【編者按】這是一個美國普通家庭的家庭聚會。每隔兩年，所有的家庭成員都會盡力安排出時間與祖輩相聚。請跟隨小張老師感受一下溫馨的家庭氛圍，還有那動人的冰川國家公園(Glacier National Park) 吧～
為了幫助小朋友們學(xué)習(xí)英文，本文用中英文寫成。
Along the Rocky Mountains, flying over Grand Teton National Park, we arrived at our new Montana “home”. 沿著落基山脈，飛越大提頓國家公園，來到蒙大拿州的“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.這次旅行由先生的大姐召集，二姐籌劃，目的是為給婆婆八十大壽一個美好的家庭回憶。七個兄弟姐妹十六個孫輩積極參與，除了部分家庭成員因工作原因不能前來，其余十五位成員從美國的四面八方趕來，他們分別來自西雅圖、芝加哥、麥迪遜、舊金山、紐約、匹茲堡、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.
二姐和二姐夫提前兩天來到Kalispell（卡利斯皮爾）踩點(diǎn)和分房，并采購一大家子的食物，還往返于機(jī)場迎接親人。
我們分到了主臥，感覺有些誠惶誠恐，二姐說：你家娃小，理當(dāng)如此。我們也就恭敬不如從命了。
房子木結(jié)構(gòu)，外觀古樸，里面奢華，家庭所需一應(yīng)俱全；主臥的家具據(jù)說歷史悠久，都是原木加大理石，床柱子結(jié)實(shí)沉穩(wěn)。孩子們和奶奶在屋里玩起捉迷藏，不亦樂乎。
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欖桌球，如果你不知道哪一方贏，只要喊“伯格哈特隊(duì)，加油”準(zhǔn)沒錯。 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. 親人們陪著婆婆一起玩耍，做游戲；有的安安靜靜地看書；沒有人低頭看手機(jī)。
這段朝夕相處的時光，讓彼此更加了解對方。
能干的大姐從事潛水艇的設(shè)計工作，獨(dú)自一人開車十多個小時來相聚；
賢惠的二姐在法國一家跨國公司工作，閑來寫寫兒童書籍；
高大帥氣的二姐夫經(jīng)常跑中國大陸為公司監(jiān)督產(chǎn)品質(zhì)量，最近開始拓展臺灣市場；
美國海軍退役的跑過數(shù)次波士頓馬拉松的大哥嚴(yán)格自律每天風(fēng)雨無阻地去跑步；
曾駐扎在中東和東亞的小弟從美國空軍退役，居然成了家中第一個退休的人，常年在飛機(jī)轟鳴聲中工作，聽力受到傷害，據(jù)說，因此緣故他的兒子有可能免費(fèi)獲得上大學(xué)的機(jī)會;
在律師事務(wù)所工作的弟媳一空就上網(wǎng)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! 新家的外圍，看到一望無際的油菜花田，有些小激動，十多年沒有看過這美景了，思緒一下子回到年少時的江南，更有了些家的感覺。 Flower fields and wheat fields under the sunset.夕陽無限好，油菜花海與麥田風(fēng)月無邊，醉在其中。
Wilderness and solitude.冰川之冰靜謐可以清我心
冰川之川激蕩可以濯我足
Entering the park... 小憩一日后，我們開始進(jìn)入冰川公園。這與進(jìn)入許多國家公園的序幕大致相同，山路彎彎，兩邊樹木高聳入云，不知名的野花點(diǎn)綴在路旁，湖或者溪流在一側(cè)，雪山在遠(yuǎn)方召喚。 
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. 來科普一下冰川吧，冰川是大量由積雪堆積形成如同河川般的地理景觀，是一巨大的緩慢流 動固體。冰川必須滿足某些要求才能被視為冰川，而不僅僅是一片大雪塊。冰川必須至少100英尺（30米，12層樓）厚，覆蓋面積至少25英畝（13個足球場），還有冰川會移動。 根據(jù)公園里的牌子上的說明，“公園里的每個冰川都在萎縮。該公園于1910年建成時擁有100多個冰川；到 1966年，還有35個冰川；2015年，只有26個冰川符合活動冰川的規(guī)模標(biāo)準(zhǔn)?！?nbsp; 隨著氣候變暖，冰川會全部消失嗎? 我們看到三座冰川分別是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. 開車上山是對人膽量的極大考驗(yàn)，我們選擇了乘坐公園的紅巴士，戴夫先生是我們的司機(jī)兼導(dǎo)游，滔滔不絕如數(shù)家珍地介紹冰川公園，風(fēng)趣幽默。 下車游覽拍照時，也會拉拉家常，他問奶奶生日在幾月幾號，在一旁的大姑說生日是在二月，他說: 哦，今天大家再給你過一次生日啊。 奶奶說，孩子們都孝順，我天天過生日呢。 This is the red bus.這是我們乘坐的紅巴士，難以想象它能在崎嶇的山路上游刃有余。
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是公園內(nèi)車子可以到達(dá)的最高點(diǎn), 海拔 6646英尺/2025米，大陸分水嶺在此，西邊的河流最終注入太平洋，東邊則入大西洋。 此處飄揚(yáng)著美國和加拿大的國旗，公園與加拿大接壤。即便是這么一個溫暖的夏日，凜冽的寒風(fēng)在此呼嘯，我們不得不穿上冬衣或者裹緊毛毯以抵御寒意，還得注意帽子以免一陣山風(fēng)吹來將帽子吹進(jìn)山谷。
Lake McDonald Lodge was constructed in 1913-1914 with Swiss-influenced architecture. 麥當(dāng)勞湖小屋(其實(shí)是酒店)在麥當(dāng)勞湖畔，于1913-1914年建成，瑞士的建筑風(fēng)格，里面有印第安人的飾品，勞累一天后可以在這里歇歇腳。
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. 麥當(dāng)勞湖是公園里最大的湖，嫻靜柔美，在此野餐和游湖都非常有趣。 游船時，可以領(lǐng)略一下山火燒過的森林，還可以在湖邊潤潤腳，水清得可以看到湖底五彩斑斕的鵝卵石。
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。雖逆流而上，但步道難度適中。 小兒子對早先走過的容易步道直呼不過癮，這次在兩位伯伯的鼓勵下，帶領(lǐng)全隊(duì)在茂密樹林中穿行。 到達(dá)步道的終點(diǎn)，眼前豁然開朗，美麗的雪山和湖泊出現(xiàn)在我們面前。大家歡喜雀躍。
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. 蒙大拿的生活常態(tài)：清晨在蕭蕭馬鳴聲中睜開眼睛，深夜沐浴在皎皎月光下進(jìn)入夢鄉(xiāng)。其間，登山、遠(yuǎn)足、邂逅野生動物、識花認(rèn)草、生火、泡溫泉...冰川之行因?yàn)橛H友相伴分外溫暖。
At dusk, we made a bonfire.9:30，黃昏時分，天色漸晚，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，拼字游戲也是大家最投入的活動。難以想象，老奶奶的積極性如此高漲，全家人陪著她玩到深夜還不罷休呢。沒有人（哪怕是年輕人）在家庭活動時使用手機(jī)。
Our event’s organizers, sister and brother-in-law.如花美眷，似水流年。二姐和二姐夫是這次旅行的執(zhí)行者，辦事周到，處處為他人著想。
最后一天，他們離開得比較早，我聽見二姐悄悄地對大哥說：“等一下，叫孩子們幫助奶奶和大姑把行李從樓上拿下來，做得自然一些，他們都是不愿麻煩別人的人?！?/h3>
這些家庭成員是我們的榜樣。
Wildlife in the park. The most attrative mammals are bears. We encounter black bears. Bear spray works well to scare the bears away.公園內(nèi)的野生動物隨處可見，黑熊聞著食物，跟蹤而至，公園管理人員大喝一聲，黑熊落荒而逃，秘笈是管理員手中的噴熊劑。
Mountain goats climb up and jump down cliffs.
山羊在懸崖峭壁攀爬勝似閑庭信步。
Bighorn sheep inhabit the mountain slopes and alpine meadows of Glacier National Park. They are amazing creasures to pose for your pictures. 大角羊與山坡幾乎同色，成群結(jié)隊(duì)遷徙，動作實(shí)在瀟灑，看到我們不慌不忙，擺個造型讓你隨便拍拍。
Fish species include lake trout, bull trout, rainbow trout, etc.
水至清則無魚，然而，清澈見底的溪流湖水中有很多魚類，包括各種鱒魚。
Weasels are lovely mammals. They can talk the same language with Joey. 山鼬很可愛，他們可以與孩子暢通無阻地交流。
The plants on both sides of the Continental Divide are different. The most impressive plants are yellow glacier lilies and whitle bear grass. 公園里有很美麗的野花和植被，印象最為深刻的是Logan Pass 滿山遍野的冰川黃百合以及沿路融入云端的熊草。我們的導(dǎo)游戴夫告訴我們，他在國家公園工作四十年來，第二次見到熊草長勢這么旺盛。
Bear grass...給熊草一個特寫！
First picnic after a short trail...到湖邊野餐時，看到旁邊很多空著的野餐桌，大家習(xí)慣性地走過去；弟媳說那是小木屋的野餐桌，我們不住在小木屋不應(yīng)該去用別人的桌子。
大家覺得有理，最后都席地而坐。用餐完畢，地上不留一點(diǎn)痕跡。想用面包屑喂只小鳥也被制止，因?yàn)椴粦?yīng)該給野生動物投食。很感慨這么遵守規(guī)則。
This is our photographer! 這是我們的攝影師孩子，全程奉獻(xiàn)精美的攝影作品。
The Historic Davenport, Spokane
從荒野到城市，最后一站是華盛頓州的斯坡坎。子夜時分，半夢半醒地踏入市中心這家酒店時，瞌睡蕩然無存！好像踏入一個童話世界，灰姑娘的舞會大概就在這里吧。
百年歷史的酒店（建于1914年），差一點(diǎn)遭遇拆毀，幸好有人將其買下，又花重金裝修如舊，畫梁雕棟，富麗堂皇，而里面的消耗品不是來自意大利就是來自法國。
再來看看長長的下榻該酒店的名人名單，Charles Lindbergh，Amelia Earhart，Clark Gable，Bob Hope，Ringo Starr，Bing Crosby， JFK...美國歷史之風(fēng)拂面而來, 酒店的每一個角落都像在訴說他們的故事...
入住當(dāng)晚，躺在酒店號稱世界最好的席夢思上，做了一個夢：開學(xué)了，自己卻什么都沒有準(zhǔn)備好，一著急就醒了，睜眼看見自己躺在這個叫Davenport（達(dá)文波特）的歷史酒店，離開學(xué)還有一個月!
令人贊嘆的是工匠修復(fù)如舊的決心和行動，太難能可貴了！美國百年老店不多，照片只是冰山一角，親臨其境才更為震撼。 如果不是先生的公司總部在斯坡坎，估計不會特地來此。原以為是個無聊的城市，到此一游后，才發(fā)現(xiàn)這是一個有趣的地方。
百年前，為了利用一群在市中心穿過的瀑布，建立了一座水電站。1974年，世博會在此舉行。河邊還有一所大學(xué)叫Gonzaga, 美麗的校園中心，教堂十字架高聳入云。孩子在河邊的鋼琴上彈奏了一曲肖邦...
Gonzaga Unversity tour...Scenic river and downtown...在Gonzaga校園里游蕩許久，不見一個來人；聽到教堂鐘聲，趨前：原來人們都在這里做彌撒。
斯坡坎的夜晚也很平靜，河灘上不少懶洋洋的鷗鷺，天空中魚鷹盤旋，忽地一個俯沖叼起一條魚揚(yáng)長而去（這是在市中心?。覀兙尤欢紣凵狭诉@個城市!
Happy Birthday， Grandma！
歲月如河，當(dāng)我們結(jié)束這次家庭聚會，兄弟姐妹們又奔赴全美各個角落時，大家更加珍惜手足之情；小輩們也領(lǐng)略到家族的良好家風(fēng)，人人平等，溫良恭儉讓，并祝福祖母健康長壽，感恩祖母給他們開創(chuàng)了一個美好的今天，他們也將繼續(xù)將美好帶給未來。
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