Across the grassland: landscape and the people who live there

站在高处远望，辽阔的草原一直伸向天边。

zhàn zài gāo chù yuǎn wàng， liáo kuò de cǎo yuán yì zhí shēn xiàng tiān biān。

From a high place, the vast grassland seems to stretch all the way to the horizon.

远处的山坡微微起伏，近处的小河在草地间弯曲。

yuǎn chù de shān pō wēi wēi qǐ fú， jìn chù de xiǎo hé zài cǎo dì jiān wān qū。

Low hills rise and fall in the distance while a nearby stream winds through the grass.

牧场上的草、水和季节变化都会影响牲畜的活动。

mù chǎng shàng de cǎo、 shuǐ hé jì jié biàn huà dōu huì yǐng xiǎng shēng chù de huó dòng。

Grass, water and seasonal change on the pasture all affect the movement of livestock.

云影慢慢掠过地面，使同一片草地不断改变明暗。

yún yǐng màn màn lüè guò dì miàn， shǐ tóng yí piàn cǎo dì bù duàn gǎi biàn míng àn。

Cloud shadows move slowly across the ground, continually changing the light on the same stretch of grass.

主人热情款待来访的客人，也尊重客人不同的饮食需要。

zhǔ rén rè qíng kuǎn dài lái fǎng de kè rén， yě zūn zhòng kè rén bù tóng de yǐn shí xū yào。

The hosts warmly welcome visitors while respecting their different dietary needs.

介绍牧民生计时，要说明自然条件、劳动和市场之间的联系。

jiè shào mù mín shēng jì shí， yào shuō míng zì rán tiáo jiàn、 láo dòng hé shì chǎng zhī jiān de lián xì。

When describing herders' livelihoods, we should explain the links among the environment, labour and markets.

清晨，车从呼和浩特出发，向草原开去。城市里的楼房渐渐退到身后，窗外出现低缓的山坡，接着是一片接一片的绿色，一直伸向远处的天空。

qīng chén， chē cóng hū hé hào tè chū fā， xiàng cǎo yuán kāi qù。 chéng shì lǐ de lóu fáng jiàn jiàn tuì dào shēn hòu， chuāng wài chū xiàn dī huǎn de shān pō， jiē zhe shì yí piàn jiē yí piàn de lǜ sè， yì zhí shēn xiàng yuǎn chù de tiān kōng。

In the morning, the car left Hohhot for the grasslands. Buildings fell behind, giving way to low slopes and expanses of green stretching towards the distant sky.

小宁贴近车窗。草地不是同一种绿色，有的地方深一些，有的被阳光照得发亮。花朵点缀其间，风经过时，草尖一齐弯下去，又慢慢立起来。

xiǎo níng tiē jìn chē chuāng。 cǎo dì bú shì tóng yì zhǒng lǜ sè， yǒu de dì fang shēn yì xiē， yǒu de bèi yáng guāng zhào de fā liàng。 huā duǒ diǎn zhuì qí jiān， fēng jīng guò shí， cǎo jiān yī qí wān xià qù， yòu màn màn lì qǐ lai。

Xiaoning leaned towards the window. The grass was not uniformly green: some patches were dark and others shone in sunlight. Flowers dotted it, and the wind bent the blades before they rose again.

一片白云遮住太阳，地上便多了一块移动的阴影。远处的羊群走进阴影，又走回亮处，像许多白色的小点，在宽大的绿布上慢慢移动。

yí piàn bái yún zhē zhù tài yáng， dì shàng biàn duō le yí kuài yí dòng de yīn yǐng。 yuǎn chù de yáng qún zǒu jìn yīn yǐng， yòu zǒu huí liàng chù， xiàng xǔ duō bái sè de xiǎo diǎn， zài kuān dà de lǜ bù shàng màn màn yí dòng。

A cloud crossed the sun, sending a moving shadow over the ground. Sheep entered and left it like white dots travelling across a vast green cloth.

车停在一处小湖旁。水面映着蓝天，岸边的草伸到水里，几只鸟从近处飞向远处。小宁蹲下看看水边的石子，又抬头望向湖的另一端，发现云的倒影比刚才换了位置。

chē tíng zài yí chù xiǎo hú páng。 shuǐ miàn yìng zhe lán tiān， àn biān de cǎo shēn dào shuǐ lǐ， jǐ zhī niǎo cóng jìn chù fēi xiàng yuǎn chù。 xiǎo níng dūn xià kàn kan shuǐ biān de shí zi， yòu tái tóu wàng xiàng hú de lìng yī duān， fā xiàn yún de dào yǐng bǐ gāng cái huàn le wèi zhì。

The car stopped beside a small lake reflecting the blue sky. Grass reached into the water and birds flew away. Xiaoning examined pebbles near the shore, then noticed that the reflected clouds had shifted.

午后，他们来到一户牧民家。主人请大家坐下，端来茶。屋外的牲畜叫了几声，一个孩子跑出去看看，又回来说羊已经到旁边的草坡了。

wǔ hòu， tā men lái dào yī hù mù mín jiā。 zhǔ rén qǐng dà jiā zuò xià， duān lái chá。 wū wài de shēng chù jiào le jǐ shēng， yí ge hái zi pǎo chū qu kàn kan， yòu huí lái shuō yáng yǐ jīng dào páng biān de cǎo pō le。

In the afternoon, they visited a herding family. The host offered seats and tea. Livestock called outside; a child checked and returned to say the sheep had reached a nearby slope.

小宁问：“每天都到同一个地方放牧吗？”主人摇摇头，讲起草场、天气和牲畜的需要。有时候要改变路线，有时候还要留意水源，一天的工作并不只是把羊赶出门。

xiǎo níng wèn：“měi tiān dōu dào tóng yí ge dì fang fàng mù ma？” zhǔ rén yáo yao tóu， jiǎng qǐ cǎo chǎng、 tiān qì hé shēng chù de xū yào。 yǒu shí hòu yào gǎi biàn lù xiàn， yǒu shí hòu hái yào liú yì shuǐ yuán， yì tiān de gōng zuò bìng bù zhǐ shì bǎ yáng gǎn chū mén。

“Do you graze them in the same place every day?” Xiaoning asked. The host explained how grass, weather and animals' needs affected routes and water sources. Work was more than simply letting sheep out.

她听得认真，直到门口传来脚步声，才发现主人家的另一个孩子放学回来了。他把书包放好，也来跟客人打招呼，随后帮家里整理用具。

tā tīng de rèn zhēn， zhí dào mén kǒu chuán lái jiǎo bù shēng， cái fā xiàn zhǔ rén jiā de lìng yí ge hái zi fàng xué huí lái le。 tā bǎ shū bāo fàng hǎo， yě lái gēn kè rén dǎ zhāo hū， suí hòu bāng jiā lǐ zhěng lǐ yòng jù。

She listened until footsteps announced another child's return from school. After putting down a schoolbag and greeting the guests, the child helped organise the family's equipment.

离开以前，主人指给他们看傍晚的草场。斜阳把草坡照成温暖的颜色，羊群慢慢靠近，远处的人影也渐渐清楚。风从空地吹来，带着草木的气息。

lí kāi yǐ qián， zhǔ rén zhǐ gěi tā men kàn bàng wǎn de cǎo chǎng。 xié yáng bǎ cǎo pō zhào chéng wēn nuǎn de yán sè， yáng qún màn màn kào jìn， yuǎn chù de rén yǐng yě jiàn jiàn qīng chu。 fēng cóng kòng dì chuī lái， dài zhe cǎo mù de qì xī。

Before they left, the host pointed to the evening pasture. Slanting sunlight warmed its colours, sheep approached and distant figures became clearer. Wind carried the smell of grass and plants.

主人送他们到门口，又指指前面的路，提醒哪一段需要慢一些。车开动时，屋前的人还在挥手，直到拐弯以后，才从视线里消失。

zhǔ rén sòng tā men dào mén kǒu， yòu zhǐ zhǐ qián miàn de lù， tí xǐng nǎ yí duàn xū yào màn yì xiē。 chē kāi dòng shí， wū qián de rén hái zài huī shǒu， zhí dào guǎi wān yǐ hòu， cái cóng shì xiàn lǐ xiāo shī。

The host indicated where to drive slowly and waved at the gate until the car turned out of sight.

小宁上车后仍朝后望。小湖、草坡和牧民的家一处处远去，刚才听到的话却留在心里。她原来只想看看开阔的草原，现在也记得草原上具体的人和一天的生活。

xiǎo níng shàng chē hòu réng cháo hòu wàng。 xiǎo hú、 cǎo pō hé mù mín de jiā yí chù chù yuǎn qù， gāng cái tīng dào de huà què liú zài xīn lǐ。 tā yuán lái zhǐ xiǎng kàn kan kāi kuò de cǎo yuán， xiàn zài yě jì de cǎo yuán shàng jù tǐ de rén hé yì tiān de shēng huó。

Xiaoning kept looking back from the car. Lake, pasture and home receded, but the conversation stayed with her. She had come to see the open grassland and now also remembered its people and their day.

天色渐暗，车灯照亮前面的路。草原藏进夜色，天空却显得更宽了。小宁把窗户轻轻关好，靠着座椅，等待远处城市的灯重新出现。

tiān sè jiàn àn， chē dēng zhào liàng qián miàn de lù。 cǎo yuán cáng jìn yè sè， tiān kōng què xiǎn de gèng kuān le。 xiǎo níng bǎ chuāng hù qīng qīng guān hǎo， kào zhe zuò yǐ， děng dài yuǎn chù chéng shì de dēng chóng xīn chū xiàn。

As darkness fell, the headlights lit the road. The grassland disappeared into the night while the sky seemed broader. Xiaoning closed the window and waited for the distant city lights to reappear.

A 你的游记是真实旅行吗？

nǐ de yóu jì shì zhēn shí lǚ xíng ma？

Is your travel account a real journey?

B 不是，是根据教材与地图写的想象练习。

bú shì， shì gēn jù jiào cái yǔ dì tú xiě de xiǎng xiàng liàn xí。

No; it is imagined from the textbook and map.

A 什么细节让景色动起来？

shén me xì jié ràng jǐng sè dòng qǐ lai？

Which detail gives the landscape movement?

B 云影移动，羊群走在明暗之间。

yún yǐng yí dòng， yáng qún zǒu zài míng àn zhī jiān。

Moving cloud shadows and sheep between light and shade.

A 为什么还写牧民的谈话？

wèi shén me hái xiě mù mín de tán huà？

Why include a herder's conversation?

B 草原也有工作、家庭与生活。

cǎo yuán yě yǒu gōng zuò、 jiā tíng yǔ shēng huó。

The grassland also contains work, families and lives.