female divers1 of korea’s jeju island
世界文化遗产——韩国「海女」文化
these ladies had some impressive swimming skills.
这些女人都拥有令人钦佩的泳技。
did you know that south korea has over 3,000 islands? the largest is jeju island, which is located off the southern coast. for most of its history, jeju island was a tough2 place to live. it was isolated, and most of the land was not suitable for3 farming.
你知道韩国有超过三千个岛屿吗？其中最大的岛屿是位在南海岸的济州岛。在历史上的大多时候，济州岛的岛民过得非常艰苦。它是一个孤岛而且大多数的土地不适合农耕。
so, how did the people there make a living? some started diving into1 the ocean to catch sea creatures to sell. at first, most divers were men, but over time, women took over4 the profession. these female divers were called haenyeo, which means sea women.
那么岛上的人民是如何维生的呢？有些人开始潜入海里捕捞海洋生物拿去卖钱。一开始，大多的潜水员都是男性，不过随着时间经过，女人接管了这项工作。这些女性潜水员被称为 haenyeo，也就是「海女」的意思。
haenyeo were excellent swimmers. many could dive 20 meters underwater and hold their breath5 for two minutes. training usually started when girls turned 11 and lasted for seven years. they learned how to catch things like sea urchins and octopuses with their hands or a fishing spear. nowadays, haenyeo use modern equipment6 like wetsuits, fins, and masks, but they still go without air tanks.
海女各个都是游泳健将。许多海女可以潜入海底二十公尺并能憋气两分钟。女孩通常满十一岁时就会开始接受为期七年的训练。她们学会如何靠双手或是用鱼叉捕捉像是海胆和章鱼的渔货。现今的海女会使用像是潜水服、蛙鞋、面罩等现代装备，但她们仍然不用氧气筒。
though there are fewer haenyeo today than in the past, they are still seen as an important symbol7 of jeju island. in fact, in 2016, haenyeo culture was added to the unesco intangible cultural heritage lists. this has helped put these brave female divers and jeju island on the map8.
虽然跟过去相比，现在海女的数量更少了，不过她们还是被视为济州岛一个重要的象征。事实上，海女文化在 2016 年被联合国教科文组织列入人类非物质文化遗产名录。这使得这些英勇的女性潜水员以及济州岛大为出名。
★ words phrases ★
单词词组
★ 1. diver n. 潜水员
dive into... 潜入⋯⋯
三态为：dive, dived / dove, dived / dove。
the divers are showing the audience how they feed the dolphins.
潜水员正在对观众示范他们如何喂食海豚。
children happily dive into the swimming pool in the summertime.
夏日炎炎，孩子们开心地跳进游泳池。
★ 2. tough a. 艰困的，困难的
by studying hard, john finally succeeded in passing the tough test.
靠着用功读书，约翰终于成功通过困难的考试。
★ 3. be suitable for... 适合⋯⋯的
this horror movie is not suitable for young kids.
这部恐怖片不适合孩童观看。
★ 4. take over... 接管⋯⋯；取得对⋯⋯的控制
the brave man took over leadership of the tribe once he won the fight.
这名勇士打赢这场决斗后便接管整个部落。
* tribe n. 部落
★ 5. hold sb’s breath 某人屏住呼吸
a great swimmer can hold his breath for three minutes underwater.
游泳健将可以在水中憋气三分钟。
★ 6. equipment n. 配备，设备（不可数）
to improve the workplace environment, the boss had the office equipment upgraded.
为了改善工作环境，老板升级了办公室的设备。
* upgrade vt.（使）升级／等
★ 7. symbol n. 象征
doves are usually considered a symbol of peace.
鸽子通常被视为和平的象征。
★ 8. put... on the map 使⋯⋯出名
the success of the singer’s first album really put her on the map in the music industry.
那名歌手首张专辑的成功使她在音乐圈成名。
in ancient times, thousands of women on south korea’s jeju island worked as sea divers. sea diving was one of the best ways to support1 a family on the island at that time. there were far more female divers than male ones. while the women worked, their husbands often looked after2 the children and did the shopping.
在古代，韩国济州岛有数千位女性的职业是海底潜水员。那时候海底潜水是在岛上养家活口最好的方式之一。女性潜水员远远多于男性。当女人工作时，男人则经常照顾小孩和采买东西。
over the years, however, south korea has gone through3 many changes, and the number of haenyeo has decreased. sea diving used to be one of the only professions available4 to women on jeju island, but now, they have many different choices. as a result5, most women choose not to become a sea diver, which is a very difficult and dangerous job.
然而多年以来，韩国经历了许多改变，海女的数量也减少了。海底潜水在过去是济州岛女性少数可从事的职业，但现在她们有非常多种不同的选择。因此大多数的女人不会选择海底潜水这种艰难且危险的工作。
while there are still haenyeo around today, most are elderly. a mother and daughter, park suk-hee and ko ryou-jin, however, have shown that it’s still possible to succeed6 as a haenyeo. in the morning, the two dive into the ocean to catch sea creatures. in the afternoon and evening, they cook the seafood they caught and serve it to customers. people come from far and wide7 to taste their freshly caught dishes. thanks to their diving skills and restaurant, this mother-daughter pair can continue to8 support themselves through the sea.
尽管现在还是有一些海女，但她们大多是年老的妇人。不过朴石熙（park suk-hee）和高良珍（ko ryou-jin）这对母女体现了身为海女还是有可能成功的。每天早上母女俩会潜入海底捕捞海鲜。到了下午和傍晚，她们会烹煮当天的渔获，并端上桌给客人享用。人们会从四面八方前来品尝她们现抓的海鲜。多亏有了她们的潜水技术与餐厅，这对母女俩才能继续靠海维生。
★ words phrases ★
单词词组
★ 1. support vt. 供养；支持 n. 支持
benny has to work day and night so that he can support a family of five.
班尼必须日以继夜地工作以维持一家五口的生活。
children are more likely to achieve their goals with their parents’ support.
孩子在父母的支持下更有可能达成他们的目标。
★ 2. look after... 照顾／照看⋯⋯
the young man will look after his sister when their parents are away.
当他爸妈不在的时候，那位年轻人会照顾他的妹妹。
★ 3. go through... 经历⋯⋯
caterpillars go through several stages of growth before they turn into butterflies.
毛毛虫要经历多个成长阶段才会变成蝴蝶。
* caterpillar n. 毛毛虫
★ 4. available a. 可取得的，现有的
the record companies wanted to raise the price of songs available for download.
唱片公司想要提高可供下载的歌曲费用。
★ 5. as a result 因此，所以
the boy broke his wrist. as a result, he was not able to play in the basketball game.
那个男孩摔断他的手腕。因此，他无法去打篮球赛。
★ 6. succeed vi. 成功；顺利完成
only if we keep on trying, and learn in the process, will we succeed in the end.
唯有不断尝试并在过程中学习，我们最后才会成功。
★ 7. far and wide 各处，广泛地
due to his great works, the artist’s fame has spread far and wide.
因为他的杰作，这个艺术家才得以声名远播。
* fame n. 名声，名气
★ 8. continue to v 继续（做）⋯⋯
as long as you tell me the truth, i’ll continue to trust you.
只要你告诉我实话，我就会继续相信你。
*本文内容选自：《常春藤生活英语杂志》赖世雄主编
*图片出自摄图网
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