California wildfire

山东 孙启禄

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难词探意

1. breeze /briːz/ n. 微风

2. debris /΄debriː/ n. 残骸；碎片

3. instinct /΄ɪnstɪŋkt/ n. 本能；直觉

4. regenerate /rɪ΄dʒenəreɪt/ v. 再生

Throughout my career, I've had the opportunity to enter many different wildfire areas at various times of destruction, but I've rarely had the opportunity to see the immediate aftermath of a fire.My first reaction to a recent one in California was the strange quiet of the forest.There were no birds orbreezescaught in the leaves of a tree.

Photographing burnt-out areas before the regrowth really takes over is interesting and challenging, since there is really only a bunch of burnt-out wood anddebristo photograph. Myinstinctis to look for the beauty in the image I want to create, but what to do here? As I walk through the forest and see only the skeletons of trees and a white, smoky sky, inevitably the artistic aspect of it catches my eye. Am I making an image beautiful even if it's of destruction? What is the right approach? How can I take a beautiful photo of a horrible scene?

It's a challenge that has no clear answer,but after years of photography, I believe the key is to let the artistic instinct drive you and not to make those decisions in the field. For me, it's the editing of your own work that will be most important in defining the story. Back at the home studio, I have an opportunity to separate myself from my emotions of the moment and determine which images truly represent the scene, and not just my artistic impression of it,though that is sometimes an impossible task.

As a nature photographer passionate about conservation, it's important to document the ugly as well as the beautiful. We need both two things, so we understand what we have to lose and have hope. We can also know how devastating that loss can be. Without that balance, we risk becoming accustomed to a world shaped by destruction and not one of harmony.

Nature willregenerateand fire is an important part of that process, but now more than ever before, we must consider what role we play in that process, too.

Reading

Check

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A. The California forest was rather quiet after the wildfire.

B. Many birds were killed because of the wildfire.

C. Entering wildfire areas is dangerous.

D. The California wildfire is strange.

2. What does the author think of photographing burnt-out areas?

A. Impossible. B. Easy.

C. Tough. D. Inspiring.

3. What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?

A. It's unnecessary to compare the beautiful and the ugly.

B. The author cares much about nature protection.

C. People should have a balance between work and rest.

D. Wildfire is harmful to nature's development.

Language

Study

Useful expressions

destruction 破坏；毁灭

aftermath 创伤

devastating 毁灭性的

regrowth 再生物

burnt-out wood 烧坏的木头

a white, smoky sky 烟雾弥漫的天空

have the opportunity to do... 有机会做......

play a role in... 在……中发挥作用/扮演角色

Cultural

Background

加利福尼亚州山火规模破纪录

2020年9月， 美国加利福尼亚州的山火规模已达该州历史上最严重的程度。据美国有线电视新闻网(CNN)报道，加州森林防火厅(CAL FIRE)的理查德·科多瓦表示，加州已经有超过209万英亩的土地被烧毁， 相当于10多个纽约市的面积。“这太疯狂了，我们甚至还没有进入10月和11月的火灾季节，但我们已经打破了历史纪录。 ”