leader

n. a person who guides or directs a group, team, organization, etc. 领导者

Phrases and Expressions

be ready for

be prepared for （对…）有准备

at the bottom of

at the lowest part of 在…底部

prepare sb. for sth.

put sb. into a suitable state for a purpose, event, or experience 使…为…做好准备

instead of

in place of 代替…，而不是…

make history

do sth. important that will be recorded in history 彪炳史册

be eager for

showing a strong desire for (sth.) 急于（做某事）

on the way to

going towards 去…途中

pick up

come to have; gain, buy, learn, etc. 获得；得到；买到；学会

head for

move towards 朝…前进

be forced to

be made to (do sth.) 被迫（做）

less than

fewer than 少于

be used to

习惯于

at times

sometimes 有时

run out of

use up a supply of 把…用完

have to

must 不得不

set out

begin a journey or course 出发；开始

to sb.'s amazement

to sb's surprise 让某人惊讶的是

Proper names

Antarctica

南极洲（地名）

Ernest Shackleton

欧内斯特·沙克尔顿（1874—1922，美国探险家）

Frank Hurley

弗兰克·赫尔利（人名）

South Georgia

南乔治亚岛（在南极洲附近，是捕鲸业基地）

Weddell sea

威德尔海（南极洲的边缘海）

Armstrong

阿姆斯特朗（人名）

Elephant Island

象岛（在南极洲附近）

参考资料：

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程 Unit05_大学教材听力 - 可可英语

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