2008-01-21 Colorado River at Granite Rapids, Arizona, 2005 Photograph by Michael Nichols A time-lapse image blurs the silty, mocha-colored waters of the Colorado River as it flows through sheer cliffs in Grand Canyon National Park. The now tame Colorado carved these steep walls over the last six million years, exposing rock strata that detail nearly two billion years of North America’s geologic history. Wrote one canyon trekker: "[T]hat I could reach down and touch a part of the Earth that existed when life itself was a mere billion-plus years old made this big cliff land seem very holy indeed." (Text adapted from and photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "The Unexpected Canyon," January 2006, National Geographic magazine) 在大峡谷国家公园里,科罗拉多河水从险峻的悬崖间流过,这张延时拍摄的照片使得本来就混浊多沙的咖啡色河水变得更加朦胧。如今已经被开垦了的科罗拉多州有着许多已存在了六百多万年的峭壁,这些暴露在外面的岩层详尽的记载了北美近两百年的地质学历史。 一位峡谷探险者曾经写道:“我俯身所触到的地球这一部分,当有生命的时候就存在了,已经超过了十亿岁,这使得这座大悬崖似乎确实很神圣。”
2008-01-22 Grazing Sheep, Denmark, 1998 Photograph by Bob Krist Puffy clouds and grazing sheep make a postcard-perfect scene in Denmark’s Jutland Peninsula. A craggy projection of northern Europe, the Jutland Peninsula is an 11,496-square-mile (29,775-square-kilometer) spread of land that makes up continental Denmark. The generally low-lying, flood-prone peninsula was named after a Germanic tribe, the Jutes. (Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Danish Light," July/August 1998, National Geographic Traveler magazine) 在丹麦的日德兰半岛上,浮云朵朵和在牧场上吃草的绵羊群,构成了一幅完美的明信片景色。日德兰半岛是北欧突出来的一部分,地形崎岖,面积达11,496平方英里(29,775平方公里),是丹麦大陆的扩展。这座地势低洼,易发洪水的半岛的名字来自于一个日耳曼部落,朱特人。
2008-01-23 Girl Jumping into Water, Puerto Rico, 2003 Photograph by Amy Toensing A girl free-falls into a river in Puerto Rico’s Caribbean National Forest. The area, also called El Yunque, is just an hour’s drive from the capital, San Juan, and is the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. Forest Service system. It was first set aside as a reserve by the king of Spain in 1876. (Text adapted from and photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "True Colors: Divided Loyalties in Puerto Rico," March 2003, National Geographic magazine) 在波多黎各的加勒比国家森林中,一名女孩正跃入水中。这片地区亦称为云盖雨林,距离首都圣胡安仅有一小时车程,是美国林务局系统中唯一的热带雨林。1876年,西班牙国王首次将这里规划为保护区。
2008-01-24 Sand Dunes, The Dalles, Oregon, 2001 Photograph by Jim Richardson In a curious juncture, a wrinkled span of desert dunes pours into the Columbia River Gorge in The Dalles, Oregon. Eons of erosion by the mighty Columbia River carved this dramatic 80-mile-long (130-kilometer-long) gorge into the Cascade Range. Declared the nation’s first National Scenic Area in 1986, the area is known for its 4,000-foot (1,220-meter) canyon walls, lush rain forest, and dozens of waterfalls. (Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "A River Dammed," April 2001, National Geographic magazine) 在俄勒冈州的达尔斯,细浪起伏的沙丘滚滚的涌入哥伦比亚河峡谷,形成一个奇特的交界处。经过强劲的哥伦比亚河万世的冲刷洗礼,喀斯喀特山脉上形成了这条长达80英里(130公里)的壮丽峡谷。在1986年,该地区被宣布成为美国的第一座国家风景区,以其高达4,000英尺(1,220米)的峭壁,郁郁葱葱的雨林和不可胜数的瀑布而闻名。
2008-01-25 The Aquadettes Synchronized Swim Team, California, 1996 Photograph by Karen Kasmauski Members of the Aquadettes, a synchronized swimming team at Leisure World Retirement Community in Laguna Hills, California, practice their formations. Activities like line dancing, lawn bowling, and computer classes make such retirement communities increasingly popular among people with decades of free time to fill. "Anyone who’s bored here is a stick in the mud," says Aquadette Barbara Hack. (Text adapted from and photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Aging—New Answers to Old Questions," November 1997, National Geographic magazine) 在加州的拉古娜希尔兹市,艾阔德特斯(Aquadettes)的队员们正在练习水中造型。艾阔德特斯是当地休闲天地退休社区的花样游泳队。此类退休社区组织大家进行跳排排舞,玩草地保龄球,以及上计算机课等活动,因此越来越受到众多有“闲”之士们的欢迎。一位艾阔德特斯的成员,芭芭拉哈克说道:“只有老古董才会觉得这里无聊。”
2008-01-26 Newborn Calf, Ontario, Canada, 1977 Photograph by Sam Abell A cow cares for her newborn calf on a Mennonite farm in Elora, Ontario, Canada. Settled by Scottish immigrants in the early 1800s, Elora became an important agricultural town. The tiny village on the banks of the Grand River is now a haven for artists and a destination for tourists seeking the town’s tranquility and spectacular vistas. (Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Ontario: Canada’s Keystone," December 1978, National Geographic magazine) 在加拿大安大略省伊劳拉镇上的一座门诺派农场中,一头母牛正在照料刚出生的牛犊。伊劳拉镇由苏格兰移民在十七世纪初期建立,如今成为一座重要的农业城镇。这座格兰德河岸上的小村落,有着静谧安宁的气氛和引人入胜的风景,现已成为了艺术家的天堂和旅游者的胜地。
2008-01-27 On Board the Observer, Alaska, 1998 Photograph by Michael Melford Observer, a wooden-hulled, World War II-era minesweeper that has been converted to a 12-passenger cruising yacht, glides through glassy water in Alaska’s Inside Passage. This meticulously restored boat takes tourists through the heart of Tongass National Forest, 500 miles (800 kilometers) of sky-blue glaciers, grizzly bear tracks, wild beaches, bald eagles, spruce trees, and deep, mountain-ringed fjords. (Text from and photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "A Wilder Passage," May/June 1999, National Geographic Traveler magazine) 木质船身的观察者号,在二战时期曾作为扫雷艇服役,如今被改装成一艘可容纳12名乘客的游览艇,在阿拉斯加内海通道的光滑如镜的水面上滑过。这艘经过精心修补的小船载着乘客们驶入汤加斯国家森林的中心地带,那里有着500英里(800公里)长的天蓝色冰川,大灰熊的踪迹,未开发的海滩,秃鹰,云杉树,还有群山环绕的深水峡湾。
2008-01-28 Historic Alfama District, Lisbon, Portugal, 2002 Photograph by Tino Soriano Lisbon’s Alfama District rises dramatically to the base of the imposing Saint George’s Castle. The castle began as a Visigoth fortification in the sixth century and was taken over in turns by the Romans and the Moors. It was eventually captured by Portugal’s first king and became the royal palace. Tourists flock to the castle’s towers and ramparts, which offer unsurpassed views of the city below. (Text adapted from and photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "The Soul of Lisbon," January/February 2002, National Geographic Traveler magazine) 里斯本的引人入胜的阿尔法玛区依山建在壮观的圣乔治的城堡下方。这座城堡最初在十六世纪时作为西哥特人的要塞,曾被罗马人和摩尔人轮流接管。最终被葡萄牙的第一任国王攻克,成为了皇宫。如今游客们云集此处,登上城堡的塔楼和城墙,鸟瞰下方城市的无与伦比的景色。
2008-01-29 Ostrich Farm, Utah, 1999 Photograph by Len Jenshel A flock of ostriches greets a photographer at a farm near Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah. Ostriches have been raised as livestock in the United States for over a century, particularly in the West, where the climate mimics that of their native African savanna. But these quirky birds require some special accommodations, like extra-tall fences—they can leap more than six feet (two meters) in the air. (Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Celebrating Canyon Country," July 1999, National Geographic magazine) 在犹他州的大升梯国家纪念区附近的一个农场里,一群鸵鸟正在热烈欢迎来访的摄影师。鸵鸟在美国被作为家畜饲养已经有一个多世纪的历史了,尤其是在美国西部地区,因为那里的气候条件与鸵鸟的产地非洲的热带草原相似。但是饲养这些古怪的鸟需要某些特殊设施,比如额外加高的栅栏,因为鸵鸟可以跳起六英尺(2米)多高。
2008-01-30 Monte Carlo Casino and Mercedes, Monaco, 1995 Photograph by Jodi Cobb The shiny finish of a black Mercedes car reflects Monaco’s famous Monte Carlo Casino. A tiny Mediterranean principality with an outsize reputation, Monaco draws millions of tourists every year to its luxury amenities, including beachfront hotels, a yacht harbor, the Opera House, and casinos. Not surprisingly tourism and gambling are at the core of Monaco’s economy. (Text adapted from and photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Monaco," May 1996, National Geographic magazine) 倒映在这辆闪光锃亮的黑色奔驰上的是摩纳哥著名的蒙特卡洛赌场。摩纳哥是座地中海公国,虽是弹丸之地却有着如雷贯耳的盛名。这里拥有奢侈华贵的滨海酒店,游艇码头,歌剧院和赌场,每年吸引着数百万的游客的到来。毫无疑问,旅游业和赌博业是摩纳哥的经济核心。
2008-01-31 Sardines and Sharks, South Africa, 2002 Photograph by David Doubilet Copper sharks torment a frenzied school of sardines off South Africa’s east coast. In winter, sardines migrate northward en masse, creating an aquatic extravaganza that draws sharks, seals, seabirds, dolphins, and gamefish to a roiling all-you-can-eat buffet. (Text adapted from and photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Oceans of Plenty: South Africa’s Teeming Seas," August 2002, National Geographic magazine) 在南非的东海岸外,短尾鲨正肆意蹂躏一群被搅乱了的沙丁鱼。每到冬季,沙丁鱼就会集体迁移到北方。届时这场盛大水下自助餐将吸引众多的鲨鱼,海豹,海鸟,海豚以及各类大鱼前来大快朵颐一番。
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