EZCNN 易英网

Discover Tunisia 发现突尼西亚

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解

 

繁體中文譯本

 

Take a language guide, but not a lot of money to this North African destination  造访这个北非胜地，别忘了带本语言指南，但钱倒是不必多带

 

Tunisia, which sports about 800 miles of Mediterranean Sea coast, is sandwiched between Algeria and Libya. While those two neighbors could cause you to think twice about the North African gem, don’t let this deter you from visiting Tunisia, which shares its borders – but few problems – with the other two. As someone who has lived and extensively traveled in the Arab world, I’ve never felt more at ease in the region or more welcomed as a tourist than I did in Tunisia. And we had a blast – at a bargain.

夹在阿尔及利亚和利比亚中间的突尼西亚，以长达八百哩左右的地中海海岸线自豪。虽然两个邻国可能会让人对造访这个北非之珠加以三思，但可别让这点令你打消造访突尼西亚的原意，因为虽然突尼西亚的确和阿尔及利亚和利比亚接壤──但却鲜少沾染到两个邻国的问题。我曾在阿拉伯世界住过，而且也在这个地区广泛游历过，但在我的经验中，没有比突尼西亚更让我感到自在、或更宾至如归的地方了。我们这次玩得很尽兴──而且也很省钱。

 

Getting there  抵达当地

 

We started our trip in Tunis, the capital, which is a short flight from several European cities: an hour from Rome, less than two from Paris and about two from London. One can even travel by ferry from several European ports, including Sicily, which lies less than 100 miles from Tunisia’s northern tip.

我们从首都突尼斯展开旅程，从欧洲一些都市搭机来此航程都不远：从罗马搭机来到这里只要一小时，从巴黎则不到两小时，从伦敦则两小时左右。游客甚至可以从几处欧洲港口搭渡船来此，像西西里岛距离突尼西亚最北端仅不到一百哩。

 

An estimated one-fifth of Tunisia’s 10 million residents live in the Tunis area, and you should, too, at least at the beginning of a trip, as the city is a great hub for visiting surrounding sites and locales. It also has strong attractions in its own right, including a great museum or two, restaurants and a lively market. As a former French colonial capital, it exudes European chic – the main boulevard is Avenue de Paris – and its mix of cathedrals and mosques, smart boutiques and butcher shops hint at just how much this city straddles two worlds.

突尼西亚全国一千万居民中，估计有五分之一都住在突尼斯地区，你自然也非到贵宝地不可，至少在旅途之初也该来这里亲自体验一下，因为这个都市也是造访邻近遗迹和景点的绝佳枢纽。此外，该市本身就有一些出色的景点，包括了一两家极佳的博物馆，以及餐厅和活力盎然的市集。由于首都突尼斯过去曾遭法国殖民统治。所以也浑然散发出欧洲式的高雅风情──市内主要干道是巴黎大道──而教堂和清真寺并存、时髦的精品店和肉店并置的情景，在在透露出这个都市是多么地横跨着两个世界。

 

 

单词发音

 

More Information

sport [sport] v.【口】炫耀；夸示 to display or show off

sandwich [ˋsændwɪtʃ] v. 将……夹在中间

think twice 重新考虑；三思 to weigh something carefully

at ease 安心, 自在

blast [blæst] n. 有趣的事；开心的事；乐趣 Slang a highly exciting or pleasurable experience or event, such as a big party

bargain [ˋbɑrgən] n. 特价商品; 便宜货 something offered or acquired at a price advantageous to the buyer

ferry [ˋfɛrɪ] n. 渡轮，联运船，摆渡船

chic [ˋʃik] n. 雅致; 时髦 stylish and fashionable elegance

boutique [buˋtik] n. 精品店

butcher [ˋbʊtʃɚ] n. 肉贩; 肉铺

hint at something 暗示... to refer to something; to insinuate something

straddle [ˋstræd!] v. 跨立于

 

 

 

 

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解

 

Our favorite museum in town was the National Bardo Museum, which houses a stunning collection of mosaics from the 3rd and 4th centuries. Many were collected at nearby Carthage, which was part of the Roman Empire during that period, and the tiled works of art feature subjects such as soldiers, elephants and battle scenes.

市区内我们最喜欢的博物馆就是「国立巴杜博物馆」，这里收藏的第三、第四世纪镶嵌艺术品令人惊艳，其中很多都来自附近的迦太基遗址，在那段时期迦太基隶属于罗马帝国，而瓷砖镶嵌艺品主题则环绕着战士、象和战争场景。

 

One fact you’ll notice right away at the museum is how few signs are in English, although there often are English-speaking guides on site during Tunisia’s peak tourist season, which runs October through April. (Tunisian summers, from June to September, should be avoided unless you enjoy all-day saunas.)

你在博物馆立刻会注意到的事实就是，很少标志有以英文标示，虽然在突尼亚十月至四月期间的旅游旺季里，现场可以找到很多说英语的导游。（突尼西亚的夏季为六月至九月，除非你喜欢整天做蒸汽浴，否则就该避免在那段期间到当地旅游。）

 

French and Arabic are both national languages in Tunisia, and knowing some of either is critical here. Even if it’s high school or guidebook French, a little goes a long way, and you’ll struggle here without some basic French or Arabic vocabulary.

法语和阿拉伯语皆是突尼西亚通行全国的语言，因此懂得说一点法语或阿语极为重要，只要会说一点点，即使只是高中时学的或旅游指南上学到的，哪怕只懂一点点皮毛，都会对你大有帮助（译注：go a long way指大有帮助，但在此也有让游客能旅行得更远的双关意），如果连最基础的法语或阿拉伯语都一窍不通的话，在这里旅游可能会相当辛苦。

 

History comes alive  历史复活再现

 

A place where you need neither language is the ruins of Carthage, because taking in the magnitude of the destroyed city needs no translation. Sacked in 136 B.C. and A.D. 698, Carthage exists today as an overflow of crumbling mosaics, columns and statues. However, the remains of the city, whose peak population grew to 700,000 or so, are impressive. Add in turquoise-hued Mediterranean in the background, and the 8-dinar taxi from Tunis seems like a steal.

有个地方倒是不说法语或阿语也能通，那就是迦太基遗址，因为想要体会这座毁城的浩瀚，无须翻译。分别在公元前一三六年和公元六九八年遭攻陷的迦太基（译注：此为作者所述。按历史，由腓尼基人建立的迦太基，曾遭罗马人长达数年的攻击并在公元前一四六年被彻底攻陷，使迦太基成为罗马帝国的一部份，而后在公元六九八年，信奉回教的阿拉伯人又大举攻陷迦太基），如今放眼望去满是崩塌的镶嵌艺品、梁柱和雕像，但凭吊这座古都遗迹仍令人留下深刻印象，而且过去人口一度曾多达七十万左右的迦太基，还有蓝绿色地中海的背景衬托，从突尼斯搭出租车到这里的车资才八块第纳尔，也是便宜得不得了。

 

Plus, you can stop in Sidi Bou Said, the closest town to Carthage and only about 15 minutes from Tunis. Located on the coast, Sidi Bou Said clings to mountain cliffs, and with its blue and whitewashed walls and cobblestone streets, it resembles the more famous Santorini, Greece. It’s a great place for a day trip of shopping and alfresco dining, cooled by a steady sea breeze.

此外，游客还可以到西迪布萨德这个距离迦太基最近的城镇，离突尼斯也仅分钟车程。座落在海岸边的西迪布萨德，高踞在山崖上，蓝、白墙面和鹅卵石街道，令这儿神似希腊更知名的桑托里尼。这里也是购物一日游和露天用餐的绝佳所在，用餐时海风持续不变地徐徐吹拂，带来一股凉爽气息。

 

 

单词发音

 

More Information

mosaic [məˋzeɪk] n. 马赛克，镶嵌细工; 镶嵌工艺 a pattern or picture made using many small pieces of colored stone or glass

Carthage [ˋkɑrθɪdʒ] n. 迦太基（非洲北部的古代城邦）

tiled [taɪld] adj. 铺了瓷砖的; 铺了瓦的

sauna [ˋsaʊnə] n.（芬兰的）蒸汽浴；桑拿浴

go a long way 大有帮助 be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity

come alive 栩栩如生; 活现

take in 观看; 欣赏; 参观; 理解; 领会; 领悟 to understand

overflow [͵ovɚˋflo] n. 溢出；过剩；泛滥

crumbling [ˈkrʌmblɪŋ] adj. 破碎的; 摇摇欲坠的

statue [ˋstætʃʊ] n. 雕像，塑像

turquoise [ˋtɝkwɔɪz] n. 蓝绿色

dinar [dɪˋnɑr] n. 第纳尔(一些北非、中东国家以及部分从前南斯拉夫独立出来的共和国的货币单位) the standard unit of money used in Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Tunisia and Bosnia-Herzegovina

steal [stil] n.【口】以极低廉价格买来的东西 a bargain

cling to 挨着, 碰着(某物) to hold on tight to someone or something

cling [klɪŋ] v. 依附，依靠

alfresco [ælˋfrɛsko] adj. 户外的，露天的 outside, in the open air

 

 

 

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解

 

One place that is worth as much time as you have is Tunisia’s desert, a region that makes a trip to this country unlike anything you’ll find on the European side of the Mediterranean. In fact, nearly 70 percent of Tunisia’s land area is desert, which means you won’t have any trouble finding sand. Several companies in Tunis offer day trips or 24-hour, overland excursions to desert towns and ruins in places such as Dougga or El Jem, where you can find a breathtaking Roman amphitheater.

有处地方花再多时间游览也值得，那就是突尼西亚的沙漠地带，而这也是使突尼西亚之旅和欧洲端的地中海地区截然不同之处。事实上，突尼西亚领土有近百分之七十都是沙漠，代表你在这里不费吹灰之力就能找到沙子。突尼斯有几家公司推出一日游或廿四小时陆路短途旅程，可以前往沙漠城镇，以及像是杜加或拥有惊人的古罗马圆形竞技场的艾尔杰等遗址探索。

 

You’ll be better served, though, to push farther south, if your time allows. Tozeur, a 45-minutes flight or an overnight train ride from Tunis, is in the heart of the desert and proves a great city base for visiting the surrounding Sahara. We took several day trips from there, enjoying sights such as the waterfall-dotted oasis at Chabekia and a sunset over the dunes as we sat perched high atop camels.

不过，如果时间允许的话，再往南游览会更有收获。想去托苏尔，搭机四十五分钟航程即可抵达，也可从突尼斯搭通宵火车前往，托苏尔位居沙漠心脏地带，可以作为进一步游览周遭撒哈拉沙漠的绝佳都会据点。我们从托苏尔启程展开了好几趟一日游行程，不但欣赏到查贝奇亚里瀑布交织的绿洲，也体验到高踞在骆驼上，而沙丘远方是夕阳西落的景致。

 

Perhaps one of the most interesting places was the “ghost village” from one of the recent “Star Wars” films. There, miles from any settlement, sat this abandoned film set, a fake (and free to visit) village and one of the most unusual tourist spots on this planet.

最引人胜的景点之一，也许是《星际大战》系列电影距今较近的一部片拍摄场景所遗留下来的「鬼」。远离人烟的这处人造假村（可免费参观），堪称全球最独特的远游景点之一。

 

Of course, this area looks like another planet: with a Martian vista of mountains and dry lakebeds, with sparse sounds of wild camel grunts and the desert wind.

毫无疑问，这个地区看起来就像是另一个星球：包括火星般的山丘和干涸湖床，以及零星传来野生骆驼的呼噜叫声和沙漠风声。

 

What to eat  当地美食

 

Like most former French colonies, the food in Tunisia is superb. Make sure to try brik, a pastry often filled with tuna, capers and onions, and tajine, which in Tunisia is a casserole of meats, eggs and cheese. If in or near the desert, don’t miss the chance to try mtabga, “Berber pizza,” which the Berbers cook in the sand. In Tozeur they make this calzone-like pie in a traditional, wood-fired oven.

就和很多前法国殖民地一样，突尼西亚的食物也美味极了。一定要尝尝炸馅饼（译注：以类似春卷皮褢着馅料油炸），这种点心往往包着鲔鱼、西洋白花菜、洋葱等馅料，还有就是砂锅炖肉（译注：tajine原指突尼西亚特有的圆锥形砂锅，但也可指用这种砂锅煮的菜肴），也就是以肉、蛋和起司制成的砂锅菜。如果去到沙漠里或到沙漠附近，可别错过马塔加这种「巴巴里人的披萨」（译注：巴巴里人为北非原住民），巴巴里人把这种披萨放在沙子里烘烤。但回到了托苏尔，民众就会改用传统的木炭炉灶来制作这种很像披萨饺的派饼。

 

−by Jason George

 

 

单词发音

 

More Information

overland [ˋovɚ͵lænd] adj. 横跨陆地的; 经由陆路的

amphitheater [͵æmfɪˋθɪətɚ] n. 圆形露天剧场; 竞技场面；竞技场

serve [sɝv] v. 能满足…的需要; 为…提供服务 promote, benefit, or be useful or beneficial to

perched [pɝtʃt] adj. 置于高处（或险处）的

grunt [grʌnt] v.（猪等）作呼噜声

pastry [ˋpestrɪ] n. 酥皮点心（如馅饼，水果派）

caper [ˋkepɚ] n. (腌制的)刺山果花蕾

casserole [ˋkæsə͵rol] n.（烧菜兼上菜用的）砂锅，烤锅

calzone [kælˋzon] n. 半圆形烤（奶酪）馅饼

 

 

 

 

单词发音

 

Vocabulary Focus

deter [dɪˋtɝ] v. 阻碍；制止 to prevent or discourage someone from doing something by making it difficult for them

extensively [ɪkˋstɛnsɪvlɪ] adv. 到处; 广泛地 covering a large area or having a great range

locale [loˋkæl] n. 场所；地点 an area or place, especially one where something special happens

in its own right 因本身之能力; 按照它自身固有的特点 because of something’s own abilities or characteristics

exude [ɪgˋzjud] v.（气味等）散发 to have and display a lot of a particular quality

magnitude [ˋmægnə͵tjud] n. 巨大，广大; 重大，重要 the large size or great importance of something

sack [sæk] v. 劫掠；洗劫（被攻陷的城市等）to rob a place and then destroy it

hued [hjud] adj. 有……颜色的 having color, or a particular degree of lightness or darkness of a color

excursion [ɪkˋskɝʒən] n. 远足；短途旅行 a short trip usually made for pleasure, often by a group of people

vista [ˋvɪstə] n.（从两排树木或房屋等中间看出去的）狭长的景色；远景 a view, especially a splendid view from a high position

sparse [spɑrs] adj. 稀疏的；稀少的 small in numbers or amount, often scattered over a large area

 

 

Tunis, Tunisia - Part 1: The Medina

 

Tunis, Tunisia - Part 2: Carthage

 

 

Bardo Museum and Carthage in Tunisia

 

 

Bardo Museum

 

 

 

Carthage history - Bardo Museum

 

 

 

 

More videos: 

Sidi Bou Said - Tunisia.mp4 

Dougga.mp4 

Tunisia Travel Guide - The El Jem Amphitheatre in El Jem.mp4 

Roman Amphitheatre at El Djem.mp4 

Tozeur, Tunis - Part 1: The Town.mp4 

Tozeur, Tunisia - Part 3: Caleche through the Palmeraie.mp4 

Tozeur, Tunisia - Part 4: Nefta.mp4 

Chebika • Tamerza.mp4 

Brik.mp4 

Vegetables Tajine Berber Style.mp4 

Mtabga - Galette du Sud - Recette Tunisienne.mp4