TE精读|Traffic on Everest

上一期和这一期的封面文章都是关于病毒，有一点审美疲劳了，不想老是阅读关于病毒的文章了，今天换一篇短文章来阅读，让我们来看看珠峰的拥挤。

何帆在《变量2》中提到，如今的人们和以前人们的生活模式已经不一样了，以前的人们是登山者的的模式，拼尽全力只为冲锋山顶，而如今的人们大多都是探险者的模式，更注重路上的体验，各种奇怪的小路都想去试试，反正山顶就在那里。近年来珠峰的拥挤也已成为一个社会时间，珠峰大本营也因拥挤而带来的环境污染而关闭，这无疑证明了人们探险者的模式，去寻求更加刺激的体验。那么，这件事背后的Nepal政府是如何考虑的呢，且看文章分析。

标题导读

Traffic on Everest

High and climbing

Nepal’s government dithers over rules that would cut high-altitude queues

几个层次的小标题下来就能从多个层次明白这篇文章的主旨。

dither verb  /ˈdɪð.ər/

to be unable to make a decision about doing something

犹豫，踌躇

正文：

Like beads on a slender string, a long queue of mountaineersclings to a single safety rope. They are waiting to ascend to the icy peak of the world’s tallest mountain: Everest. The climbers and their guides have braved sheer rock, avalanches and wild winds. But the crowds that await interludes of good weather to rush for the summit can be just as deadly. Climbers jostle and bicker; long delays deplete supplies of oxygen. Last year four of the 11deaths on the mountain during the spring climbing season were blamed on overcrowding.

bead noun  /biːd/ 有孔的珠子

slender adjective /ˈslen.dər/

thin and delicate, often in a way that is attractive

纤细的

mountaineer noun /ˌmaʊn.tɪˈnɪər/  a person who climbs mountains as a sport or job

爬山能手；登山运动员

cling verb  /klɪŋ/

to stick onto or hold something or someone tightly, or to refuse to stop holding it, him, or her依附，附着；抓紧，抱紧

ascend verb  /əˈsend/

to move up or climb something上升；攀登；登

brave verb  /breɪv/

to deal with an unpleasant or difficult situation

勇敢面对；冒（风险）

Let's brave the snow and go for a walk (= go for a walk even though it is snowing).我们冒雪去散步好吗？

avalanche noun   /ˈæv.əl.ɑːntʃ/

a large amount of ice, snow, and rock falling quickly down the side of a mountain雪崩

interlude noun   /ˈɪn.tə.luːd/

a short period when a situation or activity is different from what comes before and after it插曲，间歇

jostle verb/ˈdʒɒs.əl/

to knock or push roughly against someone in order to move past them or get more space when you are in a crowd of people挤；推；撞

bicker verb  /ˈbɪk.ər/

to argue about things that are not important

（为小事）争吵，口角，斗嘴

deplete verb /dɪˈpliːt/

to reduce something in size or amount, especially supplies

of energy, money, etc.消耗；耗费（资源、金钱、精力等）

If we continue to deplete the earth's natural resources, we will cause serious damage to the environment.如果我们继续消耗地球上的自然资源，将对环境造成严重的破坏。

这一段描写了如今珠峰顶上等待登顶的人们的现状，拥挤而吵闹。

“It is quite a commotion up there,” says Jeremy Tong of JTRACE, a trekking firm, who had to queue to reach the summit last year. The Nepalese government had promised new rules to thin out the mob. (Because of coronavirus the Chinese government has called off all ascents this year on the northern face of the mountain, which is in its territory.) It came up with a series of new requirements to obtain a permit to make an attempt on the peak. Applicants should have successfully climbed another Nepalese mountain of at least 6,500 meters (Everest is 8,848 meters). They should provide documentation certifying their physical fitness for the challenge and employ experienced guides. The authorities are also considering raising the cost of a permit from $11,000 to $35,000. Yet this week they announced that they would not put these changes into effect this year, since there had not been sufficient consultation on them within the government.

commotion noun /kəˈməʊ.ʃən/

a sudden, short period of noise, confusion, or excited

movement喧闹；喧嚣；混乱；骚动

His arrival caused quite a commotion.他的到来引起了不小的骚动。

trek verb  /trek/

walk a long distance, usually over land such as hills,

mountains, or forests（徒步）长途跋涉，翻山越岭

Nepalese adjective/ˌnep.əlˈiːz/

belonging to or relating to Nepal, its people, or its language尼泊尔的；

permit noun/ˈpɜː.mɪt/

an official document that allows you to do something or go somewhere许可证，特许证

a work/travel/parking permit工作／旅行／停车许可证

documentation noun   /ˌdɒk.jə.menˈteɪ.ʃən/  pieces of paper containing official information文件证据，证明文件

certify verb  /ˈsɜː.tɪ.faɪ/

to say in a formal or official way, usually in writing, that something is true or correct（通常以书面形式）证明，证实

本段讲爬珠峰的人需要的资质证明和费用，并且政府下一年将提高费用。

Mountaineers are far less likely to die on Everest than they were just a few decades ago. Rescue teams and helicopters stand ready to help those in need, which is not always the case with other Himalayan peaks. But there are many more climbers than there used to be (see chart).

本段主要讲爬珠峰的人死亡率降低，但是人数增多。

The Nepalese authorities handed out 381 permits to teams of mountaineers last year, generating a welcome dollop of cash. They are presumably keen to ensure that stricter rules do not shrink revenues. Even if the government comes out ahead, with extra income from higher fees offsetting any decrease in the number of permits issued, an entire industry depends on Everest. Nepal is among Asia’s poorest places: about half of its 30m people subsist on less than $3.20 a day, according to the World Bank. Guides risk their lives because they can earn perhaps $5,000 a season working at the highest altitudes, more than seven times the average annual wage. With last year’s bad publicity and the impending tightening of the rules, their earnings may have peaked.

presumably adverb  /prɪˈzjuː.mə.bli/

used to say what you think is the likely situation据推测，大概，可能

comes out 公布

offset verb   /ˌɒfˈset/

to balance one influence against an opposing influence, so that there is no great difference as a result

补偿；抵消；弥补

subsist verb /səbˈsɪst/

to get enough food or money to stay alive, but no more

维持生计；勉强生存

publicity noun  /pʌbˈlɪs.ə.ti/

the activity of making certain that someone or something

attracts a lot of interest or attention from many people

宣传活动；宣传，推广；关注

impend verb  /ɪmˈpend/

If an event impends, usually an event that is unpleasant

or unwanted, it is going to happen soon:

本段主要讲尼泊尔的经济情况。由于珠峰的生意为政府带来了巨大收益，所以政府要慎重考虑是否提高收费。

经济学人的文章都是立场鲜明，读过几篇之后就能感受到文章背后鲜明的自由主义的立场，但同时也不排斥反对声音，兼容各种立场。Nepal政府政策背后的经济原因很是复杂，正是应了上一篇《covid-19》中政治和经济的冲突，而governments will have to strike a balance.至于Nepal政府如今会偏向哪边，就看如今那个因素最为重要了。