不能说的秘密！亚述尔群岛的神秘桃源

 　　There are few corners of the world that remain blissfully oblivious¹ to tourism.

　　世间幸有几处世外桃源，尚未受到旅游产业的惊扰。

　　The Azores can be counted as nine of them as this is the number of islands that make up the Portuguese² archipelago, Europe’s westernmost point in the Atlantic Ocean.

　　亚述尔群岛可算这些世外桃源中的九个，因为这是一组群岛，共有9个，位于葡萄牙境内，在欧洲最西端的大西洋洋面上。

　　My first glimpse from the air of craggy volcanic³ cones⁴ and brilliant blue lakes in ancient craters⁶ didn’t disappoint.

　　当我第一眼从空中瞥见这些群岛，看见突兀的火山丘和火山坑中湛蓝的湖水，果然不会令人失望。

　　These captivating castaways, all with their own individual charms, are a nirvana for nature lovers. The lushness of the countryside with green pastures and tidy stone walls seemed at times as familiar as the Yorkshire Dales.

　　这些摄人心魄的世外之景，以其独特的魅力，成为了自然爱好者的伊甸园。乡村地区绿树成荫，满眼葱郁，整齐的小石墙让人联想到约克郡谷地的英伦风光。

　　不能说的秘密！亚述尔群岛的神秘桃源

　　Waterfalls tumbled down sheer cliffs, fantastic ferns fanned gently in the breeze, and puffs⁷ of vapour hissed⁸ an escape from deep underground.

　　瀑布从陡峭的山崖上倾斜而下，巨大的蒲叶在微风中摇摆，不时从地壳深处呲的噗出一股水蒸气，煞是有趣。

　　It was like stumbling on to the film location of Jurassic Park without the dinosaurs⁹.

　　我们好像误入了一个拍摄电影的取景点，一个没有恐龙的侏罗纪公园。

　　At our stylish¹⁰, Art Deco Terra Nostra Garden Hotel, there was a thermal¹¹ pool in the grounds.

　　我们下榻在高端的Art Deco Terra Nostra花园酒店，一楼有温泉泳池。

　　The water looked murky¹², but on hearing that the mineral mix is an elixir¹³ of youth, I plunged¹⁴ straight into the balmy bath and didn’t want to get out again until I looked half my age.

　　温泉中的泉水看起来很浑浊。不过听说池中的矿物混合物具有返老还童的功效，我便立刻跳入池中，洗了个油膏澡，赖在池中不愿出来，除非我看起来年龄只有现在的一半。

　　The hotel’s restaurant is one of many in the area that serves up ‘Cozido das Furnas’.

　　旅馆中的餐厅供应当地特色“火锅宴”，在本地许多餐厅你都能找到这样的菜。

　　After one active morning canoeing in the crater⁵ of Furnas Lake, we stepped ashore¹⁵ to watch men unearthing¹⁶ these meaty casseroles that had been slow-cooked underground by the heat of the volcano.

　　在佛纳思火山湖的火山口泛舟伐船，开心地度过了一早上之后，我们上岸并看见当地人正在掘出埋在土里的砂锅，砂锅里煮着各种肉食，都是利用地下火山岩溶的温度慢火细焖而成。

　　Seafood-lovers will relish¹⁷ specialities such as octopus¹⁸ in red wine, and fish you’ve never heard of.

　　爱好吃海鲜的人会非常喜欢这里的特色海鲜菜，包括红酒章鱼，还有各种你闻所未闻的鱼类。

　　My favourite lookout¹⁹ – the panorama²⁰ over the Green and Blue Lakes from the Vista²¹ do Rei (or King’s View) – has been voted one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Portugal.

　　我最喜欢的景色是从Vista do Rei纵观碧蓝湖的全景，这一景观被誉为葡萄牙七大自然奇观之一。

　　Now I’ve let you in on this well-kept secret, I doubt these serene²² hideaways will ever be forgotten – least of all by me.

　　现在我已经将这个常年来无人知晓的秘密告诉了你，我怀疑是否人们真能将这个静谧的世外桃源遗忘掉——至少我是不会的。

1 oblivious   

adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的

参考例句：

• Mother has become quite oblivious after the illness.这次病后，妈妈变得特别健忘。
• He was quite oblivious of the danger.他完全没有察觉到危险。

2 Portuguese   

n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语

参考例句：

• They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。

3 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

4 cones   

n.（人眼）圆锥细胞；圆锥体( cone的名词复数 )；球果；圆锥形东西；（盛冰淇淋的）锥形蛋卷筒

参考例句：

• In the pines squirrels commonly chew off and drop entire cones. 松树上的松鼠通常咬掉和弄落整个球果。 来自辞典例句
• Many children would rather eat ice cream from cones than from dishes. 许多小孩喜欢吃蛋卷冰淇淋胜过盘装冰淇淋。 来自辞典例句

5 crater   

n.火山口，弹坑

参考例句：

• With a telescope you can see the huge crater of Ve-suvius.用望远镜你能看到巨大的维苏威火山口。
• They came to the lip of a dead crater.他们来到了一个死火山口。

6 craters   

n.火山口( crater的名词复数 )；弹坑等

参考例句：

• Small meteorites have left impact craters all over the planet's surface. 这个行星的表面布满了小块陨石留下的撞击坑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The battlefield was full of craters made by exploding shells. 战场上布满弹坑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

7 puffs   

n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• We sat exchanging puffs from that wild pipe of his. 我们坐在那里，轮番抽着他那支野里野气的烟斗。 来自辞典例句
• Puffs of steam and smoke came from the engine. 一股股蒸汽和烟雾从那火车头里冒出来。 来自辞典例句

8 hissed   

发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对

参考例句：

• Have you ever been hissed at in the middle of a speech? 你在演讲中有没有被嘘过？
• The iron hissed as it pressed the wet cloth. 熨斗压在湿布上时发出了嘶嘶声。

9 dinosaurs   

n.恐龙( dinosaur的名词复数 )；守旧落伍的人，过时落后的东西

参考例句：

• The brontosaurus was one of the largest of all dinosaurs. 雷龙是所有恐龙中最大的一种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years. 恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 stylish   

adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的

参考例句：

• He's a stylish dresser.他是个穿着很有格调的人。
• What stylish women are wearing in Paris will be worn by women all over the world.巴黎女性时装往往会引导世界时装潮流。

11 thermal   

adj.热的，由热造成的；保暖的

参考例句：

• They will build another thermal power station.他们要另外建一座热能发电站。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

12 murky   

adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗

参考例句：

• She threw it into the river's murky depths.她把它扔进了混浊的河水深处。
• She had a decidedly murky past.她的历史背景令人捉摸不透。

13 elixir   

n.长生不老药，万能药

参考例句：

• There is no elixir of life in the world.世界上没有长生不老药。
• Keep your mind awake and active;that's the only youth elixir.保持头脑清醒和灵活便是保持年轻的唯一灵丹妙药。

14 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

15 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

16 unearthing   

发掘或挖出某物( unearth的现在分词 )； 搜寻到某事物，发现并披露

参考例句：

• And unearthing the past often means literally and studying the evidence. 通常，探寻往事在字面上即意味着——刨根究底。
• The unearthing of "Peking Man" was a remarkable discovery. “北京人”的出土是个非凡的发现。

17 relish   

n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味

参考例句：

• I have no relish for pop music.我对流行音乐不感兴趣。
• I relish the challenge of doing jobs that others turn down.我喜欢挑战别人拒绝做的工作。

18 octopus   

n.章鱼

参考例句：

• He experienced nausea after eating octopus.吃了章鱼后他感到恶心。
• One octopus has eight tentacles.一条章鱼有八根触角。

19 lookout   

n.注意，前途，瞭望台

参考例句：

• You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
• It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来，公司的前景可就不妙了。

20 panorama   

n.全景，全景画，全景摄影，全景照片[装置]

参考例句：

• A vast panorama of the valley lay before us.山谷的广阔全景展现在我们面前。
• A flourishing and prosperous panorama spread out before our eyes.一派欣欣向荣的景象展现在我们的眼前。

21 vista   

n.远景，深景，展望，回想

参考例句：

• From my bedroom window I looked out on a crowded vista of hills and rooftops.我从卧室窗口望去，远处尽是连绵的山峦和屋顶。
• These uprisings come from desperation and a vista of a future without hope.发生这些暴动是因为人们被逼上了绝路，未来看不到一点儿希望。

22 serene   

adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的

参考例句：

• He has entered the serene autumn of his life.他已进入了美好的中年时期。
• He didn't speak much,he just smiled with that serene smile of his.他话不多，只是脸上露出他招牌式的淡定的微笑。