原文
①Locals have a saying: “When the Buddha’s feet are washed, Leshan cannot sleep.” ②The city in the south-western province of Sichuan has reason to be fearful. ③Leshan lies at the confluence of three tributaries of the Yangzi river. ④Centuries ago its residents carved a stone statue of the Buddha into a cliff face. ⑤It towers 70 metres high, overlooking the swift currents. ⑥In August 2020 its giant toes were bathed in river water for the first time since 1949. ⑦Thousands of residents suffered in the flood.
① But it is not only the ancient threat of rivers in spate that unnerves Leshan.② It is also the way the city itself has grown. ③By the time of last year’s disaster, its built-up area, including satellite towns, was more than half as big again as it was in 2000. ④City planners had failed to make due provision for floodwater runoff.
精读第一段
第一段以乐山大佛为切入点，指出当地人对洪灾的恐惧。
①Locals have a saying: “When the Buddha’s feet are washed, Leshan cannot sleep.”
当地人有句俗语：“大佛要洗脚，乐山睡不着。”
第①句以当地人的俗语作为开头，暗含了洪水对乐山的影响。
saying，在这里做名词，指的是“格言，警句，谚语”。我们经常说的正如俗语所说，就是As the saying goes.
Buddha，发音是 /ˈbʊd.ə/，表示宗教中说说的“佛”，知道即可。
②The city in the south-western province of Sichuan has reason to be fearful.
这座位于中国西南部省份四川的城市有理由感到担忧。
第②句承接第①句，指出了乐山面对洪水的担忧。
这句话中可以提炼一个句型：XX has the reason to XX. 表示有理由…
比如，在说到美国恶意打压中国科技企业时，我们可以说：
China has reason to guard against US malicious crackdown on Chinese technology companies. 中国有理由防范美国恶意打压中国科技企业。
③Leshan lies at the confluence of three tributaries of the Yangzi river.
乐山位于长江三条支流的交汇处。
第③句介绍了乐山的地理位置。
lie,作动词，表示“位于”。我们之前讲到过有关lie的替换表达。可以参看来看看《经济学人》是怎样分析中国打卡旅游的？
confluence, 作名词，表示“河流）汇合处，汇流点，交汇处”。
tributary,作名词，表示“（河流或湖泊的）支流”。
④Centuries ago its residents carved a stone statue of the Buddha into a cliff face.
几百年以前，当地居民在悬崖壁上雕刻了一尊石雕佛像。
第④句介绍了乐山大佛的历史。
carve，作动词，表示“雕刻”。
举个例子：
He carved her name on a tree. 他将她的名字刻在了树上。
face，作名词，表示the front or surface of an object，指的是“（物体的）前面，正面，表面”。比如：the north face of a mountain山的北坡。
⑤It towers 70 metres high, overlooking the swift currents.
这尊石刻佛像高达70米，俯瞰着湍急的水流。
第⑤句介绍了乐山大佛的高度。
tower，是“塔”的意思，据此，这个词还有动词之意，如文中提到的表示“高耸，矗立”。如果加上ing，就变成了形容词，表示“非常高的”。
《经济学人》2021年3月，在讲到日本福岛核电站时，用到了towering.
Less than an hour after north-eastern Japan was rocked by the biggest earthquake in the country’s history, in 2011, a towering tsunami crashed into the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant and triggered a triple reactor meltdown. 2011年，日本东北部遭遇了日本历史上最强地震，之后不到一小时，一场巨大的海啸吞噬了福岛第一核电站，并引发三个反应堆熔毁。
用towering来形容tsunami，是不是很有画面感呢！
⑥In August 2020 its giant toes were bathed in river water for the first time since 1949.⑦Thousands of residents suffered in the flood.
2020年8月，乐山大佛的巨型脚趾被河水浸没，这是1949年以来的首次。数万居民因此遭遇洪灾。
最后两句指出了2020年乐山大佛脚趾首次被淹及当地百姓受灾。
我们看看2020年BBC对乐山大佛被淹的报道:
A giant statue of Buddha in China has had its toes dampened by floodwater for the first time since the 1940s. 中国的一尊巨大佛像的脚趾被洪水淹没，这是自20世纪40年代以来的首次。
had its toes dampened 是have sth. done的结构，表示“某事被…”，比如，have my hair cut 剪发让我的头发被(理发师)减，例子中能had its toes dampened by floodwater的意思是：脚趾被洪水弄湿。
补充一点，dampen除了“弄湿、使潮湿”的意思，也可以表示 :to make feelings ,especially of excitement 。指“使（尤指兴奋或喜悦之情）平静下来；稳定（情绪）；对…泼冷水”。
举两个例子：
Nothing you can say will dampen her enthusiasm. 不管你说什么她的热情丝毫不减。
I didn’t want to dampen his spirits. 我不想给他泼冷水。
精读第二段
第二段指出了对乐山城市规划的担忧。
① But it is not only the ancient threat of rivers in spate that unnerves Leshan.② It is also the way the city itself has grown.
但让乐山感到不安的不仅仅是这条古老河流泛滥带来的威胁。担忧的还有这座城市自身发展的方式。
第①-②句通过递进表明了乐山的担忧。
in spate，表示“（河流）水位猛涨，泛滥”。
举个例子：
After heavy rain, the river was in spate. 大雨过后，河水暴涨。
再补充一个和spate放在一起经常使用的表达a spate of,表示“（尤指不愉快的）大量突发事件”。
我们来造个句子，比如谈到校园暴力问题时，我们会说这引起极大的关注，我们可以说：
A spate of school violence raises concerns about children’s safety in school. 接二连三的校园暴力事件引发了人们对儿童在校安全的担忧。
unnerve,作动词，表示“使紧张；使缺乏信心；使恐惧”。
举个例子：
I think it unnerved me to be interviewed by so many people. 这么多人来面试我，让我很紧张。
③By the time of last year’s disaster, its built-up area, including satellite towns, was more than half as big again as it was in 2000.
到去年洪灾发生的时候，乐山包括卫星城在内的建成区面积比2000年的时候又大了一半以上。
第③句指出了去年洪灾发生时，乐山的区域面积情况。
built-up，加上连字符-，就变成了形容词形式，表示“建筑密集的”。
④City planners had failed to make due provision for floodwater runoff.
城市规划者没有为洪水造成的内涝做好应有的准备。
第④句指出了城市规划存在问题。
due，在这里作形容词，表示“应有的，预期的”。
举个例子：
The next meeting is due to be held in three months’ time. 下次会议预计将在3个月后召开。
provision，作名词，表示“提供；供给；准备”。
举个例子：
The provision of good pubilc transport will be essential for developing the area. 提供良好的公共交通对该地区的发展极为重要。
我们可以把make due provision for当做一个表达来记，表示“为…做好应有的准备”。
我们来造个句子，比如，这次新冠疫情提醒人们，良好的卫生应急体系的重要性，我们可以说：
Governments of all countries should strengthen the construction of public health systems to make due provisions for the next pandemic outbreak. 各国政府都应强化公共卫生体系建设，为下一次大流行病的爆发到来做好应有的准备。
floodwater runoff, 表示“洪水径流”，可以理解为“内涝”，是一个水利专业词汇，表示一定时段内通过河流某一断面的洪水量。
via 中环双语外刊精读
