Giant’s Causeway and Causeway Coast“巨人之路”及其海岸

熊磊祥

大自然的鬼斧神工造就了迷人又神秘的“巨人之路”，氣勢磅礴，蔚為壯觀。它不僅是英國最吸引人的景點之一，更是北愛爾蘭引以為傲的世界自然遺產。美麗的傳說仍在傳誦，但是這道通向大海的巨大天然階梯，被地質學家們揭開了神秘的面紗。

Situated on the Atlantic coast about 80 km northwest of Belfast inNorthern Ireland， UK， the Giant’s Causeway is a famous natural wonder，which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 and anational nature reserve in 1987 by the Department of the Environment forNorthern Ireland.

The Giant’s Causeway is renowned for its unique 1）geologicalformations， consisting of about 40，000 2）interlocking basalt columns. Thesecolumns were formed around 60 million years ago as a result of volcanicactivity. Around 50 to 60 million years ago， during the Paleogene Period， thisplace was subject to intense volcanic activity， when highly fluid molten basalt3）intruded through chalk beds to form an extensivelava plain. When lava cooled， 4）contractionoccurred. After the wave erosion， theseuneven columns were presented. Mostof these columns are 5）hexagonal inshape， form stepping stones that leadfrom the cliff into the sea. The tallest?columns reach up to 12 metersin height. The hexagonal shapeof the columns is particularlyfascinating and has captivatedvisitors for centuries.

According to the locallegend， the Giant’s Causewaywas created by a giant named Finn McCool. It is said that Finn McCoolbuilt the causeway to cross the sea and challenge a Scottish giantnamed Benandonner. The Scottish giant， accepted the challenge andcrossed the causeway to 6）confront Finn. However， upon seeing thesize of Finn， who was disguised as a baby by his wife， he assumed thatFinn， the baby’s father， must be even larger and fled back to Scotland，destroying the causeway behind him so that Finn couldn’t follow him.This legend is still told and adds to the mystery and allure of the site.

Also， the area is a heaven for seabirds such as petrel， cormorant，redshank， guillemot and razorbill. They alway perch here. And theweathered rock formations host a number of rare and unusual plantsincluding sea spleenwort， hare’s-foot trefoil， vernal squill， sea fescueand frog orchid. These creatures offer a unique landscape to the Giant’sCauseway.

Today， the Giant’s Causeway attracts thousands of visitors fromaround the world who come to marvel at its unique geological formationsand stunning coastline. It offers breathtaking views and an opportunity toexplore the rich natural heritage of the region. There are various walking?trails and guided tours available， allowingvisitors to learn about the geological historyand 7）folklore surrounding the site.

The Giant’s Causeway is not only apopular tourist destination but also a symbolof Northern Ireland’s natural heritage.Its unique geological formations andfascinating legends make it a must-visit sitefor nature lovers and history enthusiastsalike.

1） geological n. 地質（學）的

2） interlocking v. （使）相互扣住

3） intruded v. 侵入

4） contraction n. 收縮

5） hexagonal adj. 六邊形的

6） confront v. 與……對抗

7） folklore n. 民間傳說

巨人之路位于英國北愛爾蘭貝爾法斯特西北約80 千米處的大西洋海岸，是一處著名的自然奇觀，1986 年被聯合國教科文組織列為世界遺產，1987 被北愛爾蘭環境部門定為國家自然保護區。

巨人之路以其獨特的地質構造而聞名，由大約4 萬個相互交錯的玄武巖柱組成。這些石柱形成于約6000 萬年前的火山活動。大約5000～6000 年前的古近紀，此地經歷了猛烈的火山活動。當時高度流動的火山熔融玄武巖侵入白堊層，形成了廣闊的熔巖平原。熔巖冷卻后收縮，經海水侵蝕后，高低不平的石柱便自然形成了。其中大部分石柱呈六邊形，宛如通往海中的階梯。最高的石柱高達12 米。六邊形的石柱特別迷人，幾個世紀以來一直吸引著游客的目光。

根據當地傳說，巨人之路是由一個名叫芬·麥庫爾的巨人建造的。據說芬·麥庫爾建造了這座通往海上的道路，以挑戰一個叫貝南德納的蘇格蘭巨人。蘇格蘭巨人貝南德納接受了挑戰，穿過巨人之路與芬·麥庫爾對戰。然而，當看見被妻子偽裝成嬰兒的芬·麥庫爾時，貝南德納認為作為嬰兒父親的芬·麥庫爾一定更巨大，于是立馬逃回了蘇格蘭，并摧毀了身后的巨人之路以防芬·麥庫爾追擊。這個傳說至今仍被人們講述，增加了這個地方的神秘和魅力。

該地區還是海鳥的天堂，如海燕、鸕鶿、紅鷸、海鳩、海雀等均在此棲息。而風化的巖層中則生長著許多稀有罕見的植物，如海鞘草、野兔腳三葉草、春刺花、海羊茅和蛙蘭等。它們也是巨人之路上一道亮麗的風景線。

如今，巨人之路吸引著來自世界各地成千上萬名游客前來觀賞其獨特的地質形態和壯麗的海岸線。它擁有令人嘆為觀止的景色，并提供了探索該地區豐富自然遺產的機會。這里有各種徒步步道和導游游覽可供選擇，讓游客了解該地區的地質歷史和民間傳說。

巨人之路不僅是一個受歡迎的旅游目的地，也是北愛爾蘭自然遺產的象征。其獨特的地質構造和迷人的傳說使其成為自然愛好者和歷史愛好者不能錯過的地方。