美丽的冰川之旅 温馨的家庭团聚
【编者按】
这是一个美国普通家庭的家庭聚会。每隔两年，所有的家庭成员都会尽力安排出时间与祖辈相聚。请跟随小张老师感受一下温馨的家庭氛围，还有那动人的冰川国家公园(Glacier National Park) 吧～
为了帮助小朋友们学习英文，本文用中英文写成。
Along the Rocky Mountains, flying over Grand Teton National Park, we arrived at our new Montana “home”.
沿着落基山脉，飞越大提顿国家公园，来到蒙大拿州的“新家”。
This is a family reunion moment. We get together to celebrate Grandma’s 80th birthday. We come from different places: Seattle, Chicago, San Franscico, Madison, Fond du Lac, NYC, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati.
这次旅行由先生的大姐召集，二姐筹划，目的是为给婆婆八十大寿一个美好的家庭回忆。七个兄弟姐妹十六个孙辈积极参与，除了部分家庭成员因工作原因不能前来，其余十五位成员从美国的四面八方赶来，他们分别来自西雅图、芝加哥、麦迪逊、旧金山、纽约、匹兹堡、和辛辛那提。
Sister and brother-in-law arrived earlier to prepare for everyone’s arrival. The house is wood construction, simple design with luxurious facilities inside. It has big rooms and small rooms. It has hallways that lead to unexpected places. It was perfect for a big game of hide and seek. Everyone had fun, but no one played with more enthusiasm than Grandma. How thrilled she was to discover Joey in the bathroom and how she laughed when she later realized how close she had been to finding Brian in the closet before turning her attention elsewhere.
二姐和二姐夫提前两天来到Kalispell（卡利斯皮尔）踩点和分房，并采购一大家子的食物，还往返于机场迎接亲人。
我们分到了主卧，感觉有些诚惶诚恐，二姐说：你家娃小，理当如此。我们也就恭敬不如从命了。
房子木结构，外观古朴，里面奢华，家庭所需一应俱全；主卧的家具据说历史悠久，都是原木加大理石，床柱子结实沉稳。
孩子们和奶奶在屋里玩起捉迷藏，不亦乐乎。
Three generations enjoyed playing together. The foosball table got a good workout. There were one-on-one matches and games with as many as three players on one side. Joey took on all challengers. If you could not decide which side to root for, you could stay on the fence by cheering, “Go, Team Burghardt!”
三代同堂一起玩起橄榄桌球，如果你不知道哪一方赢，只要喊“伯格哈特队，加油”准没错。
Enjoy playing games with family members and listening to their stories. It is amazing that nobody uses his or her cell phone during family time.
亲人们陪着婆婆一起玩耍，做游戏；有的安安静静地看书；没有人低头看手机。
这段朝夕相处的时光，让彼此更加了解对方。
能干的大姐从事潜水艇的设计工作，独自一人开车十多个小时来相聚；
贤惠的二姐在法国一家跨国公司工作，闲来写写儿童书籍；
高大帅气的二姐夫经常跑中国大陆为公司监督产品质量，最近因为贸易战，开始拓展台湾市场；
美国海军退役的跑过数次波士顿马拉松的大哥严格自律每天风雨无阻地去跑步；
曾驻扎在中东和东亚的小弟从美国空军退役，居然成了家中第一个退休的人，常年在飞机轰鸣声中工作，听力受到伤害，据说，因此缘故他的儿子有可能免费获得上大学的机会;
在律师事务所工作的弟媳一空就上网工作。
To my surprise, outside of our new house, I saw acres of rapeseed flower fields, which was a common scene in spring in my hometown in China. I have not seen this view for more than 15 years! I was excited and felt at home!
新家的外围，看到一望无际的油菜花田，有些小激动，十多年没有看过这美景了，思绪一下子回到年少时的江南，更有了些家的感觉。
Flower fields and wheat fields under the sunset.
夕阳无限好，油菜花海与麦田风月无边，醉在其中。
Wilderness and solitude.
冰川之冰静谧可以清我心
冰川之川激荡可以濯我足
Entering the park...
小憩一日后，我们开始进入冰川公园。这与进入许多国家公园的序幕大致相同，山路弯弯，两边树木高耸入云，不知名的野花点缀在路旁，湖或者溪流在一侧，雪山在远方召唤。
A glacier is a slowly moving mass of ice formed by the accumulation and compaction of snow. Glaciers have to meet certain requirements to be considered a glacier, and not just a patch of snow. Glaciers must be at least 100 ft thick, at least 25 acres in area covered, and the glacier has to be moving.
According to the sign in the park, “Every glacier in the park is shrinking. The park had over 100 glaciers when it was established in 1910. By 1966, 35 glaciers remained. In 2015, only 26 met the size criteria to be designated active glaciers.”
Will all glaciers disappear?
Three glaciers that we saw are Jackson, Blackfoot, and Sperry.
来科普一下冰川吧，冰川是大量由积雪堆积形成如同河川般的地理景观，是一巨大的缓慢流 动固体。冰川必须满足某些要求才能被视为冰川，而不仅仅是一片大雪块。冰川必须至少100英尺（30米，12层楼）厚，覆盖面积至少25英亩（13个足球场），还有冰川会移动。
根据公园里的牌子上的说明，“公园里的每个冰川都在萎缩。该公园于1910年建成时拥有100多个冰川；到 1966年，还有35个冰川；2015年，只有26个冰川符合活动冰川的规模标准。”
随着气候变暖，冰川会全部消失吗?
我们看到三座冰川分别是Jackson, Blackfoot 和Sperry。
The best way to enjoy the trip up the Going to the Sun Road is on a classic Glacier Park red bus. All of us boarded the same bus, as driver Dave took us up and over Logan Pass.
The ride up the mountain was full of spectacular views. We were lucky that we were able to enjoy the scenery without having to watch the road. At times, Dave would pull over and invite us to “prairie dog up.” We would all pop our heads out of the open top of the bus to get a better look.
开车上山是对人胆量的极大考验，我们选择了乘坐公园的红巴士，戴夫先生是我们的司机兼导游，滔滔不绝如数家珍地介绍冰川公园，风趣幽默。
下车游览拍照时，也会拉拉家常，他问奶奶生日在几月几号，在一旁的大姑说生日是在二月，他说: 哦，今天大家再给你过一次生日啊。
奶奶说，孩子们都孝顺，我天天过生日呢。
This is the red bus.
这是我们乘坐的红巴士，难以想象它能在崎岖的山路上游刃有余。
Logan Pass is the highest elevation (6646ft/2025m) reachable by car in the park. The continental divide is located here. On its west side, the watershed drains into the Pacific Ocean, and on its east side, the river systems flow into the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Gulf of Mexico.
Even on a warm summer day, brisk winds make Logan Pass a chilly place to visit. We shared our jackets and blankets to stay warm in the open-air bus. We had to carry our hats to prevent them from blowing away.
Logan Pass是公园内车子可以到达的最高点, 海拔 6646英尺/2025米，大陆分水岭在此，西边的河流最终注入太平洋，东边则入大西洋。
此处飘扬着美国和加拿大的国旗，公园与加拿大接壤。即便是这么一个温暖的夏日，凛冽的寒风在此呼啸，我们不得不穿上冬衣或者裹紧毛毯以抵御寒意，还得注意帽子以免一阵山风吹来将帽子吹进山谷。
Lake McDonald Lodge was constructed in 1913-1914 with Swiss-influenced architecture.
麦当劳湖小屋(其实是酒店)在麦当劳湖畔，于1913-1914年建成，瑞士的建筑风格，里面有印第安人的饰品，劳累一天后可以在这里歇歇脚。
Lake McDonald is the largest lake in the park. It is ten miles （16 km) long and 500 feet (152.4 m) deep.
Both the picnic and boat tour are fun.
Spectacular sights, including the burnt-down forest, are thrilling. Water is so clear that you can see the colorful pebbles at the bottom of the lake.
麦当劳湖是公园里最大的湖，娴静柔美，在此野餐和游湖都非常有趣。
游船时，可以领略一下山火烧过的森林，还可以在湖边润润脚，水清得可以看到湖底五彩斑斓的鹅卵石。
Trail of the Cedars is located at Avalanche Creek. There is a flat wooden trail that provides an easy stroll among trees. From this pathway more ambitious hikers can access the uphill trail that runs along the swiftly flowing creek and ends at spectacular Avalanche Lake. It is a hike that is highly recommended, including a mention from our neighbors who moved from Montana last year. The round trip is 9.3 km long.
Joey was not interested in our first small hike of the day. But with two big uncles’ encouragement, Joey set the pace on our long Avalanche Lake hike. His parents trailed far behind him.
雪松步道位于Avalanche Creek，步道往返9.3公里。虽逆流而上，但步道难度适中。
小儿子对早先走过的容易步道直呼不过瘾，这次在两位伯伯的鼓励下，带领全队在茂密树林中穿行。
到达步道的终点，眼前豁然开朗，美丽的雪山和湖泊出现在我们面前。大家欢喜雀跃。
Our beautiful house sets within the beauty of western Montana. We have modern conveniences inside, but what pleases us most are the impressions of the natural world from outside. As we prepared for sleep, evening clouds parted and moonlight streamed into our bedroom. Among the first sounds that we heard in the morning were from horses arriving in the corral just steps from our door.
蒙大拿的生活常态：清晨在萧萧马鸣声中睁开眼睛，深夜沐浴在皎皎月光下进入梦乡。其间，登山、远足、邂逅野生动物、识花认草、生火、泡温泉...冰川之行因为亲友相伴分外温暖。
At dusk, we made a bonfire.
9:30，黄昏时分，天色渐晚，篝火冉冉升起。
Besides listening to each other’s interesting life and work stories, Bananagrams was another popular pastime, and once again Grandma was an enthusiastic participant.
The final evening ended with a marathon series of games that stretched well past midnight. Some players came and went and a few were there the whole time. No one wanted to put the tiles away, unwilling to accept that the games had to end and unwilling to admit that the family reunion was nearly over.
除了聊天，拼字游戏也是大家最投入的活动。难以想象，老奶奶的积极性如此高涨，全家人陪着她玩到深夜还不罢休呢。没有人（哪怕是年轻人）在家庭活动时使用手机。
Our event’s organizers, sister and brother-in-law.
如花美眷，似水流年。二姐和二姐夫是这次旅行的执行者，办事周到，处处为他人着想。
最后一天，他们离开得比较早，我听见二姐悄悄地对大哥说：“等一下，叫孩子们帮助奶奶和大姑把行李从楼上拿下来，做得自然一些，他们都是不愿麻烦别人的人。”
这些家庭成员是我们的榜样。
Wildlife in the park. The most attrative mammals are bears. We encounter black bears. Bear spray works well to scare the bears away.
公园内的野生动物随处可见，黑熊闻着食物，跟踪而至，公园管理人员大喝一声，黑熊落荒而逃，秘笈是管理员手中的喷熊剂。
Mountain goats climb up and jump down cliffs.
山羊在悬崖峭壁攀爬胜似闲庭信步。
Bighorn sheep inhabit the mountain slopes and alpine meadows of Glacier National Park. They are amazing creasures to pose for your pictures.
大角羊与山坡几乎同色，成群结队迁徙，动作实在潇洒，看到我们不慌不忙，摆个造型让你随便拍拍。
Fish species include lake trout, bull trout, rainbow trout, etc.
水至清则无鱼，然而，清澈见底的溪流湖水中有很多鱼类，包括各种鳟鱼。
Weasels are lovely mammals. They can talk the same language with Joey.
山鼬很可爱，他们可以与孩子畅通无阻地交流。
The plants on both sides of the Continental Divide are different. The most impressive plants are yellow glacier lilies and whitle bear grass.
公园里有很美丽的野花和植被，印象最为深刻的是Logan Pass 满山遍野的冰川黄百合以及沿路融入云端的熊草。我们的导游戴夫告诉我们，他在国家公园工作四十年来，第二次见到熊草长势这么旺盛。
Bear grass...
给熊草一个特写！
First picnic after a short trail...
到湖边野餐时，看到旁边很多空着的野餐桌，大家习惯性地走过去；弟媳说那是小木屋的野餐桌，我们不住在小木屋不应该去用别人的桌子。
大家觉得有理，最后都席地而坐。用餐完毕，地上不留一点痕迹。想用面包屑喂只小鸟也被制止，因为不应该给野生动物投食。很感慨这么遵守规则。
This is our photographer!
这是我们的摄影师孩子，全程奉献精美的摄影作品。
The Historic Davenport, Spokane
从荒野到城市，最后一站是华盛顿州的斯坡坎。子夜时分，半梦半醒地踏入市中心这家酒店时，瞌睡荡然无存！好像踏入一个童话世界，灰姑娘的舞会大概就在这里吧。
百年历史的酒店（建于1914年），差一点遭遇拆毁，幸好有人将其买下，又花重金装修如旧，画梁雕栋，富丽堂皇，而里面的消耗品不是来自意大利就是来自法国。
再来看看长长的下榻该酒店的名人名单，Charles Lindbergh，Amelia Earhart，Clark Gable，Bob Hope，Ringo Starr，Bing Crosby， JFK...美国历史之风拂面而来, 酒店的每一个角落都像在诉说他们的故事...
入住当晚，躺在酒店号称世界最好的席梦思上，做了一个梦：开学了，自己却什么都没有准备好，一着急就醒了，睁眼看见自己躺在这个叫Davenport（达文波特）的历史酒店，离开学还有一个月!
令人赞叹的是工匠修复如旧的决心和行动，太难能可贵了！美国百年老店不多，照片只是冰山一角，亲临其境才更为震撼。
如果不是先生的公司总部在斯坡坎，估计不会特地来此。原以为是个无聊的城市，到此一游后，才发现这是一个有趣的地方。
百年前，为了利用一群在市中心穿过的瀑布，建立了一座水电站。1974年，世博会在此举行。河边还有一所大学叫Gonzaga, 美丽的校园中心，教堂十字架高耸入云。孩子在河边的钢琴上弹奏了一曲肖邦...
Gonzaga Unversity tour...
Scenic river and downtown...
在Gonzaga校园里游荡许久，不见一个来人；听到教堂钟声，趋前：原来人们都在这里做弥撒。
斯坡坎的夜晚也很平静，河滩上不少懒洋洋的鸥鹭，天空中鱼鹰盘旋，忽地一个俯冲叼起一条鱼扬长而去（这是在市中心啊）～我们居然都爱上了这个城市!
Happy Birthday， Grandma！
岁月如河，当我们结束这次家庭聚会，兄弟姐妹们又奔赴全美各个角落时，大家更加珍惜手足之情；小辈们也领略到家族的良好家风，人人平等，温良恭俭让，并祝福祖母健康长寿，感恩祖母给他们开创了一个美好的今天，他们也将继续将美好带给未来。
感恩的心 感谢有你
长按识别关注小张老师