英语听力：自然百科 徒步南非之花园大道 The Garden Route—2

 Today, the country is full of diversity and contrast, a confusion of vibrant¹ cities and simple rural existence. Mankind has repeatedly torn up this land in pursuit of its natural resources and no one doubts the complex and painful social history that’s gone into creating it. But nothing can detract from the incredible landscapes that only now are being celebrated³ as they should be. My four walks will take me to the mountains, the desert, and a game reserve, but my journey starts here on a fabulous⁴ coast known as the Garden Route. 

 

This is the thriving Garden Route town of Mossel Bay and it’s where the Europeans first made their acquaintance with Southern Africa, but this stretch of coastline plays a significant role in African history as well. In fact, it’s significant to each every human being on the planet because experts now believe that this is where modern man first appeared. What a place to commence my South African adventure!

 

Over two days and 35 kilometers, my first walk sticks to a coast that can shed light on many areas of South African history. Today the vast majority of visitors reach this coastline via Cape² Town before moving east to the warmer Indian Ocean weather of the Garden Route. For Mossel Bay, my trail heads west along great cliffs and beaches, past modern developments and deserted⁵ sand*, and ends at the notorious rocky headland of F*. So before I set off for my own adventure, let’s take a bird’s eye view of the route I’ll be following. From the headland of Mossel Bay, my walk kicks off in dramatic style. For 15 kilometers, there’s a cliff top path full of the views and the famous fynbos vegetation that’s unique to this corner of South Africa.

1 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

2 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

3 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

4 fabulous   

adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的

参考例句：

• We had a fabulous time at the party.我们在晚会上玩得很痛快。
• This is a fabulous sum of money.这是一笔巨款。

5 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。