1._It was Thursday,_May 1,_2003,_the fifth day Aron Ralston had spent in Canyonlands National Park in Utah,_U.S.A._He'd only planned on being there for one day to hike the 21-kilometer-long Bluejohn Canyon,_but something had gone very wrong._Ralston was eight kilometers into the canyon when he came to a very narrow section with a series of boulders,_or chockstones,_wedged between the walls._He was climbing over one when the perfectly balanced 363-kilogram rock shifted and rotated on its pivot points._Ralston tried to jump clear,_but his right hand and forearm were pinned to the wall._He couldn't move his arm,_nor could he roll the enormous boulder away. 2._Ralston was a very experienced outdoorsman._He had arrived at the park in a truck loaded with outdoor gear,_camping gear and a mountain bike._But despite his considerable experience,_he broke his own first rule:_always tell someone exactly where you are going._"I thought it was a low-risk piece of canyoneering,"_said Aron. "I badly underestimated the possible dangers." 3._After the initial shock,_pain and disbelief,_Ralston calculated his options._He could wait for someone to rescue him,_but that was extremely unlikely,_as no one knew where he was._His next option was to hack at the boulder with a cheap multitool._In 10 hours of chipping,_he produced only a handful of dust._He then tried to set up a simple pulley system using his climbing equipment_-_but the rock was too big and too heavey._Finally,_Aron considered his last resort:_cutting off his own arm._But he quickly gave up when he realized that the blades on his multitool were too blunt to cut the bones.
COver the next few days,Ralston became weaker and weaker.The desert nights were freezing cold.He couldn't sit down,and he couldn't sleep.By day two,he'd eaten all his food.By day four,he was out of water,and his hand had turned black and was starting to rot.It was then that he came up with a new plan.On Thursday,day five,he slammed his body against the boulder,snapping the two bones in his arm:the ulna and the radius.The pain was unbelievable,but somehow he stayed clearheaded. “With the bones broken,it was only a matter of stabbing through the skin and carefully removing the flesh.By prodding the tissue I could distinguish between the hard tendons and the soft,rubbery feel of the arteries.I knew I should avoid cutting the arteries until the end―I still had a long walk back to my truck and I wanted to avoid blood loss until the last moment,”explains Aron in an article in National Geographic.“I tied some cord around the arm to make sure that I didn't bleed to death,and then I made the final cuts.When I was finally separated from my hand,I was just so elated to be free.” DHolding the bloody stump of his arm,Aron set off down the canyon.Four hours later,weak and in pain,he was lucky to come across a family of tourists in the canyon.As they helped him out of the canyon,a rescue helicopter spotted them. Having been alerted by Aron's worried parents,the rescue services had just begun a full-scale search.If Aron had walked out 30 minutes later,he would have missed the helicopter and would probably have bled to death.It's easy to understand why Aron considers his survival a miracle.
1._It was Thursday,_May 1,_2003,_the fifth day Aron Ralston had spent in Canyonlands National Park in Utah,_U.S.A. 2003年5月1日木曜日、アローン・ラルソンがアメリカのユタ州、渓谷国立公園にてすごした5日目だった
He'd only planned on being there for one day to hike the 21-kilometer-long Bluejohn Canyon,_but something had gone very wrong. 彼は、21キロあるブルージョンキャニオンのハイキングに一日すごすだけのつもりだったが、とんでもないことになった
Ralston was eight kilometers into the canyon when he came to a very narrow section with a series of boulders,_or chockstones,_wedged between the walls. 8キロ渓谷に入ったとこで、両側の壁に支えられてるだけの巨石群が連なる狭い道になった
He was climbing over one when the perfectly balanced 363-kilogram rock shifted and rotated on its pivot points. 彼はある岩を登ったが、それはうまくバランスをとっていた363kgの岩石であり、それはずれて軸を中心に転がった
Ralston tried to jump clear,_but his right hand and forearm were pinned to the wall. He couldn't move his arm,_nor could he roll the enormous boulder away. とっさに避けようとしたが、右手と右腕が壁にはさまってしまった 彼は右腕を動かすことができず、また岩は巨大すぎて動かすこともできなかった
2.Ralston was a very experienced outdoorsman. ラルソンはアウトドアには経験豊富であった
He had arrived at the park in a truck loaded with outdoor gear, camping gear and a mountain bike. アウトドア用品、キャンピング用品、マウンテンバイクをつんだトラックで公園についていた
But despite his considerable experience, he broke his own first rule: always tell someone exactly where you are going. 経験があるにもかかわらず、彼は守るべき最初のルールを破っていた 「必ず自分の行く正確な場所を誰がに伝えておくこと」
"I thought it was a low-risk piece of canyoneering,"_said Aron. "I badly underestimated the possible dangers." 「リスクはほとんどない、ちょっとした渓谷歩きと思っていました」とアロンは言ってます 「ありえる危険を過小評価してました」
3.After the initial shock,_pain and disbelief, Ralston calculated his options. 初めのショックと痛み、信じられないという思いのあと、ラルソンはどうすることができるのかか考え始めた
He could wait for someone to rescue him, but that was extremely unlikely, レスキューを待つこともできたが、それはありそうもない as no one knew where he was. なぜなら、誰も自分がどこにいるかわからないから
His next option was to hack at the boulder with a cheap multitool. 次の案は、なにか道具を使って岩を砕くこと
In 10 hours of chipping, he produced only a handful of dust. 10時間もやってみたが、一握りの岩がくだけただけ
He then tried to set up a simple pulley system using his climbing equipment _-_but the rock was too big and too heavey. その後、簡単な引率装置を作ってみた、しかし岩が大きすぎるし重すぎた
Finally,_Aron considered his last resort: cutting off his own arm. But he quickly gave up when he realized that the blades on his multitool were too blunt to cut the bones. 最後に、アロンは最後の手段として腕を切断することを考えた しかし、彼の持ってる刃物では鈍すぎて骨は切れないことに思いついて、すぐにあきらめた
Over the next few days,Ralston became weaker and weaker. さらに2、3日後にはラルソンはどんどん弱っていった The desert nights were freezing cold. 砂漠の夜は凍えるように寒い He couldn't sit down,and he couldn't sleep. 座ることもできず、眠ることもできない By day two,he'd eaten all his food. 2日目には食べ物がなくなった By day four,he was out of water,and his hand had turned black and was starting to rot. 4日目には水がなくなった、腕は黒くなり、腐り始めた It was then that he came up with a new plan. そこまでたって、あることを思いついた On Thursday, day five, he slammed his body against the boulder, snapping the two bones in his arm: the ulna and the radius. 木曜日、5日目、彼は体を巨石にぶつけ、腕の二つの骨(尺骨と橈骨)を折らせるようにねじった The pain was unbelievable,but somehow he stayed clearheaded. 痛みは信じられないくらいひどかったが、なんとか意識は失わなかった
“With the bones broken,it was only a matter of stabbing through the skin and carefully removing the flesh. 「腕が折れて皮膚を破らないように注意して、慎重に肉の部分を動かしました」
By prodding the tissue I could distinguish between the hard tendons and the soft, rubbery feel of the arteries. I knew I should avoid cutting the arteries until the end―I still had a long walk back to my truck and I wanted to avoid blood loss until the last moment,” 「組織を突つきまわしてると、硬い腱と柔らかいゴムのような感じの血管があるのがわかりました。 最後まで血管は破らないように気をつけました、なぜならトラックまでは歩きに長い距離があるし、 血液を失うことは最後まで避けたかったのです。」 explains Aron in an article in National Geographic. ナショナルジオグラフィクでアロンはそう語りました
“I tied some cord around the arm to make sure that I didn't bleed to death, 腕にコードを巻きつけてきつくしばり、出血多量で死なないようにしました and then I made the final cuts. それから、腕を切ったのです When I was finally separated from my hand,I was just so elated to be free.” とうとう腕を切ってみて、やっと自由になりました」
“I tied some cord around the arm to make sure that I didn't bleed to death, 腕にコードを巻きつけてきつくしばり、出血多量で死なないようにしました and then I made the final cuts. それから、腕を切ったのです When I was finally separated from my hand,I was just so elated to be free.” とうとう腕を切ってみて、やっと自由になりました」
DHolding the bloody stump of his arm,Aron set off down the canyon. 血が吹き出る腕を抱えて、アローンは渓谷を後にしました
Four hours later, weak and in pain, he was lucky to come across a family of tourists in the canyon. 4日後、痛みで弱っていたものの、幸運にもキャニオンツアーに同行してた家族に会うことができました As they helped him out of the canyon, a rescue helicopter spotted them. 自力で渓谷を脱出しようとしてる最中に、実はレスキューチームがヘリで彼を探してました Having been alerted by Aron's worried parents, the rescue services had just begun a full-scale search. アローンを心配する両親によって、レスキューサービスはフルスケール探索を開始していたのです
If Aron had walked out 30 minutes later, he would have missed the helicopter and would probably have bled to death. もしアローンが30分遅く、岩から這い出ていなければ、彼は出血多量で死んでいたでしょう It's easy to understand why Aron considers his survival a miracle. なぜ彼がそれは奇跡だった、というのかはそれでよくわかります