運河上的漂流生活

陜西 車根泉

最近，許多英國人把在運河上的短途旅行變成了一種長期的生活方式。為什么他們選擇離開城市，在運河上生活呢？

On a damp June afternoon, a floating home moved gently on the Oxford Canal. Rachel Bruce and her husband,Chris Hall,have called this idyllic (平和美麗的)spot northwest of London home for a few days, looking out from the outside of their canal boat, the Glenrich V, over sweeping fields where the wind blowing through the long grass made a low hiss(嘶嘶聲).

“We're just feeling like we've made a very good life decision at the moment,”Ms Bruce said about the couple's choice a few weeks ago to give up their stationary (穩定的) lives to begin a slow cross of England's canal network.And in Britain,more people are choosing to call these canals—and the narrow boats used to navigate them—home.

The canals, a vast network once used to move goods across the country, cut their way through Britain's countryside and meandered through town and city centers. But after being replaced by trains and highways,they fell into disrepair.

Since the 1960s, though, they have been restored and become popular for leisure cruising. And for many people, turning a weekend journey or a week-long trip into a mobile lifestyle is becoming increasingly irresistible.

For Ms Bruce and Mr Hall, the stress of work,a mental health struggle and deaths in the family in the last year made them feel the need for change.Plus,they had long wanted to shake free of the boring and flat life.Within a week of looking at their first boat, they bought it, committing to giving up their decade-long London life and making the long steel boat—which they call the Glen—their permanent(永久的)home.

Life on board is tight but comfortable, with a small seating area next to a wood-burning stove. A small kitchenette with a gas stovetop is steps away,and further along the hull is a bathroom with a toilet.In the back of the boat is the bedroom,with a double bed and a small closet.

“I feel like we probably all have something in common—loving the canals for the peace and the pace, not tasting and smelling polluted air and being able to hear the birds when you're sitting out having tea,”Ms Bruce said.

Reading Check

1.What can we kno w about the canals from the text?

A.They were built to move goods originally.

B.They cut their way through Britain's countryside mostly.

C.They have been replaced by trains since the 1960s.

D.They have been restored to protect the environment.

2.What does the underlined word“irresistible”probably mean in paragraph 4?

A.Illegal.B.Attractive.C.Peaceful.D.Difficult.

3.What does the fifth paragraph mainly talk about?

A.The stress from work for the couple.

B.The boat's appearance owned by the couple.

C.The happiness of living on a boat for the couple.

D.The reasons why the couple changed their life.

4.How does Ms Bruce feel about living on a canal boat?

A.Bored.B.Curious.C.Satisfied.D.Calm.

Language Study

表示否定意義的前綴構詞法

表示否定意義的前綴常用的有dis-、il-、im-、in-、ir-、mis-、non-、un-等，在單詞的前面加上這類前綴常構成與該詞意義相反的新詞。例如：

agree（同意）→disagree（不同意）

legal（合法的）→illegal（不合法的）

possible（可能的）→impossible（不可能的）

accurate（精確的）→inaccurate（不精確的）

regular（規則的）→irregular（不規則的）

understand（理解）→misunderstand（誤解）

existent（存在的）→non-existent（不存在的）

fair（公平的）→unfair（不公平的）