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Puli Township: The Heart of Taiwan 好山好水话埔里

課文朗讀

課文中英文講解

繁體中文譯本

My exploration began at the largest freshwater lake in Taiwan. White mist from the mountains climbed into the hazy blue sky. It softened the reflection of the rising sun in the calm wake of our canoe. A man wrapped in an orange robe agreed to paddle me past an island at the center of the lake. He was one of the 400 Shao people that make up the smallest aboriginal tribe in Taiwan.

我的探险始于台湾最大的淡水湖。白色的山岚袅袅升上雾蒙蒙的蓝天。在我们小舟激起的细微水痕上，朝阳的倒影因雾气变得更柔和。一位身着橘袍者答应带我渡河经过水中央的小岛。他是台湾最少数的原住民，邵族，仅有的四百位其中之一。

Legend has it that, long ago, Shao hunters pursued a while deer through a maze of mountains and valleys. Their chase ended at the banks of a vast body of water, known today as Sun Moon Lake. Awed by its pristine beauty, the Shao people named the island in the center Lalu, and worshipped it as their sacred land. As we reached the opposite shore of the lake, I stepped out of the boat and headed for what I had come to find – the heart of Taiwan.

传说在很久以前，邵族猎人在如同迷宫般的森林与山谷间追捕一头白鹿。他们追到一个大湖的岸边，也就是今日我们所知的日月潭。邵族人敬畏于其原始之美，便将湖中的岛屿命名为「拉路」，并奉其为圣地。当我们抵达湖的对岸，我踏出船，前往我想寻找的「台湾之心」。

A road brought me to Puli, a small town in Nantou County. It is surrounded by five mountains arranged in the shape of a star. The 9/21 earthquake in 1999 shock Puli’s landscape and toppled its buildings. Thankfully, the town quickly got back on its feet. It is now renowned, among other things, for its flowers. Chefs use them to make delicious dishes. Unable to read the menu, I picked dishes randomly, like a child picking flowers in a field. I had deep-fried ginger lilies, rose-petal salad, and shrimp stewed with osmanthus blossoms! Only one thing could have made it better: a bed of roses to doze off on afterwards!

顺着一条路我抵达位于南投县的小镇埔里。五座山环绕埔里的形状像一颗星。1999年的921大地震撼动埔里的风景，震倒了建筑物。幸好小镇快速地恢复。埔里闻名的还有鲜花。厨师们用花朵烹调可口的菜肴。由于我看不懂中文菜单，只好随意地挑选，就像孩子在田野里随意摘花一般。我吃了炸野姜花、玫瑰花色拉和桂花炖虾！饭后如果能在玫瑰花床上打盹就更好了！

Vocabulary

aboriginal [͵æbəˋrɪdʒən!] adj. 土著居民的

maze [mez] n. 迷宫

vast [væst] adj. 广阔的

topple [ˋtɑp!] v. 倒塌，倒下

renowned [rɪˋnaʊnd] adj. 有名望的﹐著名的

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hazy [ˋhezɪ] adj. 模糊的，朦胧的

soften [ˋsɔfn] v. 变柔和

wake [wek] n.（船的）尾波，航迹

robe [rob] n. 长袍，罩袍

paddle [ˋpæd!] v. 划船运送

make up 组成

awe [ɔ] v. 使敬畏；使畏怯

pristine [ˋprɪstin] adj. 原始的

get back on its feet  东山再起; 恢复、振作

ginger [ˋdʒɪndʒɚ] lily  野姜花

osmanthus [oz'mɛnθəs]  n. 桂花

blossom [ˋblɑsəm] n.（尤指果树的）花

doze [doz] off:  打(起)盹儿(来) to fall into a light sleep

課文中英文講解

While wandering around Puli, I visited several temples and shrines. I was impressed with their vivid and elaborate designs. I also toured the Jin-Ji Insect Hall, which turned out to be a fascinating place. A variety of insects, including over 10,000 colorful butterfly species, lined the walls of the museum. The most appealing one was a hermaphrodite butterfly found only in Taiwan, It is worth NT$10,000,000!

当我在埔里闲逛时，我造访了一些庙宇和神坛。它们鲜艳、精致的设计让我印象深刻。我还参观了锦吉昆虫馆，原来它竟是个这么棒的地方。那里有各式各样的昆虫，包含一万种以上的彩蝶标本排列在博物馆的墙上。还吸引我的是一只台湾特产的阴阳蝶。牠的身价高达一千万台币呢！

A stimulating fragrance of fermenting rice led me to my next destination. When I stepped into the Wine Culture Museum, cheerful staff welcomed me with samples of Puli’s famous Shaohsing Wine. The museum showcases the eighty-year history of Puli’s wine industry. There are even popsicles flavored with Shaohsing wine!

一股令人振奋的稻米发酵香气引领我到下一个目的地。我一踏进埔里酒文化馆，快活的工作人员便迎面送上埔里有名的绍兴酒让我试喝。该馆展示埔里酒业80年的历史。这里甚至有绍兴酒口味的棒冰呢！

I left to browse in Puli’s shops. Puli is famous for its local art. Original artworks hang practically everywhere, and it isn’t uncommon to unknowingly chat with the artist who created a work of art you’ve just looked at. While I sipped on Puli’s sweet pure water, one man explained that Puli has four celebrated W’s: Weather, Water, Wine, and Women! I had only experienced three of them – until a charming young woman smiled at me. Now I had experienced all four!

我离开此处，前往埔里的店铺浏览一番。埔里以地方艺术闻名。原创的艺术品几乎随处可见，而不知不觉地和艺品原创者在小区里聊起天来是很常有的事。当我啜饮埔里的甘甜纯水时，有个男人向我解释埔里以「四好」出名：好天气、好水、好酒还有好看的女人！当时我只体验过三好，直到一位迷人的年轻女子对着我笑。现在，这四好我可都体验过了！

Just before sunset, I reached the place I had set out to find. Since 1952, a monument has marked the precise location of the geographical center of Taiwan. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath of Puli’s refreshing air. Then I stepped forward, and opened my eyes to the heart of Taiwan.

就在日落前，我到了此行的目的地。从1952年起，一个纪念碑就矗立于此，标志台湾的地理正中心。我闭上眼，深深吸了口埔里清新的空气。然后我往前走，睁开眼注视台湾之心。

−by Matthew Wilson

Vocabulary

elaborate [ɪˋlæbə͵ret] adj. 精心制作的

stimulating [`stɪmjəˏletɪŋ] adj. 有刺激性的

showcase [ˋʃo͵kes] v. 陈列; 展示

browse [braʊz] v. 浏览

geographical [dʒɪəˋgræfɪk!] adj. 地理的

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shrine [ʃraɪn] n. 圣祠; 庙，圣堂

hermaphrodite [hɚˋmæfrə͵daɪt] n. 雌雄同体

fermenting [fɝˋmɛntɪŋ] adj. 发酵的

popsicle [ˋpɑpsəkəl] n. 冰棍﹐棒冰

practically [ˋpræktɪk!ɪ] adv.【口】几乎，差不多

unknowingly [ʌnˋnoɪŋlɪ] adv. 不知不觉地

celebrated [ˋsɛlə͵bretɪd] adj. 著名的，驰名的

set out  动身, 开始

refreshing [rɪˋfrɛʃɪŋ] adj. 提神的；清凉的

Reading Questions

1. Which of the following would be a good description of the Shao people?

A. They are an extremely technologically-developed tribe.

B. They are an ancient tribe with old habits and customs.

C. They are a recently-formed boating community in Taiwan.

D. They are an ancient people whose origins are not Taiwanese.

2. What could be said about the mountains and valleys surrounding Sun Moon Lake?

A. They are in a simple and clear arrangement.

B. They form a natural barrier which makes it impossible to reach the lake.

C. They are organized in such a way as to make it difficult to find one’s way.

D. They are disposed in such a way as to make it impossible not to find the lake.

3. What is one thing that might happen to you after you’ve looked at artwork in Puli?

A. You will end up buying a work of art.

B. You will hear about the artist in the newspaper.

C. You will run into the artist but not know it’s him.

D. You will do everything you can to meet the artist.

4. What are Puli’s four W’s?

A. Rules established long ago by the people who discovered the area.

B. A false promise used in advertisement to attract tourists.

C. Four aspects that you are certain not to find in the region.

D. Four qualities that you are sure to find upon visiting the place.

Answer