“世外”奇景

Though most of these destinations are actually on planet earth， they are so wild and weird that they seem out of this world. Check them out before you plan your next vacation!

雖然本文所列的景點實際上十有八九都在地球上，但這些地方的景觀實在另類怪異，讓人覺得它們好似世外之地。不妨先睹為快，再盤算下次旅行的去處吧。

Space Travel 太空之旅

Destination: Space 景點：太空

The most obvious out of this world destination is of course outer space! Thanks to technological developments， space travel won't just be for professional astronauts anymore. Companies in Russia have recently offered flights into space. But the front runner in public space travel is now Virgin Galactic1). They are selling tickets on future flights for $200，000. Better start saving!

最為顯而易見的世外去處當然是太空。承蒙科技的發展，太空旅行已不再是職業宇航員的專屬。最近，一些俄羅斯公司已推出太空旅行項目。不過目前大眾太空旅行領域的領跑者是英國維珍銀河公司。該公司正在出售未來太空之旅的飛船票，售價為每張20萬美元。最好現在就開始攢錢吧！

Mirror on the Lake 湖面如鏡

Destination: Salar de Uyuni， Bolivia

景點：玻利維亞的烏尤尼鹽沼

The Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat—a 10，000-square kilometer piece of land that， when covered in a few inches of water， becomes the world's largest mirror. There is so much salt in this area that people have built tables， chairs and even a hotel completely out of salt!

烏尤尼鹽沼占地1萬平方公里，是世界上最大的鹽沼，當它被淺水覆蓋時，就成了世界上最大的“鏡子”。由于這個地區遍地是鹽，人們就用鹽塊制作桌椅，甚至還打造了一個完全用鹽建成的旅店！

Nightmare in Namibia 納米比亞驚魂

Destination: Dead Marsh， Namibia

景點：納米比亞的死亡沼澤

The Dead Marsh in Namibia is home to the highest sand dunes2) in the world as well as tons of creepy3)， dried out trees that look like they're from someone's nightmare. The trees grew after a river flooded then， with a sudden environmental change， the marsh dried up. This caused sand dunes to build up4) and block the area from water. It dried up so quickly that the trees couldn't decompose5) leaving skeleton-like branches!

納米比亞的死亡沼澤中有世界上最高的沙丘，還有許多令人毛骨悚然的枯樹，這些枯樹看上去仿佛來自某個人的噩夢。在一次河水泛濫過后，這些樹生長起來，后來環境驟變，沼澤干涸，致使一個個沙丘堆積起來，阻斷了這片區域的水源。這片沼澤迅速干涸，快到這些樹木未能腐化分解就直接變成了骷髏般的枝干！

One and Only 天下無雙

Destination: Socotra Island， Yemen

景點：也門的索科特拉島

We've all imagined what it would be like to wake up on another planet， in a totally new environment. The Socotra Island on the Indian Ocean is like this! A third of its plant life can't be found anywhere else in the world and they look like drawings from a Dr. Seuss6) book ... cool!

我們都曾設想過一覺醒來置身另一星球、周圍環境大變樣的情景，而位于印度洋上的索科特拉島正是這樣的地方！島上三分之一的植物在世界的其他地方都找不到，它們看上去就如同蘇斯博士某本書中的插畫一樣——真酷！

Danger Zone 危險地帶

Destination: Devil's Pool， Victoria Falls，

Zambia 景點：贊比亞維多利亞瀑布的魔鬼池

This is possibly one of the scariest out-of-this-world destinations. Victoria Falls in Zambia is home to the world's most dangerous infinity pool—a pool of water that you can swim in， but be careful because it becomes a waterfall! If you get too close to the edge， you're in for a 100-metre drop. Think about going over the deep end!

這里可能是最讓人心驚膽戰的“世外”奇景之一。贊比亞的維多利亞瀑布擁有世界上最危險的無邊泳池——你可以在池里游泳，但要小心，因為泳池會變成瀑布！要是你太靠近泳池邊緣，就會體驗在空中下墜百米的滋味。想想跌向無底深淵的情形吧！

Fallen Angels 墜落的天使

Destination: Angel Falls， Venezuela 景點：委內瑞拉的安赫爾瀑布

Angel Falls is the world's highest waterfall at 979 meters. To get there you have to fly into a camp and take a trip along the river moving towards the base of the falls. It is a stunning7) site to see—from the bottom it looks as if it reaches to eternity and from the top it looks bottomless.

安赫爾瀑布高達979米，是世界上最高的瀑布。要到達那里，你必須先搭乘飛機到一個營地，然后再沿河前往瀑布底端。這里的景象相當壯觀——從下往上看，瀑布好像直達天穹；從上往下看，瀑布似乎深不見底。

Light It Up! 亮起燈來！

Destination: Glow Worm Cave， New Zealand 景點：新西蘭的螢火蟲洞

This is another deep down destination that is truly one of a kind8)! In 1887 a local Maori (meaning native to New Zealand) Chief named Tane Tinorau， accompanied by an English surveyor named Fred Mace， explored a cave in New Zealand. When they entered， and their eyes adjusted， they found that the cave was lit by mini pinpricks9) of light all across the cave's ceiling. The light was coming from a special type of glow worm that is unique to New Zealand. They're called Arachnocampa Luminosa.

這又是一處真正獨一無二的地下奇景！1887年，當地一位毛利族(新西蘭的原住民)酋長塔雷·帝努勞和一位英國勘探員弗雷德·梅斯一同去新西蘭的一處洞穴內探險。他們進入洞穴，雙眼適應黑暗后，發現洞穴頂部布滿了微小的光點，點亮了洞穴。這光是新西蘭特有的一種螢火蟲發出的，這種螢火蟲名叫Arachnocampa Luminosa。

Caramel10) Creations “焦糖”杰作

Destination: The Wave， Arizona 景點：亞利桑那州的石濤谷

Ever wonder what it would be like to walk on ripples11) of caramel? If you visit The Wave' in Arizona you'll come pretty close! The Wave is made of 190-million-year-old， Jurassic-age sandstone that has hardened into vertical12) and horizontal layers that line the 500-foot canyon walls. To see it you'll need to enter into a lottery13)， as park officials only allow 20 people to visit each day.

有沒有想過漫步在“焦糖”漣漪上會是怎樣的感覺？如果你到亞利桑那州的石濤谷去走一走，基本就能找到這種感覺。石濤谷由距今1.9億年的侏羅紀時代的砂巖構成，這些砂巖或橫或豎地層層堆積，變得非常堅硬，形成了高達500英尺的谷壁。要想游覽此地，你得先去抽簽，因為公園管理人員每天只允許20名游客進去參觀。

Moany-Moany 嗚嗚咽咽

Destination: Moaning Cavern， California 景點：加州的悲鳴洞

This might not be out of this world ... rather it's under it! One of California's largest caves drops 83 meters below the earth's surface. The first cool fact about the moaning cavern is that no matter what the temperature is outside， the cave's interior14) remains 16 degrees Celsius. And because it's always warm， the cave walls drip with moisture15). It's that dripping which creates an eerie16) moaning sound that the cave is named for.

這里也許算不上是世外之地……而是在地底！悲鳴洞是加州最大的洞穴之一，深入地下83米。悲鳴洞第一個很酷的特點是，無論洞外的溫度如何，洞內的溫度一直保持在16攝氏度。由于洞內四季溫暖，潮濕的洞壁不斷有水滴下，也正因為水滴滴落時會發出恐怖的嗚咽聲，悲鳴洞才因此得名。

Rock It Out17)! 盡情歡呼吧！

Destination: The Rockies， Western Canada

景點：加拿大西部的落基山脈

The Canadian Rockies are full of extraordinary sights! The mountaintops are icy cold and can be deadly. The valleys are full of life with flowers， lakes and wildlife. The deeper you go into the Rockies， the more you discover new areas that few people have ever seen—like a secret place apart from the rest of the world!

加拿大境內的落基山脈處處景致非凡！山頂冰冷刺骨，可以凍死人；山谷卻生機盎然，到處都是鮮花、湖泊和野生生物。你越往落基山脈深處走，就越能發現一個個鮮為人知的新天地——仿若一處與世隔絕的秘境！

1.Virgin Galactic: 維珍銀河公司，理查德·布蘭森(Richard Branson)掌管的維珍集團旗下的公司，計劃提供商業客運太空旅行服務。

2.dune [dju#720;n] n. (風吹積成的)沙丘，土丘

3.creepy [#712;kri#720;pi] adj. 令人毛骨悚然的

4.build up: 逐漸積聚

5.decompose [#716;di#720;k#601;m#712;p#601;#650;z] vi. 被分解；變腐爛

6.Dr. Seuss: 蘇斯博士，本名西奧多·蘇斯·蓋澤爾(Theodor Seuss Geisel，1904~1991)，美國著名作家及漫畫家，以兒童書最為出名，代表作有《綠雞蛋和火腿》(Green Eggs and Ham)、《戴帽子的貓》(The Cat in the Hat)等。

7.stunning [#712;st#652;n#618;#331;] adj. <口> 絕妙的，極好的

8.one of a kind: 獨一無二，只此一家

9.pinprick [#712;p#618;npr#618;k] n. (針孔似的)小孔

10.caramel [#712;kaelig;r#601;mel] n. (用于為酒等染色的)焦糖(漿)

11.ripple [#712;r#618;pl] n. 漣漪，微波，細浪

12.vertical [#712;v#604;#720;t#618;kl] adj. 垂直的；豎的

13.lottery [#712;l#594;t#601;ri] n. 抽簽法

14.interior [#618;n#712;t#618;#601;ri#601;(r)] n. 內部

15.moisture [#712;m#596;#618;st#643;#601;(r)] n. 水分；水氣

16.eerie [#712;#618;#601;ri] adj. (因怪誕或陰森而)引起恐懼的，令人害怕的

17.rock it out: 為(某人)歡呼