劇情介紹: 故事發生在非洲一個未經開發的地方：卡拉哈里。雖然距離都市只有六百英里，但居民對于現代化事物一無所知。他們把天空偶然出現的飛機當作是上帝的使者。有一次從飛機上掉下一個空的可樂瓶子，居民以為是上帝送他們的禮物......

考考你：小試牛刀

 

影片臺詞

VOICEOVER: It looks like a paradise, but it is in fact the most treacherous desert in the world: The Kalahari.

After the short rainy season, there are many water holes, and even rivers. But after a few weeks, the water sinks away into the deep Kalahari sand. The water holes dry up and the rivers stop flowing. The grass fades to a beautiful blond colour that offers excellent grazing to the animals.

But for the next nine months, there'll be no water to drink. So, most of the animals move away, leaving the beautiful blond grass uneaten.

Humans avoid deep Kalahari like the plague because man must have water to live. So the beautiful landscapes are devoid of people, except for the little people of the Kalahari-- pretty, dainty, small and graceful -- the Bushmen.

While any other person would die of thirst in a few days, they live quite contentedly in this desert that doesn’t look like desert. They know where to dig for roots and bugs and tubers and which berries and pods are good to eat.

And of course they know what to do about water.

For instance, in the early morning, you can collect dewdrops from leaves that were carefully laid out the previous evening.

Or a plume of grass can be a reservoir.

lf you have the know-how, an insignificant clump of twigs can tell you where to dig and you come to light with an enormous tuber. You scrape shavings off it with a stick that is split for a sharp edge. You take a handful of the shavings, point your thumb at your mouth and squeeze.

They must be the most contented people in the world.

They have no crime, no punishment, no violence, no laws, no police, judges, rulers or bosses. They believe that the gods put only good and useful things on the earth for them to use. ln this world of theirs, nothing is bad or evil.

 

妙語佳句，活學活用

1. treacherous: 背叛的, 叛逆的, 奸詐的，危險的。這里取的是最后一個意思：危險的。電影開篇就介紹道：“這里看似天堂，其實是世界上最危險的沙漠。”

類似用法有：treacherous ice 看起來堅固而踏上去會破裂的冰，treacherous winding roads 危險的蜿蜒曲折的路，an unreliable trestle 危險的腳手架

2. rainy season: 雨季，又叫wet season，指某些一年中降水相對較多的月份。與此相對的是dry season（旱季），指在一年中降水相對較少的月份。

3. devoid: 缺乏的，空的。畫外音介紹Kalahari“風景優美，卻荒無人煙。”

類似用法：be devoid of ability 碌碌無為，be devoid of common sense 缺乏常識，be devoid of concern or sympathy 不關心的，不同情的, devoid of brightness 缺乏明亮或者吸引力

來看例句：

The house is totally devoid of furniture. 這所房子里什么家俱都沒有。

The team is devoid of alternating attacks. 這個隊缺少交叉進攻。

4. know-how: 專業技能，知識。這里指的是在沙漠中生存的技能。

5. clump of twigs: 一叢枝葉。clump是“一叢，一團”的意思，如 a clump of earth（一團泥土），a clump of bushes （一叢灌木）。twig是“小枝, 嫩枝”的意思，如snap off a twig （啪地一下折斷一根樹枝）。

6. come to light: 字面意思是“變明亮”，引申為“被發現，眾所周知， 變得明確，使人知道”，這里可以譯成“如果你有常識，這種不起眼的樹叢會讓你發現一塊極大的塊莖。“

來看例句：

New evidence has recently come to light. 新證據最近才為人知。

A political scandal has recently come to light. 最近一樁政治丑聞暴露出來。

7. shaving: shave這個動詞的意思是刮，剃，刨，shaving是名詞，指的是刨花、削片（被削下的一薄片或碎片，如木頭或金屬的）。

8. a handful of: 一把，少數，一小撮，例如a handful of militarists （一小撮軍國主義分子），a handful of rice（一把米）。

來看例句：

A handful of common sense is worth Bushel of learning.  一點小常識常勝過很多有價值的學問。

A dull professor may have only a handful of students. 蹩腳的教授講課，聽眾寥寥無幾。

Only a handful of people were dead set on following him. 死心塌地跟他走的只是一小撮。

 

劇情介紹:故事發生在非洲一個未經開發的地方：卡拉哈里。雖然距離都市只有六百英里，但居民對于現代化事物一無所知。他們把天空偶然出現的飛機當作是上帝的使者。有一次從飛機上掉下一個空的可樂瓶子，居民以為是上帝送他們的禮物......

考考你：小試牛刀