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I had set the alarm for 2∶30 a.m.， but well before it went off， my boyfriend and I woke to a 1）pounding on the 2）chalet door. Waking from a deep sleep， we found our neighbors on the doorstep.
“Quick！” they shouted. “The clouds have cleared. It’s happening.”
Neil and I had arrived in Finnish Lapland the day before. With its short days and temperatures low enough to bring on 3）frostbite， there was one goal in my mind： to catch a 4）glimpse of the aurora borealis.
Since seeing photographs of this natural 5）phenomenon， also known as the northern lights， I had dreamed of watching the sky fill with green， pink and white light. So I decided to make my dream come true.
The northern lights have been 6）spotted as far south as Mississippi—though they are far more regularly seen in places such as Norway， Iceland， Greenland， Sweden， Alaska and Canada. I chose to hunt for them in Finnish Lapland， the northernmost part of the country.
Not only is the area 7）stunningly beautiful， it has a good record for aurora borealis sightings—the lights appear here some 200 nights of the year. I booked a five-day stay at Ukonj？rvi Holiday Village， with 8）cozy chalets on the edge of Lake Ukonj？rvi.
This part of Finland is a true wilderness， with an 9）average of just one 10）inhabitant per square mile. It’s a land of 11）sparkling lakes， snow-covered pine and 12）birch forests， and clear blue skies. We arrived around lunchtime and took a walk while it was still light out. We quickly realized that snowshoes would make the going easier， so in early evening we put some on and headed out onto the frozen lake. For two hours we stood in the cold watching the sky， returning around midnight to do the same， hoping that the lights would come out to play.
That first night， my 13）anticipation was met with disappointment. We needed a clear sky to get a good view of the northern lights； all we got was cloud cover. It was said that the rest of the week would look similar.
补脑词汇
Despite the cold， we spent most of our days outdoors. We kept our focus closer to the ground， with 14）hikes across a frozen landscape filled with 15）hues of white， gray， blue and silver. Walking across Lake Ukonj？rvi， I was struck by the hardiness of life in this climate. With no people or cars nearby， and a blanket of snow over everything， it’s little wonder that there was near-total silence. The only sound we could hear was that of the snow 16）crunching beneath our feet. One morning， we traded our snowshoes for a dogpowered sled. 17）Whooshing through the Arctic 18）snowscape behind a pack of 19）husky dogs was an amazing experience. At times， the younger huskies seemed more eager to 20）cuddle up with the older dogs， but when they started racing， it was hard to catch my breath as we sped along the 21）steep， narrow trails through the forests.
Our nightly trips， though slower and quieter were still the most exciting. Each night， I put on every layer of clothing I’d brought with me， as well as Arctic 22）overalls—pants designed to keep out the cold and 23）damp—I had borrowed from the owner of our chalet. Neil and I put on our snowshoes and walked about ten minutes out to Lake Ukonj rvi.
Sometimes we went light-watching at 8 p.m.， other nights at midnight. It was always 24）bitterly cold， and the 25）temptation to return to a warm bed （or the hot 26）sauna that came with our cottage） was almost enough to send me back inside. And yet， night after night I found myself standing on the ice in the dark and silent Arctic night， looking up at the sky， waiting for it to glow green.
When our neighbors woke us with the shouts that the clouds had cleared， I rushed out， met by what looked like a million stars. There was no aurora yet， which meant there was still time to get a good spot. My heart racing， I dressed as quickly as I could. This was one show I didn’t plan on missing-who knew if I would ever get to see it again？
Out on the lake， we stopped a few hundred feet from the shore. I started to calm down as I looked up at the 27）starlit sky. Once again， we waited. Nothing. Time seemed to stand still.
After about 30 minutes， a 28）band of white appeared in the heavens 29）directly above our heads. For a moment， my hopes 30）sank-it simply looked like a cloud.
Then the 31）streak started 32）swirling around， and was soon joined by a curtain of white-green light. The northern lights， moving and twinkling across the Arctic sky， had joined us.
我把闹钟调到了凌晨两点半，但时间还远远没到，我和男友就被小木屋门口一阵大力的敲门声吵醒了。睡眼惺忪的我们，发现门口台阶上站着我们的邻居。
“快！”他们大声喊道。“乌云已经散了，开始出现了！”
就在前一天，我和尼尔来到了芬兰的拉普兰。虽然这里白天很短，温度低到足以使人长冻疮，但此行我有一个目标：亲眼目睹极光（aurora borealis）的风采。
自从看过这种自然现象（又叫northern lights）的照片以后，我就梦想着有一天能亲眼看到铺满绿色、粉红和白色光芒的天幕。所以，我决定实现我的梦想。
虽然南至（美国）密西西比州都曾观测到北极光，但在挪威、冰岛、格陵兰、瑞典、阿拉斯加和加拿大等地更为常见。我选择到芬兰最北端的拉普兰寻找它们的踪迹。
这片地区不仅美得惊人，还有很高的北极光目击记录，一年约有两百个晚上会出现极光。我在乌空加维（音译）渡假村预订了五天的住宿，住在乌空加维湖边温馨舒适的小屋里。
芬兰的这片地区是一片真正的荒原，平均每平方英里只有一个居民。这片土地有着波光粼粼的湖泊、积雪覆盖的松林和桦树林，还有清澈的蓝天。我们差不多在午饭时间来到这里，趁着天色还亮走了一走。很快我们就发现，雪鞋对于在这里走路很有帮助，所以傍晚我们就穿着这种鞋走到了结冰的湖面上。我们在寒风里站了两个小时，望着天空，到了午夜又再回来观望，祈祷着北极光会出来嬉戏一下。
头天晚上，我的期待落空了。观赏极光需要有晴朗的天空，而那天晚上云层密布。据说那个星期剩下的日子也差不多都是这种天气。
冷归冷，我们大部分时间还是待在户外。我们穿行在这片充斥着白、灰、蓝、银色调的冰天雪地里，尽量把目光锁定在更靠近地面的地方。在走过乌空加维湖的时候，我不禁震撼于在这种气候下生命的顽强。周围不见一人一车，积雪如毯覆盖在万物之上——毫不奇怪，这里几乎寂静无声。唯一能听到的，只有我们脚下的雪发出的嘎吱嘎吱声。
一天早上，我们拿我们的雪鞋换了一辆狗拉的雪橇。跟在一群哈士奇犬身后呼啦啦地穿越极地的雪景，真是一次美妙的经历。比较年轻的哈士奇有时似乎更喜欢和老狗抱团嬉闹，但它们一拉起车来，带着我们在林中陡峭狭窄的小径上穿行时，我几乎总要被吓得上气不接下气。
我们夜里的活动虽然较为和缓安静，但依然带给我更大的刺激。每天晚上，我都要把我带来的每一层衣服全都穿上，最后还要套上从小屋主人那里借来的专为防寒防潮设计的极地工装裤。尼尔和我穿上雪鞋，走了大约10分钟，来到乌空加维湖。
有时我们晚上8点去看极光，有时是在午夜。外面永远天寒地冻，回到温暖的床上（或是我们小屋里配备的热桑拿房）的诱惑几乎足以叫我又溜回屋里。然而，夜复一夜，我还是站在了极地寂静暗夜里的寒冰上仰望天空，等待它发出绿色的幽光。
我们的邻居叫醒我们，说云已经散去时，我立刻冲了出去，迎面而来的仿佛是亿万颗星星。但还没有极光。这意味着还有时间找到一个更好的观测点。我的心怦怦直跳，以最快的速度穿好了衣服。这是一场我绝对无意错过的演出，谁知道我还能不能再次看到呢？
我们来到湖上，停在离岸边几百英尺的地方。当我抬头仰望着那片绝美的天空，我的心情开始平静下来。我们又一次等待着。然而，什么也没有。时间仿佛静止了。
大约过了三十分钟，一条白色的光带出现在我们头顶正上方。有那么一刻，我感到失望——它看起来只不过像一片云。
随后，那条光带开始四处旋转，很快又有一帘白绿色的光加入了这个漩涡。散发着幽幽的光，带着脉动划过北极的星空——北极光终于来到了我们中间。补脑词汇
“Quick！” they shouted. “The clouds have cleared. It’s happening.”
Neil and I had arrived in Finnish Lapland the day before. With its short days and temperatures low enough to bring on 3）frostbite， there was one goal in my mind： to catch a 4）glimpse of the aurora borealis.
Since seeing photographs of this natural 5）phenomenon， also known as the northern lights， I had dreamed of watching the sky fill with green， pink and white light. So I decided to make my dream come true.
The northern lights have been 6）spotted as far south as Mississippi—though they are far more regularly seen in places such as Norway， Iceland， Greenland， Sweden， Alaska and Canada. I chose to hunt for them in Finnish Lapland， the northernmost part of the country.
Not only is the area 7）stunningly beautiful， it has a good record for aurora borealis sightings—the lights appear here some 200 nights of the year. I booked a five-day stay at Ukonj？rvi Holiday Village， with 8）cozy chalets on the edge of Lake Ukonj？rvi.
This part of Finland is a true wilderness， with an 9）average of just one 10）inhabitant per square mile. It’s a land of 11）sparkling lakes， snow-covered pine and 12）birch forests， and clear blue skies. We arrived around lunchtime and took a walk while it was still light out. We quickly realized that snowshoes would make the going easier， so in early evening we put some on and headed out onto the frozen lake. For two hours we stood in the cold watching the sky， returning around midnight to do the same， hoping that the lights would come out to play.
That first night， my 13）anticipation was met with disappointment. We needed a clear sky to get a good view of the northern lights； all we got was cloud cover. It was said that the rest of the week would look similar.
补脑词汇
Despite the cold， we spent most of our days outdoors. We kept our focus closer to the ground， with 14）hikes across a frozen landscape filled with 15）hues of white， gray， blue and silver. Walking across Lake Ukonj？rvi， I was struck by the hardiness of life in this climate. With no people or cars nearby， and a blanket of snow over everything， it’s little wonder that there was near-total silence. The only sound we could hear was that of the snow 16）crunching beneath our feet. One morning， we traded our snowshoes for a dogpowered sled. 17）Whooshing through the Arctic 18）snowscape behind a pack of 19）husky dogs was an amazing experience. At times， the younger huskies seemed more eager to 20）cuddle up with the older dogs， but when they started racing， it was hard to catch my breath as we sped along the 21）steep， narrow trails through the forests.
Our nightly trips， though slower and quieter were still the most exciting. Each night， I put on every layer of clothing I’d brought with me， as well as Arctic 22）overalls—pants designed to keep out the cold and 23）damp—I had borrowed from the owner of our chalet. Neil and I put on our snowshoes and walked about ten minutes out to Lake Ukonj rvi.
Sometimes we went light-watching at 8 p.m.， other nights at midnight. It was always 24）bitterly cold， and the 25）temptation to return to a warm bed （or the hot 26）sauna that came with our cottage） was almost enough to send me back inside. And yet， night after night I found myself standing on the ice in the dark and silent Arctic night， looking up at the sky， waiting for it to glow green.
When our neighbors woke us with the shouts that the clouds had cleared， I rushed out， met by what looked like a million stars. There was no aurora yet， which meant there was still time to get a good spot. My heart racing， I dressed as quickly as I could. This was one show I didn’t plan on missing-who knew if I would ever get to see it again？
Out on the lake， we stopped a few hundred feet from the shore. I started to calm down as I looked up at the 27）starlit sky. Once again， we waited. Nothing. Time seemed to stand still.
After about 30 minutes， a 28）band of white appeared in the heavens 29）directly above our heads. For a moment， my hopes 30）sank-it simply looked like a cloud.
Then the 31）streak started 32）swirling around， and was soon joined by a curtain of white-green light. The northern lights， moving and twinkling across the Arctic sky， had joined us.
我把闹钟调到了凌晨两点半，但时间还远远没到，我和男友就被小木屋门口一阵大力的敲门声吵醒了。睡眼惺忪的我们，发现门口台阶上站着我们的邻居。
“快！”他们大声喊道。“乌云已经散了，开始出现了！”
就在前一天，我和尼尔来到了芬兰的拉普兰。虽然这里白天很短，温度低到足以使人长冻疮，但此行我有一个目标：亲眼目睹极光（aurora borealis）的风采。
自从看过这种自然现象（又叫northern lights）的照片以后，我就梦想着有一天能亲眼看到铺满绿色、粉红和白色光芒的天幕。所以，我决定实现我的梦想。
虽然南至（美国）密西西比州都曾观测到北极光，但在挪威、冰岛、格陵兰、瑞典、阿拉斯加和加拿大等地更为常见。我选择到芬兰最北端的拉普兰寻找它们的踪迹。
这片地区不仅美得惊人，还有很高的北极光目击记录，一年约有两百个晚上会出现极光。我在乌空加维（音译）渡假村预订了五天的住宿，住在乌空加维湖边温馨舒适的小屋里。
芬兰的这片地区是一片真正的荒原，平均每平方英里只有一个居民。这片土地有着波光粼粼的湖泊、积雪覆盖的松林和桦树林，还有清澈的蓝天。我们差不多在午饭时间来到这里，趁着天色还亮走了一走。很快我们就发现，雪鞋对于在这里走路很有帮助，所以傍晚我们就穿着这种鞋走到了结冰的湖面上。我们在寒风里站了两个小时，望着天空，到了午夜又再回来观望，祈祷着北极光会出来嬉戏一下。
头天晚上，我的期待落空了。观赏极光需要有晴朗的天空，而那天晚上云层密布。据说那个星期剩下的日子也差不多都是这种天气。
冷归冷，我们大部分时间还是待在户外。我们穿行在这片充斥着白、灰、蓝、银色调的冰天雪地里，尽量把目光锁定在更靠近地面的地方。在走过乌空加维湖的时候，我不禁震撼于在这种气候下生命的顽强。周围不见一人一车，积雪如毯覆盖在万物之上——毫不奇怪，这里几乎寂静无声。唯一能听到的，只有我们脚下的雪发出的嘎吱嘎吱声。
一天早上，我们拿我们的雪鞋换了一辆狗拉的雪橇。跟在一群哈士奇犬身后呼啦啦地穿越极地的雪景，真是一次美妙的经历。比较年轻的哈士奇有时似乎更喜欢和老狗抱团嬉闹，但它们一拉起车来，带着我们在林中陡峭狭窄的小径上穿行时，我几乎总要被吓得上气不接下气。
我们夜里的活动虽然较为和缓安静，但依然带给我更大的刺激。每天晚上，我都要把我带来的每一层衣服全都穿上，最后还要套上从小屋主人那里借来的专为防寒防潮设计的极地工装裤。尼尔和我穿上雪鞋，走了大约10分钟，来到乌空加维湖。
有时我们晚上8点去看极光，有时是在午夜。外面永远天寒地冻，回到温暖的床上（或是我们小屋里配备的热桑拿房）的诱惑几乎足以叫我又溜回屋里。然而，夜复一夜，我还是站在了极地寂静暗夜里的寒冰上仰望天空，等待它发出绿色的幽光。
我们的邻居叫醒我们，说云已经散去时，我立刻冲了出去，迎面而来的仿佛是亿万颗星星。但还没有极光。这意味着还有时间找到一个更好的观测点。我的心怦怦直跳，以最快的速度穿好了衣服。这是一场我绝对无意错过的演出，谁知道我还能不能再次看到呢？
我们来到湖上，停在离岸边几百英尺的地方。当我抬头仰望着那片绝美的天空，我的心情开始平静下来。我们又一次等待着。然而，什么也没有。时间仿佛静止了。
大约过了三十分钟，一条白色的光带出现在我们头顶正上方。有那么一刻，我感到失望——它看起来只不过像一片云。
随后，那条光带开始四处旋转，很快又有一帘白绿色的光加入了这个漩涡。散发着幽幽的光，带着脉动划过北极的星空——北极光终于来到了我们中间。补脑词汇