书城外语英语PARTY——绿色花园之国·新西兰
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第11章 宜人风景Natural Scenery(3)

Abel Tasman National Park

艾贝尔塔斯曼国家公园

艾贝尔塔斯曼(Abel Tastam)是新西兰最小的国家公园,坐落于南岛最北的海岸线上。由于它远离主要旅游路线,所以相对较少有人问津。然而,总会有虔诚的旅者不辞辛劳地来到这里,这时塔斯曼就以天堂般的美景作为回馈。

要领略塔斯曼之美的最佳方式是沿着海岸连绵几十公里的山丘行走,蜿蜒的山道时而离海水只有几米之遥,时而又翻上山巅纵伸山脊。山形曲折加之草木森森,视野通常只能局限在一个小小的海湾,但正是这样,你永远无法预知下一步的景色会如何,往往转一个弯又会发现新的惊喜。每当你看见那绿如碧玉、清如山泉的海水,总会不顾一切地冲下海湾去。如此走走停停,几公里的路程就会用去一下午的时间,而你的眼睛也会领略到难得的美景。

Abel Tasman National Park is located at the top of the South Island of New Zealand. It consists of an area of forested hill country to the north of the valleys of the Takaka and Riwaka Rivers, and is bounded to the north by the waters of Golden Bay and Tasman Bay.

The park was founded in 1942, and covers 225 km2. It is named after Abel Tasman, who in 1642 became the first European explorer to sight New Zealand.

The Abel Tasman Track is a popular tramping track which has an option of following the coastlinecoastline n.海岸线 or an inland route. Kayaking, camping and sightseeing are other activities carried out in the park. The Department of Conservation administers the park.

The nearest large town is Motueka, 20 kilometres to the south.

Whether you,re looking for an active holiday of tramping and kayaking, or a lazy day at the beach, Abel Tasman National Park is the perfect destination. Abel Tasman National Park is New Zealand,s smallest national park. It protects 23,000 hectares of the most natural stretch of easily accessible coastline in New Zealand.

The Park was created in December 1942, exactly 300 years after the Dutch Explorer Abel Janzoon Tasman sailed into what is now known as Golden Bay, at the northern tip of the Park. On that unfortunate day in December 1642, the Europeans were met by Maori canoes and four of Tasman,s men were killed in the ensuing skirmish. Abel Tasman sailed away without setting foot on the land now named in his honor.

Today,s visitors to Abel Tasman National Park can expect a much warmer welcome. The worldfamous Coast Track is the most popular “Great Walk” in New Zealand. The track hugs the picturesque coastline with its pristine golden sand beaches and calm turquoise waters, climbing up to awesome views, then down again for a refreshing swim or picnic. Or, you can experience the park coastline from a seal,seye view, in a kayak. No previous kayaking experience is necessary to explore the secluded bays.

Marlborough Sounds

马尔堡峡湾

马尔堡群山环绕,气候干燥,夏季较长,是新西兰最炎热的地区之一。这里也是新西兰最大的葡萄酿酒区,在着名的酿酒小镇布兰尼姆可以品尝到原汁原味的各种葡萄酒。马尔堡海湾曲折而众多,这里盛产各种美味海鲜,最着名的是三文鱼,此外还生产橘子、草莓、樱桃及果仁等。 峡湾遨游,扬帆出海,是一项有趣的旅游活动。从凯库拉乘坐快艇出海,追踪罕见的抹香巨鲸,是接触大自然生态环境的奇妙旅途,如果幸运,游客可以见到座头鲸及杀人鲸等珍稀鲸类,欣赏巨鲸的各种表演。

由于夏季长且热, 马尔堡区拥有种植葡萄的先天优势条件, 马尔堡区成为新西兰及全世界的首要葡萄种植区. 当然, 此区所生产的葡萄酒质量更毋庸置疑, 屡屡获得国际大奖, 许多着名酒商均纷纷来此投资。访客若到此游览, 千万不可错过一品醇酒的机会,品尝新西兰生产的法式名酿。

马尔堡有“美食天堂”之称,嗜美食者不容错过。或泛舟湖上,不论划独木舟或坐橡皮筏皆趣味盎然;当然,乘船在宁静蜿蜒的马尔堡峡湾畅游,这种体验也一定令人难忘。

The Marlborough Sounds is a uniqueunique adj.唯一的, 独特的 area in New Zealand where sea and land are mixed intricately, forming a series of long sea corridors that reach deep into the land, interlaced with many islands. The coastline is extremely indentedindented adj.锯齿状的, 犬牙交错的, representing 15% of the total length of the coast of New Zealand, despite a limited area.

The sounds are drowned valley systems (ria) resulting from the subsidence (sinking) of that part of the earth,s crust. For the traveller and sightseer the sounds are an unusual, spectacular and beautiful landscape. There are some intact areas of native forest, and wildlife is rich. Several islands are important refuges for endangered species, and some are open to visit by the public. The sounds are also a favoured habitat for seabirds and marine mammals.

The Marlborough Sounds area, which lies at the northeast tip of the South Island, is an intricateintricate adj.复杂的, 错综的, 难以理解的 maze of drowned river valleys with 1,400 kilometres of coastline and waterways. It has dozens of reserves (both on land and at sea) and a wealth of opportunities for kayaking, boating, fishing, diving and tramping.

The landmass of the sounds is the halfsubmerged remains of a once mighty mountain chain that ran into the North Island, shattered and started sinking. The area is still sinking and the highest peaks are now only 1,000 to 1,200 metres above sea level. The little flat land that exists is mostly sandy coastal strips or where streams and rivers have built up sedimentssediment n.沉淀物, 沉积.

The two major waterways are the Pelorus and Queen Charlotte Sounds (52 and 49 kilometres in length respectively) with a multitude of bays, inlets and islands. Captain Cook, who spent over three months in the area in the 1770s, named Queen Charlotte Sound after King George III,s wife. Motuara Island (now a reserve) in the outer part of the sound is where Cook raised the British flag in 1770, proclaiming British sovereigntysovereignty n.君主, 主权, 主权国家 over the South Island, blithely ignoring the presence of the Maori people and the fact that they had already been here for hundreds of years.

Maori called Pelorus Sound “Te Hoiere” and Queen Charlotte “Totaranui” and have two creation myths for the area. One is that it is the smashed remains of the carved prow of a canoe that became the South Island. The other is that Kupe (the famed navigator and explorer) battled here with a giant octopus whose writhing tentacles pulled and gouged the land into the shape it holds today.

Much of the land has been logged and is now farmland or forestry, but DOC administers a patchwork of around 50,000 hectares of reserves with regenerating bush and some large areas of untouched beech/podocarp forest (eg. Matai Bay, pictured). There are also several restricted islands which are important refuges for endangered wildlife such as tuataratuatara n.(新西兰产的)大蜥蜴 (the sole remaining representative of an ancient order of reptiles) and kakapokakapo n.一种鹦鹉 (nocturnal ground parrot).