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Adventure quests
寻奇探险
Climbing Mount Everest used to be a feat of staggering bravery, endurance and skill.
攀登珠穆朗玛峰曾经是一项需要惊人的勇气、耐力和技术的壮举。
In the 40 years after Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first reached the summit in 1953, an average of 12 people a year followed in their footsteps. In 2023 more than 1,200 people attempted the climb, with 655 making it to the top.
在1953年埃德蒙·希拉里爵士和丹增诺盖首次登顶之后的40年里，平均每年有12人追随他们的脚步。2023年，超过1200人试图攀登珠峰，其中655人成功登顶。
What was once an “almost certainly fatal” endeavour is “the new Ironman triathlon”, argues Will Cockrell, a journalist, in “Everest, Inc”, a fascinating new book.
记者威尔·科克雷尔在一本精彩的新书《珠穆朗玛公司》中写道，攀登珠峰曾经是一项“几乎肯定会丧命”的艰难活动，现在成了“新的铁人三项”。
High-tech equipment and better understanding of the physiological impact of high altitudes have brought new hopefuls to Everest. But the biggest reason for the rising number of Everest conquerors is the establishment of a professional guiding industry.
高科技设备和对高海拔生理影响的更好了解带来了新一批想要攀登珠峰的人。但珠峰征服者数量不断增加的最大原因是建立了专业向导产业。
For a hefty fee—between $35,000 and $110,000—experienced climbers will put novices on top of the world. The guiding industry exists in large part because of a foolhardy but irresistible character called Dick Bass.
只要支付3.5万美元到11万美元的高额费用，经验丰富的登山者就能让新手登上世界之巅。向导产业的存在在很大程度上是因为一个鲁莽但无法阻挡的人：迪克·巴斯。
The heir to an oil fortune, Bass had the lunatic idea of climbing the highest mountains on all seven continents. He bought his way onto three different Everest expeditions and, in 1985, aged 55, he became both the oldest and least experienced climber to reach the summit.
作为石油财富的继承人，巴斯有一个疯狂的想法，他想爬完七大洲的所有最高峰。他花钱踏上了三次不同的珠峰探险旅程，1985年，55岁的他成为年龄最大且经验最少的登顶者。
The sight of an average Joe on top of the world generated a media frenzy—and the establishment of companies that could cater to the new demand for tours.
一个普通人登上世界之巅的事件引发了媒体的狂热报道，也使得迎合新的旅游需求的公司建立。
The early years of guided expeditions in the 1990s were mostly successful. But in 1996, Jon Krakauer, an American writer, joined one of two simultaneous expeditions that went wrong.
20世纪90年代早期的有向导的探险队大多成功了。但在1996年，美国作家乔恩·克拉考尔参加了同时出发的两个探险队之一，两队都遇难了。
A storm “dropped down on the climbers like a piano on a cartoon character”. The guides, eager for their clients to reach the top, delayed turning them around. Three guides and two climbers died.
暴风雪“砸在登山者身上，就像钢琴砸在卡通人物身上一样”。向导们急切地希望他们的客户能登顶，于是推迟了让他们返回的时间。结果三名向导和两名登山者死亡。
In a bestselling book, “Into Thin Air”, Mr Krakauer argued that Everest had become a high-end tourist trap. He decried the judgment of the guides and the selfishness of inexperienced climbers.
在畅销书《进入空气稀薄地带》中，克拉考尔认为珠穆朗玛峰已经成为高端游客陷阱。他谴责了向导的判断失误和缺乏经验的登山者的自私。
The industry has depended on local labour. Large numbers of Nepalis were hired by companies in the West to install ropes and carry equipment for clients.
该行业一直依赖当地劳动力。大量尼泊尔人受雇于西方公司，为客户安装绳索和运送设备。
Two accidents in the 2010s brought change. In 2014, 16 Sherpas were buried by falling ice while transporting clients’ gear. Their colleagues went on strike and forced the cancellation of the season.
2010年代的两次事故带来了改变。2014年，16名夏尔巴人在运送客户的装备时被掉落的冰块掩埋。他们的同事们举行了罢工，迫使当时的登山季取消。
Then, in 2015, an avalanche killed ten Sherpas and nine foreign clients. In the aftermath, many Western operators lost their enthusiasm for Everest; today all the biggest guiding firms are Nepali-owned.
然后在2015年，一场雪崩导致10名夏尔巴人和9名外国客户死亡。此后，许多西方运营商失去了对珠峰的热情，现在，所有最大的向导公司都是尼泊尔人所有的。
