胡敏读故事记托福词汇142：伐木工人 lumberjacks
Jack gave a sigh of regret, “Ah, to be sitting in a lodge up in the mountains, the luminous stars above, the law of the lumberjacks used to be full of tails of hard chip and adventure, but they were a healthy lord and managed to live to a ripe old age.”
杰克失望地叹了口气：“啊!坐在山上的一间小屋里，看着天空中明亮的星星!关于伐木工人的传说曾经充满了艰难和冒险的故事。但是，他们是健康的一群人，能够活到高龄。”
Jack was contemplating the recent low in the North American lumber industry that has made the work of the typical lumberjack rather less lucrative than it used to be. Much of the logging industry has moved to a degree of longitude far to the East, such as Indonesia or Malaysia. This shift has been determined by nothing other than commercial logic. Moreover, recent climatic changes leading to event such as rampid forest fires in the western states, or perma frost melting in Alaska have had disasters of facts on many of the traditional American logging areas.
杰克思忖着最近北美木材工业的间歇期间，伐木工作不再像以前那样有利可圈了。很大一部分的砍伐业已经在经度上向东移了很远的距离，到达像印度尼西亚和马来西亚等地方。这种变化不外乎是由商业逻辑所决定的。而且，最近的气候变化造成了西部各州普遍的森林火灾和阿拉斯加永久冻土的融化，从而给美国多数传统伐木地区带来了灾难性的影响。
Lodging in his log cabin, Jack thinks that cutting logs in North America nowadays is a bit like playing a lottery. Disaster is looming, he reckons. Many in old hand in the industry feels like cord in a loop, with the traditional bond between the logging companies and the lumberjacks quite loose these days. He went on as he loop the wire over the gate of his cabin to keep it shut.
杰克住在自己的小木屋里，觉得如今在北美伐木简直就是在玩彩票。他想：灾难的阴影正在逼近。当他将铁丝缠绕在门上以便关上门时继续想：不少行业老手感觉被一个套住了，现在，伐木公司与伐木工人之间传统的纽带已经很松散了。
While it’s only logical at the time when there is little money to be made in the American logging industry. That lumberjacks are loosening their ties with the land and leaving the luminosity of the stars behind to find lodging among the bright lights of the city. Sadly as the former loggers’ financial fortunes improve, their traditional longevity is becoming a thing of the past. The stress in pollution of the city life are taking their toll.
在美国的伐木业赚不到什么钱的时候，伐木工人放松和这片土地的联系，放弃星星的光辉，而在灯火辉煌的城市里寻找寄宿的房子，他们这么做是完全合乎逻辑的。可悲的是，当以前的伐木工人的经济状况有所改善的时候，他们的长寿传统却成为了历史，城市生活的压力和污染正在让他们付出沉重的代价。
Words
lodge n. (山林)小屋 vi. 寄存，临时住宿
lodging n. 寄宿，住房(常指出租的房间)
log n. 圆木
log cabin 小木屋
logic n. 逻辑，逻辑学
logical adj. 合乎逻辑的，合理的
longevity n. 长寿
logitude n. 经度，经线
loom vi. 隐约闪现，逼近
loop vt. 把…圈成环，缠绕
loose adj. 宽松的，不牢固的，组织不严密的
loosen vt. 解开，放松
lore n. 传说，学问，知识
lottery n. 彩票，抽彩给奖法
lucrative adj. 赚钱的，有利可图的
lull vt. 使平静，使安静 n. 间歇，稍息
lumber n. 木材和，木料(粗的)
luminosity n. (物)亮度，发光度，光学
luminouse adj. 发光的，明亮的
