The Coldest Place on Earth: English-Chinese Contrast

Author: Vikari
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-10-01
Features: "Oxford University Press has dedicated the 'Grub' series to English learners worldwide. In English, 'grub' is a rather charming image. Imagine a 'grub' completely immersed in books, tirelessly chewing on letters. Now, this 'grub' has crossed the ocean and gracefully landed in the hands of Chinese English learners. 'Grub' will first give you confidence—even if you currently only know a few hundred words, you can easily read world-class works. The 'grub' will also remind you with its gentle chirping: to persevere in reading, to read widely and richly. By the time you finish the last book in the series, you may suddenly realize: you have transformed like a caterpillar into a butterfly, ready to take flight! Today, there is a house in Antarctica called the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. It is warm inside, where people can live and work year-round. Planes can easily fly to or from the station. From here to other parts of the world, it takes no more than a few hours. But if you walk 500 meters outside the station, Antarctica becomes the coldest and most desolate place on Earth again. In 1911, Antarctica had neither radios nor housing. Apart from endless snow, frozen landscapes, and biting winds, there was nothing. No British flags, no Norwegian flags. But a few people were slowly walking south, crossing the frozen earth. Scott's team was equipped with small horses, while Amundsen's team had dogs and skis. The temperature was -30°C or worse. These people endured fatigue, hunger, and cold. Who among them would be the first to reach the South Pole? Currently, inside the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, some words are written on the wall—a diary entry by Captain Scott in 1912: "Oh, this place is terrible!"