摘要
那个高山湖静静地躺卧在林地下面的积雪与岩石的怀抱之中。从500英尺（约152米）高的观景点看下去，波光粼粼的湖面真是美不胜收。我急着与同伴们重新会合，准备在午后周围群峰的阴影笼罩整个湖面之前钓一会儿鱼。离交错的页岩不远处，一条小路蜿蜒通往山谷。我不想回头再走上来时那条漫长的烦人小道，决定挑战页岩，尽管有一段路位于几百英尺的峭壁之上。我非常小心地走在松动不稳的石头上。将近走到一半时，我注意到脚下的页岩一点点地不断下滑。
The view of the high 1）sierra lake, nestled in the snow and rock slightly below the 2）timberland, was beautiful from my 3）vantage point, some 500 feet above its 4）shimmering surface. I was anxious to rejoin my companions and try the fishing before the afternoon shadows, edging out from the surrounding S）array of peaks, entirely covered the lake. Just a short distance beyond the 6）intervening 7）shale, the 8）trail 9）zigzagged down to the valley. I disliked the thought of returning by the long, 10）tedious trail I had 11）ascended and decided to chance the shale, even though part of it lay above a sheer drop off of several hundred feet.
