Every night, I can turn off the lights in my room – but I can’t do anything about(对……采取任何措施) the outdoor lights in the walkway or parking lot that leak(漏出，渗入) through the curtains. Living in Portland, where the night is still illuminated by street lights, porch lights and parking lot glare, I forgot what it actually feels like to sleep in darkness.(住在波特兰，夜晚仍被路灯、门廊灯和停车场的强光照亮，我已经忘了在黑暗中睡觉到底是什么感觉。)
每天晚上，我可以关掉房间里的灯——但对走道或停车场那些透过窗帘漏进来的户外灯光，我却无能为力。住在波特兰，夜晚仍被路灯、门廊灯和停车场的强光照亮，我已经忘了在黑暗中睡觉到底是什么感觉。
I was excited when I realized my travels to a residency(驻留项目) in south-east Oregon would show me a sky I hadn’t experienced in decades. In the Oregon outback(内陆偏远地区), part of the International Dark Sky Places(国际暗夜保护地网络) network, I would be surrounded by 2.5m acres of unpolluted(未受污染的) night in every direction.
当我意识到，去俄勒冈州东南部参加驻留项目将让我看到几十年未见的星空时，我兴奋不已。在俄勒冈内陆——国际暗夜保护地网络的一部分——我将被四面八方250万英亩未受污染的夜空所环绕。
I sent out a note to the other residents asking if anyone wanted to look at the stars with me. Everyone said yes. Thirty minutes after sunset, we trek(长途跋涉)ked through the tall grass and out on to the dry lakebed(湖床). Those of us with headlamp(头灯)s set them on red so we wouldn’t destroy our night vision(夜视能力). We laid down our blankets and looked at the night sky together. There, just over the hills, was Venus(金星). Vega(织女星) shone overhead. So did numerous satellites which we could tell weren’t natural by their movement.(许多卫星也一样——从它们的移动方式就能看出那不是自然天体。) They were so bright my eye was constantly drawn to them.
我给其他驻留者发了条消息，问有没有人想和我一起看星星。所有人都说好。日落三十分钟后，我们穿过高高的草丛，走到干涸的湖床上。我们中带头灯的人把灯调成红光，以免破坏夜视能力。我们铺开毯子，一起仰望夜空。就在山丘上方，是金星。织女星在头顶闪耀。还有许多卫星也一样——从它们的移动方式就能看出那不是自然天体。它们太亮了，我的目光不断被吸引过去。