Part of the fun and much of the expense of enjoying the Alps, is riding the various lifts. Whether you're riding cogwheel trains, steep funiculars or gondolas, the views are breathtaking. This gondola drops us in the traffic-free village of Gimmelwald.
享受阿爾卑斯山風光一部分的樂趣和大部分的開銷，是在搭乘不同的纜車上。不論你是搭乘齒軌電車、陡峭的纜索鐵路或空中纜車，景色美得令人屏息。這空中纜車把我們放在交通不便的村莊Gimmelwald。
This tiny intersection is the heart of downtown. On a sunny day, you understand why people say, "If Heaven isn't what it's cracked up to be, send me back to Gimmelwald." The village, established in the Middle Ages incredibly on the edge of this cliff, was one of the poorest places in Switzerland.
這個小十字路口就是市鎮中心。在一個風光明媚的日子裡，你會了解人們為何說：「如果天堂沒有像人家說的那麼好，把我送回Gimmelwald吧。」這建造於中古世紀、令人難以置信地蓋在懸崖邊的村莊，曾經是瑞士最窮困的所在之一。
Its traditional economy was stuck in the hay. Its farmers make ends meet only with help from Swiss government subsidies and by working the ski lifts in the winter. Modern tourism has perked up the local economy as well. The village operates like a big family. In fact, most of the 120 residents have the same last name: von Allmen.
它的傳統經濟受制於牧草。它的農夫們只能靠瑞士政府津貼之助和冬天經營滑雪纜車來平衡收支。現代觀光事業也活絡了當地的經濟。這村莊運作得像大家庭。事實上，120位居民中的大部分都有同一個姓：von Allmen。
Collecting grass to get their cows through the winter in this rugged terrain is labor-intensive. Each hardworking family harvests only enough to feed fifteen or twenty cows. Life can be tough, but they'd have it no other way.
在這崎嶇的地形上收集牧草以讓牛群度過寒冬需要大量勞力。每個辛苦工作的家庭收成僅足以餵飽十五到二十頭牛。生活有時會很艱困，但他們寧願不要有所改變。
A generation ago, developers wanted to turn Gimmelwald into a big resort town. The villagers thwarted those plans by getting the entire town declared an avalanche zone. From that point on, no one could get permission to build anything bigger than a house or a barn. Unlike neighboring resort towns, Gimmelwald remains a vital community of families, locally owned and proud of it.
在上個世代，開發商想把Gimmelwald變成一個大的渡假城鎮。村民們讓整個城鎮被宣告為雪崩地，藉此阻撓那些開發計畫。從那時起，沒人能夠得到許可建造任何一棟比房子或穀倉還要大的建築。不像鄰近的渡假城鎮一般，Gimmelwald仍是一個生氣蓬勃的家庭式社區，由本地人擁有且引以為傲。
Most of the buildings house two families and are divided vertically right down the middle. The writing on the post office building is a folksy blessing, "Summer brings green. Winter brings snow. The sun greets the day. The stars greet the night. This house will keep you warm. May God give us his blessings."
大部分的建築物住有兩戶人家，並從正中間垂直劃分。郵局建築物上的標語是一句友善的祝福：「夏季帶來綠意。冬季帶來雪花。太陽迎接白晝。星辰迎接黑夜。這房子會讓你保有熱情。願神祝福我們。」
The oldest building in town dates from 1658. Study the log cabin construction: many are built without nails. Gimmelwald has a strict building code. For instance, shutters can only be natural, green or white.
鎮上最老的建築物始於1658年。研究小木屋的建構：很多都不是用釘子建造的。Gimmelwald有嚴格的建築法規。舉例來說，百葉窗只能是原木色、綠色或是白色的。
The stones on the huts are there to keep the shingles from blowing off during strong winter storms. Farmers hang big ceremonial cowbells under their eaves, waiting for that festive day in the spring when the cows move from their barns up to the high meadows.
小屋上的石頭是為了阻止木板屋頂在冬天強風中被吹走而放在那兒。農人們在屋簷下懸掛大型慶典牛鈴，等待春天裡歡樂的那一天，屆時牛群從牛舍遷移到高地草原。
- 「不像人家說的那麼好」- Not Be All It's Cracked Up To Be
"If Heaven isn't what it's cracked up to be, send me back to Gimmelwald."
「如果天堂沒有像人家說的那麼好，把我送回Gimmelwald吧。」 - 「平衡收支、打平開銷」- Make Ends Meet
Its farmers make ends meet only with help from Swiss government subsidies and by working the ski lifts in the winter.
它的農夫們只能靠瑞士政府津貼之助和冬天經營滑雪纜車來平衡收支。 - 「活絡、振作、振興」- Perk Up
Modern tourism has perked up the local economy as well.
現代觀光事業也活絡了當地的經濟。
