As a pilot who flies several times each winter from London to sultry and sun-drenched Phoenix, it’s clear to me why the state of Arizona is such a popular destination for Americans and Europeans fleeing the grey skies and icy pavements of less agreeable climates.
作为一名飞行员，我每年冬天都会从伦敦飞往湿热而又阳光普照的凤凰城好几次；我非常理解那些逃离气候不那么怡人地区的灰色天空和结冰人行道的欧美人，为什么如此喜欢把亚利桑那作为他们的目的地。
But what if your idea of winter escapism isn’t a lounger by sparkling pool, but a Robert Frost poem by a crackling fire? What if, when December rolls around, you — like me — find yourself dreaming not of palm trees, but of frigid, moonlit trails through snow-hushed forests?
但如果你脑海中的冬季大逃亡不是在波光粼粼的游泳池边当一个闲散之人，而是在发出噼啪声的炉火边读一首罗伯特•弗罗斯特(Robert Frost)的诗歌呢？假如当冬季翩然而至时，你像我一样，发现自己心中向往的并不是棕榈树，而是月光照耀下、穿越冰雪覆盖森林的寂静而又严寒的小径呢？
If you’re more pleased by drinks bearing marshmallows than those crowned with little umbrellas then here’s something that not many Americans (and even fewer Europeans) know about Arizona: the sparsely populated northern tier of this famously toasty state is home to one of the snowiest regions in the US.
如果你更喜欢表面飘着棉花糖的热饮，而不是那些杯边插着迷你小雨伞的饮品，那么这里有一则很多美国人并不知道（欧洲人中知道的就更少了）的关于亚利桑那州的事实：虽然该州以气候温暖舒适而出名，但其人口稀少的北部高地却是全美降雪量最大的地区之一。
This hidden American Narnia features vast forests of Ponderosa pines, plenty of bears — hibernating at this time of year, hopefully — and the perfect base for travellers: the Arizona Nordic Village, a friendly and unfussy establishment that offers a truly unforgettable opportunity to camp in isolated, wood stove-equipped yurts scattered deep in the snowy wilderness. This high and beautiful land, enveloped in winter silence, is one of my favourite destinations on Earth.
这片隐秘的美国版纳尼亚王国拥有由美国黄松组成的广阔森林，为数不少的熊——每年的这个时候熊通常都在冬眠——同时也有旅行者的完美露营地：亚利桑那北欧村(Arizon Nordic Village)，这是一家友好而又不过分讲究的宾馆，能够为你提供真正难忘的机会，体验在远离人烟的内有柴火炉的圆顶帐篷里野营的感觉，这些帐篷零星分布在茫茫雪原深处。这片被冬季的寂静笼罩的美丽高地，是我在全世界最钟爱的去处之一。
A journey to northern Arizona will likely involve a drive up — in every sense — from balmy Phoenix. Arizona’s capital stands about 330 metres above sea level, and in January the city can be warmer than London in July. In contrast Flagstaff, the main settlement in northern Arizona, is more than 2,100 metres up — far higher than Denver or, since we’re talking yurts, Ulaanbaatar. A portion of my pilot training was in Arizona, and flying a small plane north from Phoenix is like ascending a staircase. As the land rises rapidly towards a still-climbing small plane, the far-below deserts, dotted with cactuses, give way to ever-closer snowfields and evergreen forests.
前往亚利桑那州北部的航程很可能会包括一段从气候温润的凤凰城向高海拔爬升的过程，不论从哪种方式来说都是如此。亚利桑那州首府的海拔约为330米，这座城市1月时的天气有时甚至能比7月的伦敦更加温暖。相比之下，亚利桑那州北部主要定居点弗拉格斯塔夫(Flagstaff)的海拔超过2100米——远远超过了丹佛市(Denver)或者——鉴于我们正在讨论圆顶帐篷——乌兰巴托(Ulaanbaatar)的海拔。我的一部分飞行员训练是在亚利桑那州完成的，驾驶一架小飞机从凤凰城向北飞行的感觉就如同爬楼梯。地势先是快速爬升，随后出现的是一小片海拔仍在增高的平原，脚下点缀着仙人掌的沙漠逐渐远去，眼前越来越近的是雪原和常青树林。