Unit ThreePeacefulness and Beauty of Wu Gorge

Peacefulness and Beauty of Wu Gorge

Minor Three Gorges of the Daning River (I)

Minor Three Gorges of the Daning River(II)

Tales About the Goddess Peak

Dachang Town

The Wu Gorge is about 45 kilometers long , extending from the entrance of the Daning River in Wushan County of Chongqing in the west, to Guandukou of Badong County, Hubei Province in the east . It is the second gorge of the Yangtze Three Gorges. It is also called the Great Gorge for being long and neat . The Wu Gorge is divided into two sections . The west section consists of the Golden Helmet and Silver Armor Gorge and the Arrow-passing Gorge . The east section consists of the Iron Coffin Gorge and the Door Gorge .

“When the Qutang rolls on to an end, the Wu gorge rises with its delicated peaks”. Rushing out of the Qutang Gorge, the Yangtze River passes through the Daning River Broad Valley, takes in the Daning River in Wushan County of Chongqing , then goes into the gallery-like Wu Gorge. The Wu Gorge is noted for its long and deep , full of fantastic scenery with countless twists and turns .

There are weird peaks with mists rising. Traveling through the Wu Gorge in a boat , one sometimes may find the way blocked by huge mountains. But a sharp turn of the boat brings one to an area of entirely different scenery .

This gallery consists of three terraces , eight landscapes and twelve peaks. Three terraces are Chuyang Terrace, Book Presenting Terrace and Dragon Slaying Terrace. Eight landscapes are Spring Dawn of Nanling, Sunset Glow , Evening Ferry of the Ninghe River, Fishing in Qing Stream , Autumn Moon Reflected in a Clear Pool, Temples Among Beautiful Peaks, Taoist Temple and the Stones, Morning Clouds and Evening Rains. The three terraces and eight landscapes have different style , but the twelve peaks are even more unique.

After the water lever rose to 139 meters, except the Twelve Peaks of the Wu Gorge, a few famous scenic spots and cultural relics ( 遗物 , 遗迹 ) were completely submerged, such as the engraved inscription

“The Chasm between Hubei and Sichuan ” at the border of the original Sichuan and Hubei , the ancient Kuiwu plank roads on cliffs, deep traces marked by towing on the rocks beside the river. Out of the east mouth of the Wu Gorge is Guandukou Town of Badong County, Hubei Province, where the Yangtze River flows into the Xiangxi River Broad Valley .

幽深秀丽的巫峡 巫峡是长江三峡中最为幽深秀丽的峡，西起重

庆市巫山县的大宁河口，东到湖北省巴东县的官渡口， 全长 45 公里，是长江三峡的第二峡。因为巫峡既长又整齐， 所以又叫大峡。巫峡分东西两段，西段由金盔银甲峡和箭穿峡组成；东段由铁棺峡和门扇峡组成。

“ 瞿塘迤俪尽，巫峡峥嵘起”。长江冲出瞿塘之后，过大宁河宽谷，在重庆巫山县接纳了大宁河谷， 便进入了画廊般的巫峡。巫峡以幽深秀丽擅奇天下，它峡长谷深，奇峰绵延，云升雾腾，景色迷人。船过巫峡，时而苍崖相逼，好象江流阻塞，时而峰回路转，别有江天。

Translation

这条山水画长廊由三台、八景、十二峰组成。三台为楚阳台、授书台、斩龙台；八景为南陵春晓、夕阳返照、宁河晚渡、清溪鱼钓、澄潭秋月、秀峰禅刹、女观贞石、朝云暮雨，三台八景的景色各有情趣，而十二峰则是天下景观之一绝。

三峡工程蓄水 139 米以后， 除了巫峡十二峰以外，巫峡里一些著名的景点和人文景观， 如原川鄂边界的“楚蜀鸿沟”题刻，悬崖绝壁上的夔巫栈道，刻在江边岩石上的累累纤痕等，都全部沉入江中。出巫峡东口便是湖北省巴东县的官渡口镇，长江从这里便进入了香溪河宽谷。back

巫山人家

Passage 1

Minor Three Gorges of the Daning River (I)

The Daning River rises at the south foot of Daba Mountain and flows through Wuxi County and Wushan County and joins the Yangtze River at the west end of Wu Gorge. From Wu Mountain to Dachang there lies a 60-kilometer stretch where there are the famous Minor Three Gorges, i.e. Longmen Gorge, Bawu Gorge and Dicui Gorge. It is said that the Minor Three Gorges are not inferior to the real Three Gorges in scenery . They are even better than the Yangtze Three Gorges in some aspects . As a saying goes: Every mountain is verdant ; all the waters are green ; every peak is unique ; all the waterfalls create dreamy mists .

The jetty at the southern entrance to Longmen (Dragon Gate) Gorge is only a few kilometers from the county seat of Wushan. The old name for Longmen Gorge was Luomen Gate. A huge rock at the entrance of the gorge is shaped like a turnip.

The gorge is therefore also called Turnip Gate . Only three kilometers in length , it is the shortest of the Minor Three Gorges. As the surroundings look like Kuimen, it is also called the Minor Kuimen . As soon as one enters this gorge , one will see a clear spring flowing down from a cliff on the right hand-side . It splashes down all the year round without drying and is called Dragon Gate Spring . The mountain peaks along both banks are shaped like all kinds of animals and birds , including tiger , elephant and lion .

Looking up these weird peaks , one feels that one has come to a zoo. The strangest of these peaks is the Ganoderma Peak . It stands like a column supporting the sky and is surrounded by nine dragon-shaped stone blocks known as the Nine Dragon Columns . On the cliff face on the left bank are two parallel rows of square holes . Each square hole is about 20cm high and wide and 30cm deep .There is an interval of 1.6m between the holes . They are the remains of an ancient plank path built on the cliff face for people to walk on .

The holes were cut first in Qin and Han Dynasties for supporting bamboo pipes to take brine from Wuxi to Wushan , where it was evaporated and made into salt . The supports were rebuilt in Tang Dynasty and turned into a plank path . The plank path ran for 120km along cliffs that even animals cannot reach . It was one of the longest and most dangerous plank path ever built in China .

Notes:

1. 大宁河：大宁河发源于大巴山南麓的陕西省平利县，流经重庆的巫溪和巫山两县，全长 300 多公里，在巫峡的西口处注入长江，是长江的最大的一条支流。它从 2000多米高的崇山峻岭中奔腾而下，切割地表，使得沿途形成了许多峡谷盛景，小三峡就是大宁河下游巫山县境内的一段。

2. to be inferior to :

lower in rank , social position , quality , importance , etc.

（位置）下面的；（身份）下级的，低下的；（质量等） 低劣的，普通的，差的

e.g. She always felt inferior to her older sisters .

This clothes is inferior to that one .

minor a. 较小的 , 次要的 columns n. 圆柱 , 柱壮物

stretch v. 伸展 , 伸长 weird a. 怪异的

inferior a. 下等的 , 下级的 ganoderma n （中药）灵芝

aspect n. 样子 , 外表 , 方面 verdant a. 翠绿的 , 青翠的

block n. 木块 , 石块 , 块 dreamy a. 空幻的 , 梦想的

parallel a. 平行的 , 相同的 mist n. 薄雾

interval n. 间隔 , 距离 , 幕间休息 etty n. 防波堤 , 码头 dynasty n. 朝代 , 王朝 turnip n. [ 植 ] 芜箐甘蓝，萝卜

brine n. 盐水 splash v. 溅 , 泼 , 溅湿

plank n. 厚木板 , 支架

New Words:

Exercises

I. Answer the questions:

1. Have you ever heard of the Minor Three Gorges and how do you think about it ?

2. What was the old name for the Longmen Gorge ?

3. When was the plank path first made ?

4. What were the square holes originally used for ?

Key

II. Decide the statements true or fault:

1. The Daning River joins the Yangtze River at the east end of Wu Gorge . ( )

2. The Dragon Gate Gorge is three meters long and it is the longest Gorge of the Minor Three Gorges . ( )

3. The Dragon Gate Spring never stops splashing all the year round . ( )

4. The reason for cutting the holes in Qing and Han Dynasties was to make a path for people to climb the mountain . ( ) Key

III. Multiple choices

1. The Longmen Gorge is also called .

A. the Minor Kuimen B. Dragon Gate Spring

C. the Ganoderma Peak D. Dachang

2. The ancient plank path ran for 120 kilometers along cliffs . The cliffs was too dangerous even for to reach .

A. soldiers B. local people

C. wild animals D. birds Key

3. Every mountain in the Wu gorge is

A. brown in color B. fresh and green

C. bald D. wet and green

4. The mountain peaks along both banks in Longmen Gorge are shaped like

A. tiger B. elephant

C. lion D. birds and animals

Key

大宁河，发源于大巴山南麓，流经巫溪、巫山两县，在巫峡的西口注入长江。从巫山到大昌，有一段长达 60 公里的山溪性河谷，这就是遐迩闻名的大宁河小三峡。小三峡由龙门峡 、巴雾峡、滴翠峡组成。这里，不是三峡，胜似三峡，有山皆翠，有水皆绿，有峰皆奇，有瀑皆飞。

从巫山县城出发，步行数里即至龙门峡南口的码头。龙门峡古称雒门，峡口有一巨石兀立，形似萝卜，故俗称萝门，长仅三公里，是小三峡中最短的一个峡，其形胜若夔门，又有小夔门之称。一进峡，便可看到右岸岩壁上有一股清泉，水花四射，常年不涸，曰“龙门泉”。仰视林列于两岸的奇峰异峦，真好象来到万牲园里，一座座山峰，如狮象虎，似兽若禽，使人应接不暇。最为奇秀的莫如灵芝峰，它象一擎天石柱，撑立云端，周围有九个龙形石墩，名为九龙柱。左岸石壁上有两排平行的方孔，每孔长宽各 20厘米，深约 30厘米，这是古栈道的遗迹。据传开凿于秦汉时期，用以架设竹管，将巫溪盐卤送至巫山熬制；到唐代又加以改造，成为人行栈道，这条栈道全长约 120 公里，大部分开凿于禽兽难以攀缘的绝壁上，是我国最长而又最险的古栈道之一。

Translation:大宁河小三峡 （Ⅰ）

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Passage 2

Minor Three Gorges of the Daning River(II)

Steering out of Longmen Gorge and past Silver Nest Shoal and the broad valley of Loquat Shoal , one enters Bawu Gorge which is 10km in length from Tortoise Shoal to Xiawan . The fantastic peaks content for power and the bizarrely shaped rocks vie for beauty and meaning . They look like different objects , humans , and animals and are of different sizes and shapes . The cliff on the right-hand side of the gorge is reddish brown in color . On the cliff face is a rectangular cave with a coffin painted black in it . It is a suspended coffin placed there by the Ba people of the Warring States Period .

The local people mistook it for an iron coffin and called the gorge Iron Coffin Gorge . The cliff is so steep that it is almost impossible for people to climb , even monkeys have great difficulty reaching there and flying birds seldom root there . When and how were such heavy objects placed there ? Why were they placed there ? These questions remain unanswered .

The peaks and rocks along both ranks are all wonderfully shaped and each has a vivid name , such as Dragon In and Tiger Out , Horse Returning Mountain and Fairy Maid Throwing an Embroidered Ball . The local people and boatmen can talk endlessly about them .

Dicui Gorge extends for 20 kilometers from the Ox Nose Cave at Shuanglong to Tujiaba with various peaks and green bamboo forests on both banks . Sometimes the river flows rapidly like an arrow and sometimes becomes smooth like a mirror .

Mandarin ducks swim in pairs across the reflections of the high peaks . In the reflections on the water , we can see monkeys leap from beach to beach . In the gorge , we can see Water Curtain Cave with the water falling as if it were thousands of silver threads hanging down . We can also find lifelike rock statues of Buddha , rain from the Heavenly Spring drizzling in the ever-lasting mists ,

as well as layers of rocks called Chibi Motain ( Sky Scraping Red Wall ) that is hundreds of feet high and thousands of meters long . It is the most picturesque of the Minor Three Gorges .

On the banks of the Daning River are holes of square shape . They form a chain of about 320 kilometers long . These holes are the remains of the ancient plank road . From this we can find the difficulty to reach the now Sichuan province in ancient times .

steer v. 驾驶 , 掌舵 steep adj. 陡峭的 , 险峻的

nest n. 巢 , 窝 , 隐匿处 root v. ( 使 )生根 ,扎根

shoal n. 浅滩 , 鱼群 , 大量 vivid a. 生动的 , 鲜明的

loquat n. 枇杷 embroider v. 刺绣 , 镶边

tortoise n. 龟 , 迟缓的人 endlessly a. 不断地

content v. 使满足 reflection n. 反射 , 反省

bizarre a. 奇异的 (容貌等 ) leap v. 跳 , 跳越 , 跳跃

vie v. 竞争 curtain n. 窗帘 , 门帘

New Words:

cliff n. 悬崖 , 绝壁 reddish a. 微红的 ,

略带红色的 Buddha n. 佛 rectangular a. 矩形的 ,

成直角的 drizzle n. 细雨

statues n. 雕像

picturesque a. 独特的

coffin n. 棺材

suspended a. 悬浮的 chain n. 链 ( 条 ),

镣铐 , 一系列

1. 小三峡 : 小三峡是大宁河下游巫山县境内的一段，它兼得长江之胜，却又别有天地。三峡工程蓄水之后，水位上升许多，大型游船能够行使在波平如镜的水面上，过去那些险滩和激流早已成为往日的回忆。今天的小三峡没有了号子，没有了力的张扬，显得格外温柔。只有滴翠峡还保存着昔日那种险峻的山势和屹立的峭壁，让我们感觉到小三峡往日的风姿。

2. as if ;: as though conj. 好像…似的 ; 仿佛…似的

e.g.

It looks as if it is (were , was) going to rain .

He opened his lips as if to speak .

Notes:

Exercises

I. Answer the questions:

1. Why did the local people give “Bawu Godge” another name “Iron Coffin Gorge”?

2. Give some examples of vivid names of peaks and rocks which was mentioned in the passage in the Bawu Gorg.

3. Which gorge is the most picturesque of the Minor Three Gorges?

4. Where can we find lifelike rock statues of Buddha, in the Gragon Gate Gorge, Bawu Gorge or in Dicui Gorge?

Key

II. Decide the statements true or false:1. Dicui Gorge begins from Ox Nose Cave to Tu Family Dam (Tujiaba) and has a total length of twenty kilometers . ( )

2. Dicui Gorge is noted for its many mountain peaks , caves , springs , waterfalls and karst formations. ( )

3. “Dragon In and Tiger Out” , “Horse Returning Mountain” , “Water Curtain Cave ” and “Chibi Motian” are all in Dicui Gorge . ( )

4. Chibi Motain is the most spectacular sight in the Lesser Three Gorges . ( ) Key

III. Multiple choices:

1. The fantastic peaks content for .

A. beauty B. meaning

C. strength D. ability

2. The cliff on the right-hand side of the gorge is brown in color .

A. slightly red B. deep red

C. rather yellow D. red color

Key

3. The local people it for an iron coffin and called the gorge Iron Coffin Gorge .

A. understood B. realized

C. know D. had a wrong idea about

4. The local people and boatmen about the gorges .

A. talk constantly B. never finish talking

C. go on talking D. not stop talking

Key

出龙门峡，上银窝滩，再穿过枇杷洲宽谷，即进入巴雾峡。此峡从枇杷洲的乌龟滩起至巴雾峡的下湾止，长10 公里。峡内奇峰争雄，怪石争形，似人、似物、似兽的钟乳石千姿百态。峡内右岸赤黄色绝壁上有一长形洞口，洞中有一黑漆棺木，据说是战国时巴人的悬棺。峡民以为是铁棺，所以多称此峡为铁棺峡。在这岩高千仞，猿猴难至，飞鸟不栖的绝处，如此重物，究竟是什么年代、怎样搁置上去的？为什么要如此搁置？一直是千古不解之迷。

Translation:

大宁河小三峡（Ⅱ）

巴雾峡两岸的峰峦异石妣美竞奇，且都有一个非常形象的名字，如：“龙进虎出”、“马归山”、“仙女抛绣球”等，峡民船家讲起来津津乐道，如数家珍。

滴翠峡从双龙的牛鼻洞至涂家坝，长 20 公里。两岸群峰竞秀，脆竹葱茏。河面上，时而激流似箭，时而波平如镜。岩影波光中，常能见到鸳鸯戏水，群猴攀枝。峡内，有宛如银丝千缕的水帘洞，有栩栩如生的摩崖佛像，有终年烟雨蒙蒙的天泉飞雨，有高逾百丈、横亘数里、金碧辉煌的“赤壁摩天”等名胜风光。这是小三峡中最长而又最美丽多姿的一个峡。

大宁河两岸石壁上，凿有排列有序的方形石孔，石孔盘山环绕，长达 320 多公里，这是古人架设栈道凿孔所留下的遗迹。“蜀道难，难于上青天”由此可见一斑。

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Passage 3

Tales About the Goddess Peak

神女峰夜月

Wu Gorge , long and deep , has fantastic scenery with countless twists and turns . The Twelve Peaks are breathtaking and lie on both sides of Wu Gorge . Among the twelve peaks , the Goddess Peak is the most strange and attractive one .A folk tale says once upon a time , there lived in the heavenly palace a goddess named Yao Ji , who was the twenty-third daughter of the Queen Mother of the west . She was intelligent , kindhearted and active in temperament . She could not endure the quiet life in the heavenly palace . So on August 15 , she left the the palace to speed across the sky .

She flew over thousands of mountains and saw many wonderful scenes of the human world . But when she came to the mist-enveloped Wushan Mountains , she saw twelve dragons causing trouble to the people and Yu who was harnessing the water was surrounded by the flood . Moved by Yu’s indomitable spirit , Yao Ji decided to eliminate the evils for Yu . From the top of the cloud , she pointed her finger towards the dragons . Thunders began to roar causing mountains and earth to tremor . When everything became quiet again , the bodies of the twelve dragons had turned into twelve huge mountains .

Yu climbed to the top of the Wushan Mountains to express his gratitude to Yao Ji , but all he saw there was a slender rock standing there . It is a single block thrusting into the sky and surrounded by green peaks and fog. When white clouds and mists surround the peak , it looks like a human figure of a slim and beautiful young goddess wearing a white silk scarf .

She gazes at the river from sunrise to sunset full of passion and love , so the peak has got another name ,Wangxia Peak. Year after year ， She stood on top of Wushan pointing the way for the passing ships , driving away wild animals , spreading drifting rain for the people . She began to forget about the heavenly palace and herself . Eventually she turned into the Goddess Peak for people to admire.

The legend about the goddess Peak is popular in the area of the Wushan Mountains . There are several versions .

In memory of her , the local people in ancient times gave her the honorable title of “Wonderful True Taoist”, which was built at the foot of Flying Phoenix Peak . The flat terrace on the mountain is Book Presenting Terrace where the goddess gave Yu the book .

When traveling in the Wu Gorge , people are most concerned about whether the charisma of the Twelve Peaks of the Wu Gorge still remain . “ The Goddess Peak if she is still there , will marvel at a world so changed .” Today the Twelve Peaks still compete their beauty and magnificence each other . The Goddess Peak is still slim and elegant. Romantic stories and legends attract countless tourists .

Notes:

1. 巫 山：巫山山脉位于川鄂交界处，北与大巴山相连，呈东北 --- 西南走向，主峰乌云顶海拔约 2400 米。长江由西向东横切巫山背斜，出现了百里巫峡。巫山是我国著名暴雨区之一，雨量特多，又是石灰岩地区，在长期风雨侵蚀和河川深切之下，形成了气势峥嵘，姿态万千的座座奇峰峻峦。十二峰就是巫山峰林中引人入胜的姣姣者。

2. 巫山十二峰 : 巫山十二峰分别座落在巫山县东部的长江两岸，江南江北各有六峰。海拔高程均在 800---1200 米之间，神女峰高程为 920 米。蓄水后泛舟江中，游船离山顶仍有 700 米的高差。两岸山峰的万千景色叫人应接不暇。特别是那深谷，蒸郁不散的湿气，常常沿着山坡冉冉上升，有时形成浮云细雨，有时化作滚滚乌云，有时变为茫茫白雾，群峰间云漂雾绕，虚幻飘渺，宛若人间仙境。

New Words:

heavenly a. 如天堂的 scarf n. 围巾 , 头巾

temperament n. 气质 , 易激动 passion n. 激情 , 热情

endure v. 耐久 , 忍耐 drifting a. 漂流的 , 飘动的

indomitable a. 不屈不挠的 honorable a. 可敬的 ,光荣的

eliminate vt. 排除 , 消除 harness vt. 治理

evils n. 邪恶 , 罪恶 concerned a. 关心的 , 有关的

tremor n. 震动 , 颤动 charisma n. 超凡魅力 , 感召力

gratitude n. 感谢的心情 marvel n. 奇迹

slender a. 苗条的 , 微薄的 compete vi. 比赛 , 竞争

thrust n. 插入 , 挤进 elegant a. 文雅的 , 端庄的

figure n. 外形 , 轮廓 romantic a. 传奇式的 , 浪漫的

Exercises

I. Answer the questions:

1. Which spot are people most interested in when they travel in the Wu Gorge ?

2. Why did Yaoji leave Heavenly ?

3. What did Yu see when he came to the top of the Wushan Mountains ?

4. What does the Goddess Peak look like when white clouds and mists surround it ?

5. What are people most concerned about the Twelve Peaks after the water level reached 139 meters ?

Key

Key

II. Decide the statements true or false:

1. Among the Twelve Peaks, Wangxia Peak is the most strange and attractive one . ( )

2. Yao Ji was a pretty goddess who had mental ability . ( )

3. Yao Ji stood on top of Wushan pointing the way for the passing ships, driving away wild animals, spreading drifting rain for the people once in a while . ( )

Key

4.When the ship enters the area of the Twelve Peaks , the scenes change so constantly that it is hard for the eye to follow . ( )

5. After the water level rose to 139 meters except the Goddess Peak , the rest peaks were completely submerged . ( )

III. Multiple choices:

1. Yao Ji was deeply moved by Yu’s ____ soul .

A. unyielding B. countless

C. endless D. romantic Key

Key

2. Yu was a hero who____ the water under control in ancient times .

A. controlled B. brought C. found D. changed

3. The Goddess Peak is the most _____ .

A. charming and pleasing B. impressing and exciting

C. moving and interesting D. unforgettable and enjoyable

4. Yao JI gazes at the river from sunrise to sunset full of ____, so the peak has got another name ,Wangxia Peak ( Facing the Sun Peak ).

A. smiling B. laughter

C. strong feeling of love D. gigglingKey

巫峡绮丽俊秀，峡长谷深，江流曲折，云升雾腾。两岸屏列巫山十二峰，其间的神女峰是天下景观之一绝。

传说远古时代，瑶池宫里住着西天王母的第二十三个女儿，名瑶姬。她聪慧美丽，心地善良，活泼开朗，耐不住宫中的寂寞生活。八月十五这一天，她腾云驾雾，遨游四方。一路上，她飞越千峰万岭，阅尽人间奇景。当她来到巫山时，只见十二条恶龙兴风作浪，正在治水的大禹也被洪水围困其间。瑶姬敬佩大禹三过家门而不入的治水精神，决定助他治水。于是，瑶姬用手指轻轻一指，只见惊雷滚滚，地动山摇。待到风平浪静，十二条蛟龙的尸体已化作十二座大山。

Translation:

神女峰的传说

夏禹登上巫山向瑶姬致谢。上山之后，只见眼前一块婷婷玉立的青石，独秀一枝，高耸云端，峰颠一石，突兀于清峰云雾之中，形似一位亭亭玉立的少女。每当云烟缭绕峰顶，她象披上霓裳羽衣薄纱似的，更显得脉脉含情，妩媚动人。她远眺江天，朝迎晨曦，暮送晚霞，故又名望峡峰。年复一年，她伫立在巫山之巅，为行船指点航向，为百姓驱除虎豹，为人间耕云播雨，她忘记了西天，也忘记了自己，变成了那座令人向往的神女峰。

神女峰的传说，在巫山地区流行甚广，其说不一。古代巫山百姓为了纪念他们心目中的“神女”，尊称她为“妙用真人”，在飞凤峰山麓，为她修建了一座“凝真观”（即神女庙），山腰上的一块平台，即神女向夏禹授书的授书台。

游览巫峡，人们最关心的就是三峡工程蓄水 139 米之后，巫峡十二峰的风姿是否依旧。“神女应无恙，当惊世界殊” ！今天的巫峡十二峰仍竞秀争雄，神女峰依然俏丽，浪漫动人的神话传说吸引着无数游客心驰神往。

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Passage 4 Dachang Town

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The ancient town of Dachang is located at the Dicui Gorge of the Daning River. As the first big town on the Daning River, it was the government county site in every dynasty and used to be an important wharf. In addition, it’s also a collecting and distributing center for herbs and other mountain products on the Daning River. The town is 450 meters long from south to north, and 200 meters wide from east to west. Except for the north street, the other three streets and city gates for them are preserved well with the style of Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is one of the few well-protected ancient towns in Sichuan Province.

Within the town, most of the houses are ingenious and unique quadrangles with richly ornamented beams and curving and stretching roofs, built in Qing Dynasty or earlier to live in . The Wen’s house is a typical model of this style of architecture. There is a Neolithic historical site and many cultural relics in Shang Dynasty, the Warring States Period and Qin Dynasty were excavated.

Walking upstream from Dicui Gorge for a few kilometers, tourists can enjoy the ancient town’s charm. Entering from the south gate into the town is like walking into a passage of memory of faraway history. People are scarcely seen on the bluish-gray slab-stone streets.

The ancient courtyards motley in appearance along both sides reflect its glory of the past. Dachang is considered a mini model of ancient towns. There is a ballad about it: “Only one lamp is needed to light the whole town. People in the south street can talk directly to those in the north. Everybody knows what is going on in other people’s house.” But the people in the town are honest and simple. That’s why there is another ballad: “The vagrants won’t miss their hometowns once they settle in Dachang.”

During the construction of the Three Gorges Project, Dachang has been relocated to Dengjialing downstream the Daning River, everything has been duplicated the similar to its original architectural layout and style, including the east, west, south gates, Wen’s House and the Ding’s Street as the five key scenic spots. After the water level is raised in 2006, the ancient town of Dachang will be changed into a large lake, burying the 1700-year old stories deep under the water as well as in people’s everlasting memory.

Notes:

1. except for: 除……之外，撇开

e.g. High way programs, except for the interstate routes,

would be slashed .

The carpet is good except for its price .

2. once: 一旦……就

e.g. Once you have taken the examination, you’ll be able to

relax .

If one once loss confidence , he can never expect to do

his work well .

wharf n. 码头

herb n. 药草；香草

well-protected a. 保护完好的

quadrangle n. 四合院； 四边形

ingenious a. 制作精巧的；灵巧的

ornament v. 装饰；美化

architecture n. 建筑 ( 学 ), 建筑式样

relocate v. （使）迁移至新的地点；重新安置

excavate v. 挖掘；发掘

bluish-gray a. 蓝灰的

slab-stone n. 石板

motley a. 成分杂乱的；杂色的

ballad n. 民歌；歌谣；小调

vagrants n. 流浪者；漂泊者

neolithic a. 新石器时代的

duplicate v. 复制； 复印；提供拷贝

New words:

Exercises

I. Answer the Questions:

1. How is the geographical position of the Dachang Town ?

2. Why was the ancient town of Dachang important in history ?

3. What are the architectural features of the Dachang Town ?

4. Why is Dachang Town considered a mini model of ancient towns ?

5. What happened to the Dachang Town after the next rising of the water level in 2006 ?

Key

Key

II. Decide the statements true or false:1. Dachang Town is 200 meters long from south to north. ( )

2. Dachang Town is one of the few well-protected ancient towns in Hubei Province. ( )

3. There are many cultural relics of Shang Dynasty at Dachang. ( )

4. The people at Dachang are honest and simple. ( )

5. Now people have rebuilt a new Dachang Town according to its original architectural layout and style. ( )

Key

III. Multiple Choices:1. Dachang Town was a collecting and distributing centre for and other mountain products.

A. fish B. herbs C. poultry. D. artifacts

2. ______ of Dachang Town was damaged.

A. The east street B. The south street

C. The west street D. The north street

Key

3. Five key scenic spots in Dachang Town have been duplicated completely, including ______.

A. the Ding’s street B. Wen’s House

C. the east, west and south gates D. All of the above

4. We had a very pleasant time, ______ the weather.

A. except that B. unless C. except for D. until

5. ______ all the members of our touring party arrive, we can start.

A. Once B. Though C. If D. While

Key

大昌古镇 大昌镇位于大宁河滴翠峡口 .，作为宁河沿岸第一大镇，历代都是郡县治地，还曾是宁河的重要码头和药材、山货集散地。

整座古城南北长 450 米，东西宽约 200 米。除了北街外，东、西、南三条街道和三座城门都保持明清风格，是巴蜀境内少有的保存完好的古镇。城内屋宇多为四合院，精巧别致，雕梁画栋，翘角飞檐，都是清代或更早的民居，城内的温家大院是当地清代民居的典范。城西有新石器时代遗址，先后出土殷商、战国时期和秦汉文物。

Translation:

游客走出滴翠峡，逆流而上几公里，便能领略到它的最后风姿。穿过古城的南门，进入大昌古镇，就如同走进了那悠远的记忆之中 . 青石板的小巷里人很少，从两边陈旧斑驳的老房子上还依稀可以看到古镇往日的繁华。“一灯照全城，四门可通话，堂上打板子，户户看得见。”大昌俨然一座袖珍古城，古风浓郁，民风淳朴，民谣有“到了大昌，三年不想故乡”之说。

三峡库区建设中大昌古镇已进行了搬迁复建工作，新址造在大宁河下游的邓家岭，按原样以东、南、西三座城门和温家大院、丁家街口五处重点建筑定位，依原有的街道布局、空间视角重建大昌古镇。随着 2006年三峡工程再度蓄水，大昌古镇将变成一个大昌平湖，古镇 1700 多年的故事和传说将成为人们永恒的记忆。

Passage 1

I. 1. （略）

2. The old name for Longmen Gorge was Luomen Gate .

3. The plank path was first made in the Qin and Han Dynasties .

4. They were originally used for supporting bamboo pipes to take brine from Wuxi to Wushan , where it was evaporated and made into salt .

II. 1. F 2. F 3. T 4. T

III. 1. A 2. C 3. B 4. D

Key: (Unit 3)

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I. 1. Because the local people mistook the coffin painted black for an iron coffin .

2. Dragon In and Tiger Out , Horse Returning Mountain and Fairy Maid Throwing an Embroidered Ball .

3. Dicui Gorge is the most picturesque of the Lesser Three Gorges .

4. We can find lifelike rock statues of Buddha in Dicui Gorge .

II. 1. T 2. F 3. F 4. T

III. 1. C 2. A 3. D 4. B

Passage 2

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I. 1. People are most interested in The Goddess Peak when they travel in the Wu Gorge .

2. Because Yaoji admired the human life on the earth , she left heaven secretly .

3. He saw there was a slender rock standing there . It is a single block thrusting into the sky and surrounded by green peaks and fog .

4. The Goddess looks like a human figure wearing a white silk scarf . That figure appears to be a slim and beautiful young goddess .

Passage 3

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5. People are most concerned about whether the charisma of the Twelve Peaks of the Wu Gorge still remain, particularly after the water level reached 139 meters.

II. 1.T 2.T 3.F 4.T 5.F

III. 1.A 2.B 3.A 4.C

Passage 4

I.1. It is located at the Dicui Gorge of the Daning River.

2. Because it was the government county site in every dynasty and used to be an important wharf on the Daning River.

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3. Within the town, most of the houses are ingenious and unique quadrangles with richly ornamented beams and curving and stretching roofs.

4. Because Dachang is only a 450-meter-long and 200-meters-wide small town with the typical architectural style of Ming and Qing Dynasties.

5. It will be completely submerged into the Daning River and become a smooth lake.

II.1.F 2.F 3.T 4.T 5.T

III. 1.B 2.D 3.D 4.C 5.A

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滴翠峡

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Wu Gorge

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Qutang Gorge

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幽深秀丽的巫峡 back

小三峡之龙门峡

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小三峡back

Daning River

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巴雾峡

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神女峰

Thank You

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