1、【导读】你想加入一支娘子军前往安纳布尔纳峰探险吗？你必须是一位经验丰富的高海拔登山者，同时要强健、热忱、吃苦耐劳！如果你觉得自己符合条件，请加入我们一起踏上极限运动之旅吧！Climbers WantedThe leader of the group was Arlene Blum, an American mountaineer with many years experience of climbing high mountains.For her，this day was the result of two years of planning.She smiled as she walke
2、d down the steps of the plane and saw the Nepalese newspapermen running up to her. “Why do you want to climb Annapurna？Why all women？”they asked her.These were the same questions Arlene had asked herself a thousand times during the past few difficult months.Now that she was here the answers seemed s
3、impler than before.“This mountain is 8，000 metres high，and if we succeed well be the first Americans and the first women to climb Annapurna.And why all women？Because we all love climbing high and we want to give women the chance to climb one of the worlds highest mountains.”征募登山者小组领队阿琳布卢姆是一名美国登山运动员，
4、有着多年攀登高峰的经验。这一天是她两年来筹划的结果。她微笑着走下飞机的舷梯，看到尼泊尔的记者们蜂拥而上。“你为什么想攀登安纳布尔纳峰？为什么全是女性？”他们问她。在过去困难重重的几个月里，阿琳用同样的问题问过自己不下数千次。既然她到了这儿，答案也就显得比过去简单了。“这座山峰有8 000米高，如果我们成功了，我们将是第一批登上安纳布尔纳峰的美国人，同时也是第一批登上安纳布尔纳峰的女性。为什么这次全是女性？因为我们都喜欢攀登高峰，而且想让女性有机会体验攀登世界最高峰的感觉。”As she left the plane and walked towards the airport building
5、s，Arlene remembered how it had all started.The idea of climbing Annapurna had first come to her when she was in the Himalayas in 1976.The beautiful Annapurna seemed a perfect mountain to climb，though not at all easy.Thirteen groups of climbers had tried in the past，but only four had succeeded.Eight
6、men had reached the summit but another nine had lost their lives on the dangerous mountain.When she returned to America，Arlene could not forget Annapurna.She talked about it to two good friends in San Francisco，Vera Watson and Irene Miller.Vera Watson was fortysix and a computer scientist.She had be
7、en climbing high mountains for many years.She did not look tough，but she was a woman with a very strong character.She had climbed Aconcagua in Argentina alone，and she had always wanted to climb in the Himalayas.Irene Miller was also a scientist，and the mother of two daughters.She knew that the exped
8、ition was dangerous and that she could be killed；but she also knew that，at fortytwo，she would probably not get another chance to climb to 8，000 metres.Both Vera and Irene were enthusiastic about Arlenes idea.Their first job was to choose the other members of the team.They needed women who were stron
9、g physically and mentally；women who would not stop when they became very cold，very hungry，or very tired.They needed a doctor to take care of the mountaineers if they became ill or were hurt high on the mountain.They also needed someone to make a film of the climb，so that the world could learn about
10、it later.Most important of all，they needed women who had climbed high mountains before.They put an advertisement in a climbing magazine：WOMEN CLIMBERS WANTEDWould you like to join an allwomens expedition to Annapurna？You must be an experienced highaltitude climber，strong，enthusiastic and a hard work
11、er！If you think this is for YOU，please contact：Arlene Blum，Berkeley，California，USAMany women wrote to them from all over the world，but they could only choose ten.When the final team was chosen，the youngest was twenty years old，the oldest was fifty.For Arlene，finding the climbers was only the first s
12、tep.The team needed another important thing：money.There were long talks at Vera Watsons house，when they discussed how to make the 80，000 dollars they would need for the expedition.With the help of enthusiastic friends，they organized dances，sports and parties.They even sold expedition Tshirts.After m
13、any months，and a lot of hard work，they finally had the money they needed.Now at last they were in Kathmandu，the city where their great adventure would begin.Arlene looked round at the women in the airport.They looked tired after the long journey from San Francisco，but happy to be in Nepal at last.Th
14、ere had been so many friends and families at the airport to say goodbye.It had been difficult to leave the people they loved.Irene had looked so sad when she said goodbye to her daughters.Arlene too had found it very difficult to leave her boyfriend，John.For all of them there was the chance that the
15、y would never see their families or friends again.All climbing in the Himalayas is dangerous.One in ten of the people who go there do not come back.Annapurna was very dangerous because of its avalanches.Arlene knew the dangers of avalanches very well.On the expedition film she said：“Until a few year
16、s ago I thought that mountains were the happiest places in the world.I thought that only good things happened on mountains.Then a very good friend of mine，John Henry Hall，was killed in an avalanche on Mount St Elias in Canada.Since then I have really understood the dangers.With avalanches theres not
17、hing you can do.”It was difficult for Arlene to think about avalanches，but she knew that，as the team leader，she had to accept the dangers.Now，as she led the women into the airport buildings，she tried to forget her own fears.She was the leader of the expedition，and it was her job to get these women t
18、o the top of Annapurna safely.She felt responsible for them all.当她离开飞机，走向机场大楼的时候，阿琳回忆起了这一切的来由。1976年在喜马拉雅山的时候，她首次产生了攀登安纳布尔纳峰的念头。尽管这并非易事，然而美丽的安纳布尔纳峰看起来仍是攀登的绝佳之选。曾经有十三支登山队进行过尝试，但只有四支获得了成功。有八名男子到达了顶峰，而另外九人在这座危机暗伏的山上丧生。回到美国之后，阿琳始终无法忘却安纳布尔纳峰。她对旧金山的两个朋友薇拉沃森和艾琳米勒谈起了这个想法。薇拉沃森，46岁，是一名计算机专家，多年来一直从事攀登高峰的运动。她看上去
19、并不壮实，但性格十分刚毅。她曾独自攀登阿根廷的阿空加瓜山，还一直想到喜马拉雅山脉登山。艾琳米勒也是一名科技工作者，同时也是两个女儿的母亲。她知道探险很危险，自己有可能因此而丧生，但她也知道自己已经42岁，可能不会再有别的机会去攀登8 000米的高度。薇拉和艾琳都对阿琳的想法满怀热情。她们首先要做的事情就是挑选队员。她们需要体魄和心理都坚强的女性，需要那些遇到严寒、极度饥饿和极度疲劳也不会退缩的女性。她们需要一名大夫来照料生病或在山峰高处受伤的登山队员。她们还需要一个人拍摄登山过程的纪录片，以后就可以让世人看到这一切。最为重要的是，她们需要一些以前曾经攀登过高峰的女性。她们在一家登山杂志上刊登了
20、一则广告：征募女性登山者你想加入一支娘子军前往安纳布尔纳峰探险吗？你必须是一位经验丰富的高海拔登山者，同时要强健、热忱、吃苦耐劳！如果你觉得自己符合条件，请联系：美国加利福尼亚州伯克利的阿琳布卢姆有很多女性从世界各地给她们写来了信，但她们只能选择10个人。队伍最终组建起来，年龄最小的队员是20岁，最大的是50岁。对阿琳来说，找到登山者只不过是第一步。这支队伍还需要另外一样重要的东西资金。她们在薇拉沃森的家里长谈，讨论如何筹集探险所需的80 000美元。在热心朋友的帮助下，她们组织了各种舞会、比赛和聚会，甚至还出售探险T恤衫。数月的辛苦工作之后，她们终于攒够了需要的钱。此时此刻，她们终于到达了加
21、德满都，这座城市是她们伟大冒险开始的地方。在机场，阿琳环视了一下自己的女队员们。从旧金山开始的长途旅行使她们看上去疲惫不堪，但她们却很高兴终于到达了尼泊尔。离开的时候，有很多朋友和家人到机场来给她们送行。离开自己心爱的人并非易事。在和女儿道别时，艾琳非常难过。阿琳也和男友约翰难舍难分。她们中的每一个人都有可能再也见不到自己的家人或朋友。所有在喜马拉雅山脉进行的登山活动都是非常危险的，上那儿去的人中有十分之一一去不返。安纳布尔纳峰则因它的雪崩而显得尤为危险。阿琳很了解雪崩的危险。在探险纪录片中，她说道：“直到几年之前，我还认为山峰是世界上最让人感到高兴的地方，觉得山上只会有美好的事情。后来，我的
22、一个好朋友约翰亨利霍尔在加拿大圣伊利亚斯山死于雪崩。从那个时候开始，我才真正认识到山峰的危险。面对雪崩，你无能为力”想到雪崩，阿琳就头疼，但她知道，作为领队，她必须接受这些危险。此刻，她带着女队员们走进机场大楼，试图忘却自己的担忧。身为领队，她的工作就是让这些女队员安全登上安纳布尔纳峰峰顶。她知道，自己得对所有队员负责。知识积累1mountaineer n登山家，登山运动员2physically adv. 身体地，肉体地3mentally adv. 心理地4expedition n. 远征，探险5avalanche n. 雪崩文化链接探险活动的组织者阿琳布卢姆由尼泊尔的加德满都动身，攀登世界上最高的山峰之一安纳布尔纳峰。她清楚地知道自己的旅途会困难重重，充满艰难险阻，并且知道自己也许会为此而丧命。为什么她们还会选择如此危险的旅程？因为她们都喜欢攀登高峰，而且想让女性有机会体验攀登世界高峰的感觉。
