Following the Volga: a river route and several voices

河流从源头出发，沿途汇入更多水流，逐渐变得宽阔。

hé liú cóng yuán tóu chū fā， yán tú huì rù gèng duō shuǐ liú， zhú jiàn biàn de kuān kuò。

A river begins at its source and gradually widens as more water joins it along the way.

在这段伏尔加河旅程中，下游河面比上游宽阔。

zài zhè duàn fú ěr jiā hé lǚ chéng zhōng， xià yóu hé miàn bǐ shàng yóu kuān kuò。

In this Volga journey, the lower river is broader than the upper river.

人们在河畔散步时，能看见船只和两岸不同的景色。

rén men zài hé pàn sàn bù shí， néng kàn jiàn chuán zhī hé liǎng àn bù tóng de jǐng sè。

While walking by the river, people can see boats and changing scenery on both banks.

保持航道畅通需要测量水深，并及时处理影响通行的问题。

bǎo chí háng dào chàng tōng xū yào cè liáng shuǐ shēn， bìng jí shí chǔ lǐ yǐng xiǎng tōng xíng de wèn tí。

Keeping a navigation channel open requires measuring water depth and addressing obstacles promptly.

读地图时，要根据图例辨认干流和支流。

dú dì tú shí， yào gēn jù tú lì biàn rèn gàn liú hé zhī liú。

When reading a map, use its key to identify the main river and tributaries.

河水到达河口以后汇入更大的水域，流速和泥沙也会变化。

hé shuǐ dào dá hé kǒu yǐ hòu huì rù gèng dà de shuǐ yù， liú sù huó ní shā yě huì biàn huà。

When river water reaches the mouth and enters a larger body of water, its speed and sediment also change.

伏尔加河从俄罗斯的瓦尔代高地发源，向下游延伸，最后流入里海。它是欧洲最长的河流，沿岸有许多城市，也有村庄、田地和与水相连的生活。

fú ěr jiā hé cóng é luó sī de wǎ ěr dài gāo dì fā yuán， xiàng xià yóu yán shēn， zuì hòu liú rù lǐ hǎi。 tā shì ōu zhōu zuì cháng de hé liú， yán àn yǒu xǔ duō chéng shì， yě yǒu cūn zhuāng、 tián dì hé yǔ shuǐ xiāng lián de shēng huó。

The Volga begins in Russia's Valdai Hills and flows towards the Caspian Sea. Europe's longest river passes cities, villages, fields and lives connected with the water.

上游的水面并不像下游那样宽大。更多支流不断加入，河流渐渐有了不同的规模。岸边的树倒映在水里，风一吹，绿色的影子便轻轻摇动。

shàng yóu de shuǐ miàn bìng bù xiàng xià yóu nà yàng kuān dà。 gèng duō zhī liú bù duàn jiā rù， hé liú jiàn jiàn yǒu le bù tóng de guī mó。 àn biān de shù dào yìng zài shuǐ lǐ， fēng yī chuī， lǜ sè de yǐng zi biàn qīng qīng yáo dòng。

The upper river is narrower than farther downstream. Tributaries join and the river grows. Trees reflect in the water, their green images moving gently in the breeze.

乘船向前，特维尔、雅罗斯拉夫尔、下诺夫哥罗德等城市依次出现在旅程中。每一次靠岸，都有新的屋顶、码头和街道；同一条河，把这些地方连接在一起。

chéng chuán xiàng qián， tè wéi ěr、 yǎ luó sī lā fū ěr、 xià nuò fū gē luó dé děng chéng shì yí cì chū xiàn zài lǚ chéng zhōng。 měi yí cì kào àn， dōu yǒu xīn de wū dǐng、 mǎ tóu hé jiē dào； tóng yì tiáo hé， bǎ zhè xiē dì fang lián jiē zài yì qǐ。

Travelling downstream, cities such as Tver, Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod appear along the journey. Each stop brings new rooftops, piers and streets connected by the river.

码头上，有人搬运货物，有人等候亲友。客船停稳，舷梯放下来，刚才还隔着水招手的人，终于走到同一处。另一边的货船装好东西，又慢慢离开。

mǎ tóu shàng， yǒu rén bān yùn huò wù， yǒu rén děng hòu qīn yǒu。 kè chuán tíng wěn， xián tī fàng xià lai， gāng cái hái gé zhe shuǐ zhāo shǒu de rén， zhōng yú zǒu dào tóng yī chù。 lìng yì biān de huò chuán zhuāng hǎo dōng xi， yòu màn màn lí kāi。

At the piers, people carry cargo or wait for relatives. Once a passenger boat is secured and its gangway lowered, people waving across the water can meet. Nearby, a loaded cargo boat departs.

河岸上既有古老的建筑，也有后来修建的房屋和设施。早晨，窗户映着光；傍晚，灯从一扇扇窗里亮起来，让水面留下长长的影子。

hé àn shàng jì yǒu gǔ lǎo de jiàn zhù， yě yǒu hòu lái xiū jiàn de fáng wū hé shè shī。 zǎo chén， chuāng hù yìng zhe guāng； bàng wǎn， dēng cóng yī shàn shàn chuāng lǐ liàng qǐ lai， ràng shuǐ miàn liú xià cháng cháng de yǐng zi。

Old buildings share the banks with newer homes and facilities. Windows reflect morning light and shine at dusk, casting long reflections across the water.

到了喀山，旅人能听见不同的语言，看见不同风格的建筑。街道上的交谈、市场里的声音，又使河畔的景色有了具体的生活气息。

dào le kā shān， lǚ rén néng tīng jiàn bù tóng de yǔ yán， kàn jiàn bù tóng fēng gé de jiàn zhù。 jiē dào shàng de jiāo tán、 shì chǎng lǐ de shēng yīn， yòu shǐ hé pàn de jǐng sè yǒu le jù tǐ de shēng huó qì xī。

In Kazan, travellers hear different languages and see varied architecture. Street conversations and market sounds add everyday life to the riverside scenery.

一阵汽笛从远处传来，旅人走到窗边，发现另一艘船正从旁边经过。两船之间的水面起了波纹，岸上的建筑却始终沿着河边排列，像陪伴着每一次出发和到达。

yí zhèn qì dí cóng yuǎn chù chuán lái， lǚ rén zǒu dào chuāng biān， fā xiàn lìng yì sōu chuán zhèng cóng páng biān jīng guò。 liǎng chuán zhī jiān de shuǐ miàn qǐ le bō wén， àn shàng de jiàn zhù què shǐ zhōng yán zhe hé biān pái liè， xiàng péi bàn zhe měi yí cì chū fā hé dào dá。

A distant horn drew travellers to the window as another boat passed. Ripples grew between them while riverside buildings accompanied departures and arrivals.

继续向下游，河流接近里海。里海虽然名字里有海，却不与大洋直接相通。伏尔加河把一路汇集的水送到这里，河口的水道和岸边的景象又与上游不同。

jì xù xiàng xià yóu， hé liú jiē jìn lǐ hǎi。 lǐ hǎi suī rán míng zi lǐ yǒu hǎi， què bù yǔ dà yáng zhí jiē xiāng tōng。 fú ěr jiā hé bǎ yí lù huì jí de shuǐ sòng dào zhè lǐ， hé kǒu de shuǐ dào hé àn biān de jǐng xiàng yòu yǔ shàng yóu bù tóng。

Farther downstream, the river approaches the Caspian. Although called a sea, it has no direct connection to the oceans. The Volga brings its accumulated water here, where channels and shores differ from those upstream.

这条河支持运输，也与沿岸的供水、生产和自然环境相联系。人们从河流取得便利，河水和岸边的生态却也需要照顾，不能让生活的废弃物随意进入水中。

zhè tiáo hé zhī chí yùn shū， yě yǔ yán àn de gōng shuǐ、 shēng chǎn hé zì rán huán jìng xiāng lián xì。 rén men cóng hé liú qǔ dé biàn lì， hé shuǐ hé àn biān de shēng tài què yě xū yào zhào gù， bù néng ràng shēng huó de fèi qì wù suí yì jìn rù shuǐ zhōng。

The river supports transport and is connected to water supply, production and natural habitats. Its benefits also require care for the water and banks rather than careless disposal of waste.

夜里，船舱的灯亮了，窗外的水面显得深暗。一个港口留在身后，下一个地方还在远处。船上的人听着水声，等待天亮以后，新的岸线慢慢出现在眼前。

yè lǐ， chuán cāng de dēng liàng le， chuāng wài de shuǐ miàn xiǎn de shēn àn。 yí ge gǎng kǒu liú zài shēn hòu， xià yí ge dì fang hái zài yuǎn chù。 chuán shàng de rén tīng zhe shuǐ shēng， děng dài tiān liàng yǐ hòu， xīn de àn xiàn màn màn chū xiàn zài yǎn qián。

At night, cabin lights shine against the dark water. One port lies behind and another is still ahead. Passengers listen to the water, waiting for a new shoreline to emerge in the morning.

A 河流介绍先找什么？

hé liú jiè shào xiān zhǎo shén me？

What will you locate first?

B 源头与河口，再看经过的城市。

yuán tóu yǔ hé kǒu， zài kàn jīng guò de chéng shì。

Source, mouth and cities along the route.

A “母亲河”是地理分类吗？

“mǔ qīn hé” shì dì lǐ fēn lèi ma？

Is “mother river” a geographical category?

B 不是，它是表达关系与感情的比喻。

bú shì， tā shì biǎo dá guān xì yǔ gǎn qíng de bǐ yù。

No; it expresses relationships and feeling metaphorically.

A 为什么按顺流排列城市？

wèi shén me àn shùn liú pái liè chéng shì？

Why order cities downstream?

B 这样听者能跟着旅程理解位置。

zhè yàng tīng zhě néng gēn zhe lǚ chéng lǐ jiě wèi zhì。

So listeners can follow the route and locations.