The high gold price is luring prospectors to the mountain
加利福尼亚州正在掀起最新一轮淘金热
高昂的金价吸引着探矿者前往山区
作者留言：在进入今天的精读之前，让我们先看一遍原文吧
HOLD THE pan with two hands, explains “Nugget” Nick Prebalick. Then swish the dirt around. It’s a balmy day in Jamestown, in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, and the second-generation miner is teaching your correspondent how to pan for gold. Dunk the pan three times, he continues, then repeat the whole process. Slowly but surely the rocks and sand wash away and leave behind a golden pebble about half the size of a pinky nail. “That’s a big piece!” says Mr Prebalick. He reckons it’s worth $20.
The gold price hit a record $4,380 an ounce on October 20th. It has since wobbled a bit, but is still around 55% higher than it was this time last year (see chart). Some analysts think gold could fetch $5,000 an ounce next year. Tourists, pensioners and treasure-seekers have flocked to the hills. Ten years ago Mr Prebalick could make about $30,000 a year showing people how to pan for gold. These days he says he is raking in more than $100,000. Prospecting clubs are growing. Marty Paulsen, the president of Temecula Valley Prospectors in southern California, says new people show up to every monthly meeting. “How many of you joined the club to get rich” he recalls asking. “Maybe eight or ten people raised their hands.”
The high price isn’t the only reason for this new gold rush. In recent years California has been buffeted by strong winter storms, which loosened gold deposits in the mountains. When the snow melts in the spring, nuggets and flakes tumble through rivers and lodge in creek beds, where a lucky miner may find them. Finally, spend time with a gold miner and they will mention the Discovery Channel’s “Gold Rush” reality show. The programme, now in its 16th season, follows rival mining crews in the Yukon in their quest to “get sluicy goosey for the tiny shiny”.
The high price, wet weather and reality fame have brought new life to California’s old mining towns, which depend on gold tourism. Columbia, one such town, is home to the Church of the 49ers, “Where God is the gold!” Drive around and you might spy Mother Lode Septic Services, Mother Lode Gun Club, and Mother Lode Dance Academy.
When gold was first found in 1848 eastern elites looked down on the riff-raff who went west, and the brawling boomtowns they built. “California”, wrote Henry David Thoreau in 1852, “is only three thousand miles nearer to hell”. Gold is still a risky business. Mr Prebalick patrols his property because trespassers try to steal the sparkly stuff. It is possible to hit the jackpot: Mr Prebalick says he and his father once found 127 ounces in one day. But historians of the gold rush and modern miners argue that the real money is made by selling equipment to gullible prospectors. Greed, it turns out, is a surer bet than gold.
精翻讲解
段落1
HOLD THE pan with two hands, explains “Nugget” Nick Prebalick. Then swish the dirt around. It’s a balmy day in Jamestown, in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, and the second-generation miner is teaching your correspondent how to pan for gold. Dunk the pan three times, he continues, then repeat the whole process. Slowly but surely the rocks and sand wash away and leave behind a golden pebble about half the size of a pinky nail. “That’s a big piece!” says Mr Prebalick. He reckons it’s worth $20.
The gold price hit a record $4,380 an ounce on October 20th. It has since wobbled a bit, but is still around 55% higher than it was this time last year (see chart). Some analysts think gold could fetch $5,000 an ounce next year. Tourists, pensioners and treasure-seekers have flocked to the hills. Ten years ago Mr Prebalick could make about $30,000 a year showing people how to pan for gold. These days he says he is raking in more than $100,000. Prospecting clubs are growing. Marty Paulsen, the president of Temecula Valley Prospectors in southern California, says new people show up to every monthly meeting. “How many of you joined the club to get rich” he recalls asking. “Maybe eight or ten people raised their hands.”
The high price isn’t the only reason for this new gold rush. In recent years California has been buffeted by strong winter storms, which loosened gold deposits in the mountains. When the snow melts in the spring, nuggets and flakes tumble through rivers and lodge in creek beds, where a lucky miner may find them. Finally, spend time with a gold miner and they will mention the Discovery Channel’s “Gold Rush” reality show. The programme, now in its 16th season, follows rival mining crews in the Yukon in their quest to “get sluicy goosey for the tiny shiny”.
词汇讲解：
gold rush - 淘金热
gold - n. 黄金，rush - n. 匆忙、急促，gold rush组合到一起表示人们急促地涌向黄金，专业术语就是“淘金热”。
buffet - v. 冲击
loosen - v. 松开、松动
deposit - n. 沉积物、押金
flake - n. 薄片、碎片
tumble - v. 跌落、翻滚
lodge - v. 嵌入、卡住
creek - n. 小溪
mention - v. 提到、提及
reality show - 真人秀
reality - n. 真实，show - n.表演，组合到一起即是真人秀
rival - n. 竞争对手 / adj. 竞争的（文中为形容词）
crew - n. 团队、工作组
get sluicy goosey for the tiny shiny - 为了那些亮闪闪的小金屑，开槽淘起来吧！
The high price, wet weather and reality fame have brought new life to California’s old mining towns, which depend on gold tourism. Columbia, one such town, is home to the Church of the 49ers, “Where God is the gold!” Drive around and you might spy Mother Lode Septic Services, Mother Lode Gun Club, and Mother Lode Dance Academy.
高昂的金价、潮湿的天气以及真人秀节目的名气，为加州那些依赖淘金旅游业的古老矿业小镇带来了新的生机。哥伦比亚镇就是其中之一，这里坐落着“淘金者教堂”（Church of the 49ers），教堂的口号是“上帝与黄金同在！”（Where God is the gold!）。开车四处转转，你或许还能看到“母矿脉化粪池服务公司”（Mother Lode Septic Services）、“母矿脉枪支俱乐部”（Mother Lode Gun Club）和“母矿脉舞蹈学院”（Mother Lode Dance Academy）。
段落5
When gold was first found in 1848 eastern elites looked down on the riff-raff who went west, and the brawling boomtowns they built. “California”, wrote Henry David Thoreau in 1852, “is only three thousand miles nearer to hell”. Gold is still a risky business. Mr Prebalick patrols his property because trespassers try to steal the sparkly stuff. It is possible to hit the jackpot: Mr Prebalick says he and his father once found 127 ounces in one day. But historians of the gold rush and modern miners argue that the real money is made by selling equipment to gullible prospectors. Greed, it turns out, is a surer bet than gold.
词汇讲解：
elite - n. 精英
look down - 看不起
riff-raff - n. 乌合之众
brawling - adj. 争吵的、喧哗的
boomtown - n. 繁华城镇
> boom - n. 爆炸、繁荣 / v. 快速发展，与town结合到一起意思就是快速发展的城镇，即为繁华城镇
California's Lastest Gold Rush
The high gold price is luring prospectors to the mountain
加利福尼亚州正在掀起最新一轮淘金热
高昂的金价吸引着探矿者前往山区
作者留言：在进入今天的精读之前，让我们先看一遍原文吧
HOLD THE pan with two hands, explains “Nugget” Nick Prebalick. Then swish the dirt around. It’s a balmy day in Jamestown, in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, and the second-generation miner is teaching your correspondent how to pan for gold. Dunk the pan three times, he continues, then repeat the whole process. Slowly but surely the rocks and sand wash away and leave behind a golden pebble about half the size of a pinky nail. “That’s a big piece!” says Mr Prebalick. He reckons it’s worth $20.
The gold price hit a record $4,380 an ounce on October 20th. It has since wobbled a bit, but is still around 55% higher than it was this time last year (see chart). Some analysts think gold could fetch $5,000 an ounce next year. Tourists, pensioners and treasure-seekers have flocked to the hills. Ten years ago Mr Prebalick could make about $30,000 a year showing people how to pan for gold. These days he says he is raking in more than $100,000. Prospecting clubs are growing. Marty Paulsen, the president of Temecula Valley Prospectors in southern California, says new people show up to every monthly meeting. “How many of you joined the club to get rich” he recalls asking. “Maybe eight or ten people raised their hands.”
The high price isn’t the only reason for this new gold rush. In recent years California has been buffeted by strong winter storms, which loosened gold deposits in the mountains. When the snow melts in the spring, nuggets and flakes tumble through rivers and lodge in creek beds, where a lucky miner may find them. Finally, spend time with a gold miner and they will mention the Discovery Channel’s “Gold Rush” reality show. The programme, now in its 16th season, follows rival mining crews in the Yukon in their quest to “get sluicy goosey for the tiny shiny”.
The high price, wet weather and reality fame have brought new life to California’s old mining towns, which depend on gold tourism. Columbia, one such town, is home to the Church of the 49ers, “Where God is the gold!” Drive around and you might spy Mother Lode Septic Services, Mother Lode Gun Club, and Mother Lode Dance Academy.
When gold was first found in 1848 eastern elites looked down on the riff-raff who went west, and the brawling boomtowns they built. “California”, wrote Henry David Thoreau in 1852, “is only three thousand miles nearer to hell”. Gold is still a risky business. Mr Prebalick patrols his property because trespassers try to steal the sparkly stuff. It is possible to hit the jackpot: Mr Prebalick says he and his father once found 127 ounces in one day. But historians of the gold rush and modern miners argue that the real money is made by selling equipment to gullible prospectors. Greed, it turns out, is a surer bet than gold.
精翻讲解
段落1
HOLD THE pan with two hands, explains “Nugget” Nick Prebalick. Then swish the dirt around. It’s a balmy day in Jamestown, in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, and the second-generation miner is teaching your correspondent how to pan for gold. Dunk the pan three times, he continues, then repeat the whole process. Slowly but surely the rocks and sand wash away and leave behind a golden pebble about half the size of a pinky nail. “That’s a big piece!” says Mr Prebalick. He reckons it’s worth $20.
词汇讲解：
段落翻译：
“要用双手握住淘金盘，然后晃动盘底的泥土。”"淘金者"尼克·普雷巴利克解释说。今天阳光明媚，在加州内华达山脉的山脚下的詹姆斯镇，这位第二代矿工正在教我的记者如何淘金。他继续说道，把淘金盘浸入水中三次，然后重复整个过程。慢慢地，小石子和沙子被冲走，留下了一颗大约小指甲盖一半大小的金色小金子。“这块金子真大！”普雷巴利克先生说。他估计这块金子值20美元。
段落2
The gold price hit a record $4,380 an ounce on October 20th. It has since wobbled a bit, but is still around 55% higher than it was this time last year (see chart). Some analysts think gold could fetch $5,000 an ounce next year. Tourists, pensioners and treasure-seekers have flocked to the hills. Ten years ago Mr Prebalick could make about $30,000 a year showing people how to pan for gold. These days he says he is raking in more than $100,000. Prospecting clubs are growing. Marty Paulsen, the president of Temecula Valley Prospectors in southern California, says new people show up to every monthly meeting. “How many of you joined the club to get rich” he recalls asking. “Maybe eight or ten people raised their hands.”
词汇讲解：
段落翻译：
10月20日，金价创下每盎司4380美元的历史新高。此后金价虽有小幅波动，但仍比去年同期高出约55%（见图表）。一些分析师认为，明年金价可能达到每盎司5000美元。游客、退休人员和寻宝者纷纷涌向山区。十年前，普雷巴利克先生靠教人淘金一年能赚到大约3万美元。如今，他说他的收入超过10万美元。探矿俱乐部也在不断发展壮大。南加州特梅库拉谷探矿者协会主席马蒂·保尔森表示，每次月度会议都有新人加入。“你们当中有多少人加入俱乐部是为了发财致富？”他回忆起自己当时问过这个问题。“大概有八到十个人举手了。”
段落3
The high price isn’t the only reason for this new gold rush. In recent years California has been buffeted by strong winter storms, which loosened gold deposits in the mountains. When the snow melts in the spring, nuggets and flakes tumble through rivers and lodge in creek beds, where a lucky miner may find them. Finally, spend time with a gold miner and they will mention the Discovery Channel’s “Gold Rush” reality show. The programme, now in its 16th season, follows rival mining crews in the Yukon in their quest to “get sluicy goosey for the tiny shiny”.
词汇讲解：
段落翻译：
高昂的价格并非这波新淘金热的唯一原因。近年来，加州饱受冬季强风暴的侵袭，导致山中的金矿床松动。春季积雪融化时，金块和金片顺着河流奔涌而下，最终沉积在溪床中，等待着幸运的矿工去发现。此外，如果你和一位淘金者聊上一会儿，他们一定会提到探索频道（Discovery Channel）的真人秀节目《淘金热》（Gold Rush）。这档节目如今已播出至第16季，追踪了育空地区各采矿队为“淘到金子”而展开的激烈竞争。
段落4
The high price, wet weather and reality fame have brought new life to California’s old mining towns, which depend on gold tourism. Columbia, one such town, is home to the Church of the 49ers, “Where God is the gold!” Drive around and you might spy Mother Lode Septic Services, Mother Lode Gun Club, and Mother Lode Dance Academy.
词汇讲解：
段落翻译：
高昂的金价、潮湿的天气以及真人秀节目的名气，为加州那些依赖淘金旅游业的古老矿业小镇带来了新的生机。哥伦比亚镇就是其中之一，这里坐落着“淘金者教堂”（Church of the 49ers），教堂的口号是“上帝与黄金同在！”（Where God is the gold!）。开车四处转转，你或许还能看到“母矿脉化粪池服务公司”（Mother Lode Septic Services）、“母矿脉枪支俱乐部”（Mother Lode Gun Club）和“母矿脉舞蹈学院”（Mother Lode Dance Academy）。
段落5
When gold was first found in 1848 eastern elites looked down on the riff-raff who went west, and the brawling boomtowns they built. “California”, wrote Henry David Thoreau in 1852, “is only three thousand miles nearer to hell”. Gold is still a risky business. Mr Prebalick patrols his property because trespassers try to steal the sparkly stuff. It is possible to hit the jackpot: Mr Prebalick says he and his father once found 127 ounces in one day. But historians of the gold rush and modern miners argue that the real money is made by selling equipment to gullible prospectors. Greed, it turns out, is a surer bet than gold.
词汇讲解：
段落翻译：
1848年黄金首次被发现时，东部精英们对涌向西部的乌合之众以及他们建立的喧闹的淘金小镇嗤之以鼻。“加利福尼亚，”亨利·大卫·梭罗在1852年写道，“离地狱只近了三千英里。” 时至今日，淘金仍然是一项高风险的生意。普雷巴利克先生会巡逻自己的土地，因为有人擅闯者企图偷走这些闪闪发光的黄金。一夜暴富并非不可能：普雷巴利克先生说，他和父亲曾经一天之内就淘到了127盎司黄金。但淘金热的历史学家和现代矿工都认为，真正的利润来自于向容易上当受骗的探矿者出售设备。事实证明，贪婪比黄金更稳妥。