秘鲁马丘比丘：一辈子的旅行

AS IT IS 2016-02-22 Peru and Machu Picchu: The Trip of a Lifetime 秘鲁马丘比丘：一辈子的旅行

A “bucket list” is a list of things you want to do before you die.

The term “bucket list” comes from an old English expression “kick the bucket.” This idiom is lighthearted way of talking about death.

“The Bucket List” is the title of a 2007 movie starring actors Jack¹ Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. It tells the story of two aging men who want to have some crazy adventures before they die.

Visiting the Inca ruins at Machu Picchu should be high on anyone’s bucket list. Buried deep in the Peruvian Andes, Machu Picchu is an icon², or symbol, of Inca civilization.

Far away, tropical and mysterious, it is the ultimate exotic travel destination.

Lima – Peru’s lively capital

For many, a trip to Machu Picchu starts in Lima, the capital of Peru. Most tourists skip this dry coastal³ city of 10 million, but it is worth seeing for a few days. It is a “foodie” paradise with world-class restaurants.  

Lima’s historic center is lively and easy to walk. A highlight is the 17th-century Monastery⁴ of San Francisco, with its famous library and catacombs. Before Lima’s cemetery⁵ opened in 1808, the bodies of the dead were left in a space under the church. Visitors can see the catacombs, where the bones of 25,000 people lie.

To the south of the historic center is Miraflores, a modern seaside district. Larcomar is a shopping center built into the side a cliff. Here is a great place to try Peru’s famous seafood⁶ dish called ceviche, which is fish cooked in vinegar or citrus juice. Then watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. 

Cuzco – the ancient Incan capital

After a few days in Lima, it is time to fly deep into the Peruvian Andes to the city of Cuzco. This historic city of 300,000 was once the capital of the Inca Empire.

At 3,400 meters, Cuzco is one of the highest cities in the world. Visitors usually suffer from altitude sickness. A simple task like climbing a flight of stairs can leave you out of breath. The local people recommend chewing coca leaves to help fight altitude sickness.

Leave your map behind and wander Cuzco’s narrow cobblestone streets. There are enough galleries, museums, churches, and archaeological sites to keep you busy for several days.

From Cuzco, you can take a five-day hike on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Most people, however, use a combination of train and bus to reach Machu Picchu.

Ollantaytambo

About two hours northwest of Cuzco is the small Inca village of Ollantaytambo. This historic stone village is home to about 700 people. Ancient Inca fortifications look down on the village from steep treeless mountains. It was here where the Inca leader Manco fought the Spanish conquerors⁸ in the 16th century.

The train ride to the base of Machu Picchu is one of the most scenic⁹ in the world. The train winds alongside a muddy, roaring river. As the train descends¹⁰ into the tropical forest, the weather turns hot and humid. Machu Picchu is actually 450 meters below Cuzco. It is noticeably easier to breathe. From the final train stop at Aguas Calientes, visitors can hike or ride a bus up to Machu Picchu.

At last, Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is one of the great man-made wonders in the world. It was built around 1450 for the Inca emperor Pachacuti. A complex network of stone terraces line the steep mountainside. The terraces were used for agriculture. Temples made of stones weighing up to 20 tons are perfectly¹¹ joined without the use of mortar¹². The complex was built with special attention to the position of the sun and the moon. Amazingly, the Incas built Machu Picchu without the use of wheels or horses.

The Incas left the site a few years after the arrival of the Spanish conquerors in the 1500s. The Spanish robbed and destroyed numerous native holy sites throughout Peru. Fortunately, they never found Machu Picchu. For 461 years, Machu Picchu was unknown to Western civilization.

In 1911, American historian Hiram Bingham was traveling through Peru. A local farmer led Bingham to the ruins of Machu Picchu, which means “old peak” in the local Quechua language.

Bingham wrote a popular book that introduced Machu Picchu the Western world. He thought he had found the “lost city of the Incas.”

But most experts today think the site was a citadel¹³ and a summer vacation home for Inca emperors. Exactly how and why Machu Picchu was built remains¹⁴ a mystery. 

Just the Beginning

Today, Machu Picchu is the top tourist attraction in Peru. It is so popular that the Peruvian government has limited access to the site to 2,500 visitors per day.

It can take several days to get to Machu Picchu, but visitors can only stay for a few hours. For many tourists, Machu Picchu is more of a journey than a destination. And the memories of the short visit can last a lifetime.

Maria Cecilia La Puente is an education administrator¹⁵ in Cuzco. She remembers visiting Machu Picchu for the first time as a teenager.

“You feel different, you know, in a different way. It’s like when you are at the top, (and) you can feel that you are the owner of the world. Going climbing and finally arriving at the top, it’s like fantastic.”

Machu Picchu is just one of Peru’s many wonders. Peruvians take great pride in their nation’s rich cultural heritage and natural beauty. Machu Picchu might be the most famous place in Peru, but it is only the beginning.

Words in This Story

Inca – n. a member of a South American native people living in the central Andes before the Spanish conquest

civilization – n. a particular well-organized and developed society

mysterious – adj. strange, unknown, or difficult to understand

foodie – n. someone who is interested in food and restaurants

monastery – n. a place where monks¹⁶ live and work together

catacombs – n. an underground place where people are buried

altitude sickness – n. illness caused by ascent¹⁷ to a high elevation¹⁸ and the resulting shortage of oxygen, characterized chiefly by difficulty breathing, nausea¹⁹, tiredness

cobblestone – n. a round stone that is used in paving streets

archaeological – adj. related to the science that deals with past human life and activities by studying the bones, tools, etc., of ancient people

fortification – n. a structure (such as a wall or tower) that is built to protect a place

conqueror⁷ – n. someone who takes control of (a country, city, etc.) through the use of force

terrace – n. a flat area created on the side of a hill and used especially for growing crops

steep – adj. going up or down very quickly

mortar – n. a wet substance that is spread between bricks or stones and that holds them together when it hardens

citadel – n. a castle or fort that in past times was used to protect the people of a city if the city was attacked

1 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

2 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

3 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

4 monastery   

n.修道院，僧院，寺院

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• She was appointed the superior of the monastery two years ago.两年前她被任命为这个修道院的院长。

5 cemetery   

n.坟墓，墓地，坟场

参考例句：

• He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
• His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。

6 seafood   

n.海产食品，海味，海鲜

参考例句：

• There's an excellent seafood restaurant near here.离这儿不远有家非常不错的海鲜馆。
• Shrimps are a popular type of seafood.小虾是比较普遍的一种海味。

7 conqueror   

n.征服者，胜利者

参考例句：

• We shall never yield to a conqueror.我们永远不会向征服者低头。
• They abandoned the city to the conqueror.他们把那个城市丢弃给征服者。

8 conquerors   

征服者，占领者( conqueror的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Danes had selfconfidence of conquerors, and their security precautions were casual. 这些丹麦人具有征服者的自信，而且他们的安全防卫也是漫不经心的。
• The conquerors believed in crushing the defeated people into submission, knowing that they could not win their loyalty by the victory. 征服者们知道他们的胜利并不能赢得失败者的忠心，于是就认为只有通过武力才能将他们压服。

9 scenic   

adj.自然景色的，景色优美的

参考例句：

• The scenic beauty of the place entranced the visitors.这里的美丽风光把游客们迷住了。
• The scenic spot is on northwestern outskirts of Beijing.这个风景区位于北京的西北远郊。

10 descends   

v.下来( descend的第三人称单数 )；下去；下降；下斜

参考例句：

• This festival descends from a religious rite. 这个节日起源于宗教仪式。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The path descends steeply to the village. 小路陡直而下直到村子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

12 mortar   

n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合

参考例句：

• The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
• The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。

13 citadel   

n.城堡；堡垒；避难所

参考例句：

• The citadel was solid.城堡是坚固的。
• This citadel is built on high ground for protecting the city.这座城堡建于高处是为保护城市。

14 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

15 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

16 monks   

n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The monks lived a very ascetic life. 僧侣过着很清苦的生活。
• He had been trained rigorously by the monks. 他接受过修道士的严格训练。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 ascent   

n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高

参考例句：

• His rapid ascent in the social scale was surprising.他的社会地位提高之迅速令人吃惊。
• Burke pushed the button and the elevator began its slow ascent.伯克按动电钮，电梯开始缓慢上升。

18 elevation   

n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高

参考例句：

• The house is at an elevation of 2,000 metres.那幢房子位于海拔两千米的高处。
• His elevation to the position of General Manager was announced yesterday.昨天宣布他晋升总经理职位。

19 nausea   

n.作呕，恶心；极端的憎恶(或厌恶)

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕期常有恶心的现象。
• He experienced nausea after eating octopus.吃了章鱼后他感到恶心。