Matterhorn man
馬特霍恩山區(qū)人
Modern alpinists try to climb mountains by a route which will give them good sport, and the more difficult it is, the more highly it is regarded. In the pioneering days, however, this was not the case at all. The early climbers were looking for the easiest way to the top, because the summit was the prize they sought, especially if it had never been attained before. It is true that during their explorations they often faced difficulties and dangers of the most perilous nature, equipped in a manner which would make a modern climber shudder at the thought, but they did not go out of their way to court such excitement. They had a single aim, a solitary goal -- the top! It is hard for us to realize nowadays how difficult it was for the pioneers. Except for one or two places such as Zermatt and Chamonix, which had rapidly become popular, Alpine villages tended to be impoverished settlements cut off from civilization by the high mountains. Such inns as there were generally dirty and flea-ridden; the food simply local cheese accompanied by bread often twelve months old, all washed down with coarse wine. Often a valley boasted no inn at all, and climbers found shelter wherever they could -- sometimes with the local priest who was usually as poor as his parishioners, sometimes with shepherds or cheese-makers. Invariably the background was the same: dirt and poverty, and very uncomfortable. For men accustomed to eating seven-course dinners and sleeping between fine linen sheets at home, the change to the Alps must have been very hard indeed.
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現(xiàn)代登山運(yùn)動(dòng)員總想找一條能夠給他們帶來運(yùn)動(dòng)樂趣的路線來攀登山峰。他們認(rèn)為， 道路愈艱險(xiǎn)愈帶勁兒。然而，在登山運(yùn)動(dòng)的初期，全然不是這種情況。早期登山者所尋找的是通往山頂?shù)淖罘奖愕耐緩�，因�(yàn)轫敺逄貏e是前人未曾到過的頂峰 -- 才是他們尋求的目標(biāo)。確實(shí)，在探險(xiǎn)中他們經(jīng)常遇到驚心動(dòng)魄的困難和危險(xiǎn)，而他們裝備之簡陋足以使現(xiàn)代登山者一想起來就膽戰(zhàn)心驚。但是，他們并非故意尋求這種刺激，他們只有一個(gè)目標(biāo)，唯一的目標(biāo) -- 頂峰!
我們今天很難想像昔日的登山先驅(qū)們是多么艱苦。除了澤曼特和夏蒙尼等一兩個(gè)很快出了名的地方外，阿爾卑斯山山區(qū)的小村幾乎全是高山環(huán)抱、與世隔絕的窮鄉(xiāng)僻壤。那里的小客棧一般都很骯臟，而且跳蚤猖獗。 食物是當(dāng)?shù)氐母衫液屯ǔ４娣帕艘荒曛玫拿姘�，人們就著劣酒吞下這種食物。山谷里常常沒有小客棧，登山者只好隨遇而安。有時(shí)同當(dāng)?shù)啬翈?(他通常和他的教民一樣窮)住在一起，有時(shí)同牧羊人或制乳酪的人住在一起。無論住在哪兒，情況都一樣：骯臟、貧窮，極其不舒適。對于過慣了一頓飯吃7道菜、睡亞麻細(xì)布床單的人來說，變換一下生活環(huán)境來到阿爾卑斯山山區(qū)，那一定是很艱難的。
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