三峡 · The Three Gorges

长江Chángjiāng从cóng青藏高原Qīng-Zàng Gāoyuán奔流bēnliú而下,ér xià在zài西陵、Xīlíng巫峡、Wū Xiá瞿塘Qútáng之间zhījiān被bèi群山qún shān紧紧jǐnjǐn夹住。jiā zhù

The Yangtze rushes down from the Tibetan Plateau and is gripped tight by mountains between Xiling, Wu and Qutang.

那一段nà yí duàn两百公里liǎng bǎi gōnglǐ的de水路,shuǐlù古人gǔrén称之为chēng zhī wéi三峡。Sān Xiá

That two-hundred-kilometre stretch of water the ancients called the Three Gorges.

两岸liǎng àn的de悬崖xuányá高gāo得de几乎jīhū看不见kàn bú jiàn天,tiān江水jiāngshuǐ在zài中间zhōngjiān挤出jǐ chū一条yì tiáo窄窄的zhǎizhǎi de路。lù

The cliffs on both banks rise so high the sky is nearly invisible, and the water squeezes a narrow road between them.

一千五百年前,yì qiān wǔ bǎi nián qián郦道元Lì Dàoyuán在zài《水经注》里Shuǐ Jīng Zhù lǐ写下xiě xià"重岩叠嶂,chóng yán dié zhàng隐天蔽日"。yǐn tiān bì rì

Fifteen centuries ago Li Daoyuan wrote in the Commentary on the Waterways Classic: "Layered cliffs and folded peaks, hiding the sky and blotting out the sun."

唐朝Táng cháo的de李白Lǐ Bái也yě曾céng在zài这里zhèlǐ留下liú xià"两岸猿声啼不住,liǎng àn yuán shēng tí bú zhù轻舟已过万重山"。qīng zhōu yǐ guò wàn chóng shān

Li Bai of the Tang also left lines here: "The apes on both banks cry without cease, as the light boat has passed ten thousand mountains."

那是nà shì被bèi赦免shèmiǎn以后yǐhòu顺流而下shùn liú ér xià的de快意,kuàiyì一日千里。yí rì qiān lǐ

That was the exhilaration of drifting downstream after being pardoned — a thousand li in a single day.

千百年来,qiān bǎi nián lái三峡Sān Xiá既是jì shì绝景,jué jǐng也是yě shì险途。xiǎn tú

For centuries the Three Gorges were both a sublime sight and a perilous passage.

江面上jiāngmiàn shàng常cháng有yǒu沉船chén chuán的de传说,chuánshuō纤夫qiànfū赤着脚chì zhe jiǎo在zài岩壁上yánbì shàng拉lā船chuán前行。qiánxíng

Legends of sunken boats haunted the water, while barefoot trackers hauled vessels forward along the rock face.

二十世纪末,èrshí shìjì mò一座yí zuò巨大jùdà的de水坝shuǐbà在zài这里zhèlǐ开始kāishǐ修建。xiūjiàn

At the end of the twentieth century, an enormous dam began to rise here.

它tā带来dàilái了le世界上shìjiè shàng最大zuì dà的de水电站,shuǐdiàn zhàn也yě带来dàilái了le防洪fánghóng的de能力。nénglì

It brought the world's largest hydroelectric station, and flood control as well.

但dàn水位shuǐwèi上升shàngshēng了le一百多米,yì bǎi duō mǐ淹没yānmò了le上千个shàng qiān ge村庄cūnzhuāng和hé城镇。chéngzhèn

But the water rose more than a hundred metres, drowning over a thousand villages and towns.

一百多万人yì bǎi duō wàn rén离开líkāi了le祖祖辈辈zǔzǔ bèibèi生活shēnghuó的de土地。tǔdì

More than a million people left land their families had worked for generations.

有些yǒu xiē古迹gǔjì被bèi整体zhěngtǐ搬到bān dào了le高处,gāo chù有些yǒu xiē永远yǒngyuǎn沉chén在zài了le水下。shuǐ xià

Some ancient sites were moved whole to higher ground; others lie under the water forever.

今天jīntiān的de游船yóuchuán平稳地píngwěn de驶过,shǐ guò乘客chéngkè举着jǔ zhe手机shǒujī拍照。pāizhào

Today the cruise boats glide through smoothly, passengers holding up their phones.

江面jiāngmiàn比bǐ从前cóngqián宽阔,kuānkuò也yě比bǐ从前cóngqián安静。ānjìng

The river is broader than it once was, and quieter than it once was.

那些nàxiē猿声yuán shēng早已zǎo yǐ听不见了,tīng bú jiàn le只有zhǐ yǒu山shān还hái站zhàn在zài原来yuánlái的de地方。dìfang

Those ape cries have long been beyond hearing; only the mountains still stand where they stood.