VOA慢速英语：欧洲还在感受夏天的炎热，非洲已经可以滑雪

While millions across Europe live through a summer of record-breaking heat, others are skiing down snowy mountains in Africa.
当欧洲数百万人正在创纪录的炎热夏季里煎熬时，而有人却在非洲的雪山上滑雪。
 
This is not another sign of climate change. Rather, it is a result of the special climate of Lesotho. Lesotho is a small mountainous nation surrounded by South Africa. It is the only country on Earth where its whole land surface sits more than 1,000 meters above sea level.
这不是什么气候变化的迹象，相反，这是莱索托特有的。莱索托是一个被南非包围的山区小国。它是地球上唯一一个整个地表海拔超过 1000 米的国家。
 
That gives Lesotho snow during the southern hemisphere's winters. Cold winters are not rare in southern Africa. But snow is rare.
这种独特的地理环境使得莱索托在南半球的冬天下雪了。在南部非洲，寒冷的冬天并不罕见，但雪确实稀有。
 
And ski resorts are even rarer. At a height of 3,000 meters above sea level, Afriski is Africa's only ski resort south of the equator. It is in Lesotho's Maluti Mountains.
滑雪胜地就更少了。阿弗里斯基海拔 3,000 米，是非洲赤道以南唯一的滑雪胜地，地处莱索托的马鲁蒂山脉。
 
"I've never seen snow in my life," said Kafi Mojapelo. She traveled the short distance from South Africa for a skiing vacation she never thought she would take.
“我这辈子从没见过雪。”卡菲·莫哈佩洛说。她从南非过来很近，在这度过了一个她从未想过的滑雪假期。
 
"This is a great experience," she added.
“这是一次很棒的经历。”她补充道。
 
Bafana Nadida is from Johannesburg. He was happy to put on ski boots for the first time. He planned a day full of ski lessons, taking pictures and playing in the snow.
纳迪达(Bafana Nadida)来自约翰内斯堡。他很高兴首次尝试滑雪，还计划了一整天的滑雪课程，拍照和玩雪。
 
Skiers and snowboarders waited to rent the correct equipment. Some people took lessons from Hope Ramokotjo. He is from Lesotho and has worked as a self-taught ski and snowboard instructor for 12 years.
滑雪和滑板爱好者在排队租用设备。有些人在霍普·拉莫科乔(Hope Ramokotjo)那里得到了指导。他来自莱索托，作为一名自学的滑雪和单板滑雪教练，他已经工作12年了。
 
"Push your heels out. Don't pull your shoulders," he said to his class.
“把你的脚后跟伸出来，不要耸肩膀。”他对全班说。
 
Afriski's Kapoko Snow Park is the only freestyle snow park on the continent. Freestyle skiing and snowboarding involves tricks like jumps, twists and flips.
阿弗里斯基的 Kapoko 雪地公园是非洲大陆上唯一的自由式雪地公园。自由式滑雪和单板滑雪涉及跳跃、转体和翻转等技巧。
Last month, competitors entered the Winter Whip Slopestyle snowboard and ski competition. Sekholo Ramonotsi is a 13-year-old from the Lesotho city of Butha-Buthe. He practices at Afriski. He has won the junior snowboard and ski divisions.
上个月，参赛者参加了坡面障碍技巧单板滑雪和自由滑雪比赛。拉莫诺齐(Sekholo Ramonotsi)是一名13岁的男孩，来自莱索托市布塔-布泰。他就在阿弗里斯基练习，并最终赢得了初级滑雪板和滑雪部门的冠军。
 
"I would really like to ski in Europe," he said.
“我真的很想在欧洲滑雪。”他说。
 
British-born Meka Lebohang Ejindu said he has taught skiing and snowboarding in Austria for more than 10 years. This was his first time competing in the southern hemisphere.
出生于英国的艾金杜(Meka Lebohang Ejindu)说，他在奥地利教滑雪和单板滑雪已经10多年了，这是他第一次参加南半球比赛。
 
Afriski may not be at the level of Europe's large resorts. But a love of winter sports is growing there.
阿弗里斯基可能无法达到欧洲大型度假村的水平，但那里对冬季运动的热爱正在增长。
 
"For a competition like this to happen in southern Africa is so heartwarming," Ejindu said.
“这样的比赛能在南部非洲举办真是太令人心动了。”艾金杜说。
 
I'm Dan Novak.
丹·诺瓦克报道。