0108世界上最冷地方.docx

0108世界上最冷地方.docx

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0108世界上最冷地方

TheColdestPlaceOnEarth

byTimVicary

Chapter1TwoShips

Theracebeganinthesummerof1910.

OnJune1st,inLondon,ablackship,theTerraNova,wentdowntheriverThamestothesea.Thousandsofpeoplestoodbytherivertowatchit.Theywereallexcitedandhappy.

OntheTerraNova,CaptainRobertFalconScottsmiledquietly.Itwasaveryimportantdayforhim.Hewasastrongman,notverytall,intheblueclothesofacaptain.Hewasforty-oneyearsold,buthehadayoungface,likeaboy.Hiseyesweredarkandquiet.

Onemanontheship,TitusOates,smiledatScott.

'Whatanexcitingday,Captain!

'hesaid.'Lookatthosepeople!

Ifeellikeanimportantman!

'

Scottlaughed.'Youareimportant,Titus,'hesaid.'Andyou'regoingtobefamous,too.Weallare.Doyouseethisflag?

'HelookedatthebigBritishflagatthebackoftheship,andsmiledatOates.'Thatflagiscomingwithus,'hesaid.

'IntheAntarctic,I'mgoingtocarryitundermyclothes.We'regoingtobethefirstmenattheSouthPole,andthatflagisgoingtobefirst,too!

'

**********

Fivedayslater,onJune6th,amanopenedthedoorofhiswoodenhouseinNorway.Hewasatallman,withalongface.Hewaitedoutsidethehouseforaminute.Everythingwasveryquiet.Hecouldseenohouses,onlymountains,trees,andwater.Itwasnearlydark.Theskywasblackoverthemountains.

Themansmiled,andwalkedquicklyawayfromthehouse,downtothesea.Inthewater,abigwoodenshipwaitedforhim.Themangotontotheship,andtalkedandlaughedquietlywithhisfriends.

Theship'snamewasFram,andthemanwasRoaldAmundsen.TheFramwasthemostbeautifulshiponearth,Amundsenthought.Hisfriendswerethebestskiersonearth,too.Oneofthem,OlavBjaaland,smiledathim.

'NorthPole,herewecome,Captain,'hesaid.

'Yes.'Amundsensaid.Hisfriendscouldnotseehisfaceinthedark.'FramisgoingtotheArctic.'

EveryoneontheFramwasreadytogototheNorthPole,totheArctic.Amundsenwantedtogothere,too.Butfirsthewantedtogosouth.Hisfriendsdidn'tknowthat.

AtmidnightonJune6th,theFrammovedquietlyawayfromAmundsen'shouse,outtosea.

Chapter2TheRace

TheFramwenttoanislandinthesouthofNorway.Itwasaverylittleisland,withonlyonesmallwoodenhouse,twotrees—andnearlyahundreddogs.

'Lookatthat!

'Bjaalandsaid.'It'sanislandofdogs!

Therearedogsinthewater,nearthetrees,onthehouse—dogseverywhere!

'

Twomencameoutofthehouse.'Hassel!

Lindstrom!

'Amundsensaid.'It'sgoodtoseeyou!

Howmanydogsdoyouhaveforme?

'

'Ninety-nine,Roald,'saidHassel.'Thebestninety-ninedogsfromGreenland.Andthey'reveryhappy!

Theydon'twork;theyjusteatandplayallday!

They'rehavingawonderfulsummerhere!

'

'Good,good.'Amundsenlaughed.'Butthat'sfinishednow.Hey,Bjaaland!

Stoplaughing—comedownhereandhelpme.Let'sgetallthesedogsontotheship!

'

Itwasnoteasy.Thedogswerefatandstrong,andtheydidn'twanttogoontheship.Butatlast,afterthreehours'hardwork,allninety-ninewereontheship,andtheFramwentouttoseaagain.

Themenwerenothappy.Theweatherwasbad,thedogsweredirty,andsomeofthemenwereill.Theybegantoaskquestions.

'Whyarewebringingdogswithus?

'askedoneman,Johansen.'We'regoingthousandsofkilometressouth,pastCapeHorn,andthennorthtoAlaska.Whynotwait,andgetdogsinAlaska?

'

'Don'taskme,'saidhisfriend,HelmerHanssen,'Idon'tunderstandit.'

Thementalkedforalongtime.Then,onSeptember9th,Amundsencalledeveryonetothebackoftheship.Hestoodquietlyandlookedatthem.Behindhimwasabigmap.ItwasnotamapoftheArctic.ItwasamapofAntarctica.

BjaalandlookedatHelmerHanssen,andlaughed.ThenAmundsenbegantospeak.

'Boys,'hesaid.'Iknowyouareunhappy.Youoftenaskmedifficultquestions,andIdon'tanswer.Well,I'mgoingtoanswerallthosequestionsnow,today.

Webegantoworkforthisjourneytwoyearsago.Then,wewantedtobethefirstmenattheNorthPole.Butlastyear,Peary,anAmerican,foundtheNorthPole.SoAmericawasfirsttotheNorthPole,notNorway.We'regoingthere,butwe'retoolate.'

'Idon'tunderstandthis,'Bjaalandthought.'WhyisAmundsentalkingabouttheNorthPole,withamapofAntarcticabehindhim?

'

Amundsenstoppedforaminute,andlookedatallthemenslowly.Noonesaidanything.

'WehavetogoalongwaysouthbeforewegettoAlaska,'hesaid.'VerynearAntarctica,youknow.AndCaptainScott,theEnglishman,isgoingtotheSouthPolethisyear.HewantstoputhisBritishflagthere.AnAmericanflagattheNorthPole,aBritishflagattheSouthPole.'

Bjaalandbegantounderstand.Hestartedtosmileandcouldn'tstop.Hewaswarmandexcited.

'Well,boys,'Amundsensaidslowly.'DowewanttheBritishtoputtheirflagattheSouthPolefirst?

Howfastcanwetravel?

Wehavealotofdogs,andsomeofthemostwonderfulskiersonearth—BjaalandhereisthebestinNorway!

SoIhaveanidea,boys.Let'sgototheSouthPole,andputtheNorwegianflagtherebeforetheBritish!

Whatdoyousay?

'

Foraminuteortwoitwasveryquiet.Amundsenwaited,andthemenwatchedhimandthought.ThenBjaalandlaughed.

'Yes!

'hesaid.'Whynot?

It'saskirace,isn'tit,andtheEnglishcan'tski!

It'sawonderfulidea,ofcourse!

Let'sgo!

'

Chapter3ThePonies

OnOctober27th,theTerraNovaarrivedinWellington,NewZealand.WhenScottcameofftheship,anewspapermanwalkeduptohim.

'CaptainScott!

CaptainScott!

CanItalktoyou,please!

'hesaid.

Scottstoppedandsmiled.'Yes,ofcourse,'hesaid.'Whatdoyouwanttoknow?

'

'Areyougoingtowin?

'themanasked.

'Win?

'Scottasked.'Winwhat?

'

'WintheracetotheSouthPole,ofcourse,'thenewspapermansaid.'It'saracebetweenyouandAmundsen,now.Lookatthis!

'HegaveanewspapertoScott.Scottlookedatit.Itsaid:

Scott'sfacewentwhite.'Givemethat!

'hesaid.Hetookthenewspaperandreaditcarefully.Thenewspapermanwatchedhim,andwaited.'Well,CaptainScott,'hesaidatlast.'Who'sgoingtowinthisrace?

Tellmethat!

'

Scottlookedathimangrily.'Thisisstupid!

'hesaid.'It'snotarace!

IcameheretolearnabouttheAntarctic—I'mnotinterestedinAmundsen,orinraces!

'Thenhewalkedbackon-tohisship,withthenewspaperinhishand.

Laterthatday,hetalkedtohismen.Hegavethemthenewspaper,andlaughed.

'Itdoesn'tmatter,'hesaid.'We'reinfrontofAmundsen,andwehavemoremen,andmoremoney.Hehasonlyeightmen,andalotofdogs.Iknowaboutdogs—theydon'tworkintheAntarctic.Wehavesixteenmenandthenewmotorsledges—theyaremuchbetter.Andtomorrowtheponiesarecoming.Weneedponies,motorsledges,andgoodstrongBritishmen—that'sall.ForgetaboutAmundsen!

He'snotimportant!

'

ScottaskedOatestolookaftertheponies,buthedidnotletOatesbuythem.WhenOatesfirstsawtheponies,inNewZealand,hewasveryunhappy.Mostoftheponieswereold,andsomeofthemwereill.

'They'rebeautifulponies,Titus,'Scottsaid.'TheycomefromChina—they'rewonderfulponies!

'

Oateslookedatthemangrily,andsaidnothing.Thenheasked:

'Whereistheirfood,Captain?

'

'Here!

'Scottopenedadoor.

Oateslookedinside.Hethoughtforaminute.'Weneedmorefoodthanthis,CaptainScott!

Theseponiesaregoingtoworkinthecoldestplaceonearth—theyneedalotoffood—morethanthis!

'

Scottsmiledquietly.'Wecan'ttakemorefoodonthisship,Titus.Wherecanweputit?

Butitdoesn'tmatter,oldboy.They'reverystrongponies,youknow.Thebestponiesonearth.'

Laterthatnight,Oateswrotealettertohismother.TherearenineteenponiesontheTerraNovanow,hewrote.Alltheponiesareinasmallroomatthefrontoftheship.Weeatourfoodintheroomundertheponies,soourtableisoftenwetanddirty.Scottmakesalotofmistakes,Ithink,andAntarcticaisaverydangerousplace.

Chapter4FoodDepots

Thetwoships,TerraNovaandFram,arrivedinAntarctica,inJanuary1911,attheendofsummer.TheEnglishmenandtheNorwegianswantedtostayontheiceallwinter.TheywantedtobereadytogototheSouthPoleatthebeginningofthenextAntarcticsummer.

ThedogspulledtheNorwegians'sledges.Theyranquicklyoverthesnowandpulledthebigsledgesfromtheshipontotheice.Themenranbesidethemonskis.

Theyputabigwoodenhouseontheice.Thehousewasfulloffood,andskis,andsledges.TheycalleditFramheim.Outsidethehouse,thedogslivedinholesunderthesnow.Whenthehousewasready,themenmadetheirfirstjourneysouth.

Beforethewinter,theywantedtotakealotoffoodsouth,andleaveitindepots.ForthelongjourneytothePole,theyneededalotoffood,andtheycouldn'tcarryitallwiththem.OnFebruary10th,fivemen,threesledges,eighteendogs,andhalfatonneoffoodleftFramheimandwentsouth.

Itwaseasy.TheweatherwaswarmfortheAntarctic,between（minus）-7°（degree）Centigradeand-17°Centigrade.Thesnowwasgood,andthedogsandskiswentfast.Theywentfiftyorsixtykilometreseveryday.Afterfourdaystheyreached80°South,andmadethefirstdepot.

Amundsenmadehisdepotverycarefully.Itwasveryimportanttofinditagain,nextsummer.Soheputabigblackflagontop.Thenheputtenflagstotheeastofthedepot—eachflaghalfakilometrefromthenext—andtenflagstothewest.Sotherewereflagsforfivekilometrestotheleftofthedepot,andfivekilometrestotheright.

ThentheywentbacktoFramheim,andtooksomemorefoodsouth,thistimeto82°South.（degrees）

Thistimeitwasharder.Thetemperaturewassometimes（minus）-40°