VOA常速英语2014--寻宝者在肯尼亚中部寻找宝藏

Treasure Hunters Seek 'Hidden Treasure' in Central Kenya 寻宝者在肯尼亚中部寻找宝藏

MARAIGUSHU, KENYA— 

Could a cave in a small village in central Kenya be the site of buried treasure?  A rumor 1 of riches, left behind by colonialists, has some residents dreaming of wealth, while others see it as a dangerous hoax 2.

肯尼亚中部一个小村庄里的洞穴有可能是藏宝的地址吗？殖民者遗留的有关宝藏的传闻，让一些村民做起了发财梦，而其它人却将其视作危险的骗局。

This system of caves has become the center of excitement in the village of Maraigushu, near Naivasha, Kenya.

在肯尼亚纳瓦沙附近的马雷古斯胡(Maraigushu)村，这处洞穴系统成了兴奋焦点。

It is not clear where the rumor came from, but some locals here believe white settlers hid gold, mercury and other precious metals in the cave before leaving the area, many years ago.

传闻是从哪儿来的，还没有人能说清楚，但是一些当地人相信，很多年前，白人定居者在离开这里之前，把金子、水银和其他宝贵的金属藏在了洞穴里。

Local resident Edward Maina says the rumors 4 have brought amateur treasure hunters flooding into town to dig in the caves.

当地居民爱德华?马伊纳说，传闻导致业余寻宝爱好者涌入小镇，在洞穴里挖掘。

"It’s not long ago that people came and they went to excavate 5 the cave, and we don’t know them. We heard them saying that in the 1800s a white man left treasures inside the caves and closed it off," says Maina.

他说： “就在不久前，有人来了，在洞里挖掘，我们不认识他们。我们听他们说，在17世纪初有个白人把宝藏留在了洞里，把洞口封住。”

Residents say the original treasure seekers entered the cave nearly two months ago before being detained by police. Local authorities sealed up the entrance, but excavators broke back in.

居民们说，第一批寻宝者们大约两个月前进入洞穴，后来被警察拘捕。当地政府将入口密封，但是挖洞的人又回来了。

While neither gold nor mercury have been brought forth 6 yet, the cave does guard another important resource: water.

人们还没有发现金子或者水银，但是洞穴守护着另一个重要的资源：水。

Many rely on a natural spring emerging from the cave and local officials, among them Ward 3 Councilor Gaka Mwaniki, worry the digging could disrupt or contaminate the supply.

很多人都依赖着从洞穴流出的天然泉水，当地官员当心挖洞可能破坏或者污染水源。

“There’s nothing. We’ve seen ourselves there’s nothing in those caves, they are excavating 7 for the first time, it’s natural. It’s the water table that they’re interfering 8 with,” says Mwaniki.

社区委员会成员嘎卡?姆瓦尼基说： “里面什么都没有。我们自己检查过，洞里什么都没有，他们是第一次挖掘，洞是天然的。他们破坏的是地下水。”

Excitement about the cave has gotten the attention of regional leaders, as politicians from nearby Naivasha town accuse one another of sponsoring the treasure hunt and unfairly exploiting unemployed 9 youths by sending them to dig in dangerous conditions.

对于洞穴的热情吸引了地区领袖们的注意，附近的纳瓦沙镇的政治人物互相指责对方赞助寻宝，还不公正地剥削失业的年轻人，让他们在危险的环境下挖宝。

Local resident James Mbugua Njenga wants the situation brought under control.

当地人詹姆斯?姆布吉阿?恩坚加希望局势不要失控。

“If at all there’s treasure inside there, let the government come and excavate and preserve the water table,” says Njenga.

他说：“如果里面真的有宝藏，让政府来挖掘，保护地下水。”

It might be true, it might be a hoax or it could be part of a political game. Whatever the case, treasure hunters continue to be drawn 10 to the mystery of the caves.

这一切有可能是真的，有可能是个骗局，也有可能是政治游戏的一部分。不论事实如何，在这些神秘的洞穴吸引下，一个个寻宝人接踵而来。