The Backpacking Water Shortage

Rohan and Meera are two days into a three-day backpacking trip with their school's outdoor club. They are hiking a loop trail that circles a wide valley. Their route plan lists a stream at the halfway point. Every group refills their water bottles there.

罗汉和米拉正和学校的户外社团进行一次为期三天的背包徒步，现在已经走了两天。他们走的是一条环绕宽阔山谷的环形步道。路线计划上标明，在中途有一条溪流，每个队伍都会在那里给水壶补水。

When they reach the stream on the afternoon of day two, it is nearly dry. Only a thin trickle runs over dusty stones. A note taped to a nearby signpost explains why. The summer has been unusually hot this year. Several water sources on the trail have dried up early.

第二天下午，他们走到溪边时，溪水几乎干涸了。只有一道细细的水流从满是灰尘的石头上淌过。附近路标上贴着一张纸条，解释了原因：今年夏天异常炎热，步道上有好几处水源都提前干了。

Meera checks their bottles. There is barely enough for the rest of today, with nothing left for tomorrow's climb. "We should ration what we have," she says, "and hope the next source is better."

米拉查看了他们的水壶。剩下的水只够撑过今天，明天爬坡时就一点不剩了。“我们得省着喝，”她说，“然后指望下一个水源好一点。”

Rohan pulls out the paper trail map their teacher gave them before the trip. Another water source is marked about three miles ahead, near a ranger station. It should still be staffed this late in the season. If they hike steadily, they can reach it before sunset.

罗汉拿出出发前老师给他们的纸质步道地图。前方大约三英里处，靠近一座护林站的地方标着另一个水源。这个季节快结束了，那里应该还有人值守。只要他们稳步前进，就能在日落前赶到。

They agree to drink only small sips for the rest of the afternoon. They will save the larger amount for whenever they actually feel thirsty. Meera suggests they eat less salty food too, since salt makes people thirstier faster.

他们商定，下午剩下的时间里只喝小口的水，把多一点的量留到真正觉得口渴的时候。米拉还建议他们少吃咸的食物，因为盐会让人更快地口渴。

The three miles feel longer than usual, mostly because they are both thinking about water the whole time. When they finally spot the ranger station's tin roof through the trees, Rohan laughs out loud with relief.

这三英里感觉比平时更长，主要是因为他们俩一路上满脑子都是水。当他们终于透过树林望见护林站的铁皮屋顶时，罗汉如释重负，大声笑了起来。

The ranger is an older woman who has clearly heard this story before this season. She fills both their bottles from a large tank. She also adds a few extra warnings about the dry sources ahead. She gives them a printed list of which streams have reliably held water this month.

护林员是一位年长的女士，这个季节显然已经听过很多次这样的故事。她从一个大水箱里给两人的水壶都灌满了水，还额外叮嘱了前方几处干涸水源的情况，并给了他们一份打印的清单，上面列着这个月哪些溪流一直有水。

That night, sitting by their tent with full water bottles, Meera admits something. She has never paid attention to a water source on a map before this trip. She's fairly sure she always will from now on.

那天夜里，他们坐在帐篷旁，水壶都是满的。米拉坦白了一件事：在这次旅行之前，她从没认真留意过地图上的水源。她很确定，从今以后自己永远都会留意。