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Atop the Cliffs of Moher 晴空，碧海──爱尔兰莫赫悬崖

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There are few places on Earth where the land so gloriously meets the sea and the sky. You stand on the emerald green grass on the edge of the Cliffs of Moher and look down. ___1___ The ocean crashes on the rugged stones on the shore, and above you, the sky looks like it’s reaching into eternity.

地球上只有少数几个地方的地面能壮丽地与海、天连成一片。你站在莫赫县崖边缘如宝石般翠绿的草地往下俯视，这片悬崖陡峭地往下坠落至远在你脚下那千变万化、汹涌的蓝绿色大西洋海水。浪花冲击着岸边崎岖的石头，而头顶上的苍穹似乎延伸至永恒。

Every year, a million tourists come to Ireland’s County Clare to experience the exquisite vistas of the Cliffs of Moher. ___2___ More than 30,000 birds, including puffins, hawks, and gulls, live here. ___3___  O’Brien’s Tower was erected by Comelius O’Brien – he thought it would be a good way to impress visitors!

每年有一百万名观光客造访爱尔兰的克莱尔郡，就是为了体验莫赫悬崖绝美的景致。莫赫悬崖沿着海岸线绵延8公里长而且高达230公尺，其砂岩和页岩悬崖形成于3亿年前。超过3万多种鸟类──包含善知鸟、老鹰和海鸥──在此地栖息。沿着悬崖走，让风吹拂你的头发，你还将会发现一个人造奇景。欧布瑞恩塔是由科尼利欧斯，欧布瑞恩所建立的──他认为这将会是使观光客印象深刻的好方法！

Such outstanding natural beauty rarely escapes a folktale or two, especially in a nation of legends. ___4___ One day, the sunlight streamed into the cave and maddened the horses. They bolted, ran to the coast, and jumped from the Cliffs of Moher into the sea.

如此不凡的自然美景当然少不了一两个民间传说的增色，尤其在这个充满许多传奇故事的国度。有个故事是这样的：有些古老的爱尔兰统治者幻化成马匹并且躲在附近的洞穴里度过几百年。有一天，阳光射进洞穴而使马匹陷入疯狂。他们如脱缰野马般地冲向海岸并从莫赫悬崖一跃而下跳入海中。

Some say those horses were never seen again. Surfers, however, know the horses return once in a while, as the 12-meter waves Aill Na Serracht. ___5___ But, thankfully, you don’t need a surfboard to enjoy the picture-perfect Cliffs of Moher.

有些人说再也没有人看过那些马匹。然而，冲浪者们却知道这些马匹每隔一阵子就会随着12公尺高的Aill Na Serracht海浪回来。只有最勇敢及最经验老到的冲浪者敢骑上这「白色马匹」。不过，幸好你不需要冲浪板也能享受莫赫悬崖如画般优美的景色。

－by Alice Davis

(A)   Spanning eight kilometers of coastline and hitting heights of up to 230 meters, the formation of these sandstone and shale cliffs began some 300 million years ago.

(B)   The cliffs drop away steeply into the ever-changing, swirling, blue-green Atlantic far below you.

(C)   Only the bravest and most experienced surfers dare to ride these “white horses.”

(D)   As the story goes, some of Ireland’s ancient rulers transformed themselves into horses and spent hundreds of years hidden in a nearby cave.

(E)   Walking along the cliffs, with the wind in your hair, you’ll find a manmade wonder, too.

Vocabulary

单词发音

gloriously [ˋglorɪəslɪ] adv. 壮观地；壮丽地

emerald [ˋɛmərəld] adj. 翠绿色的

swirl [swɝl]  v. 打旋，旋转

rugged [ˋrʌgɪd] adj. 粗硬的；崎岖的; 高低不平的

eternity [ɪˋtɝnətɪ] n. 永恒；不朽

exquisite [ˋɛkskwɪzɪt] adj. 精美的；精致的

vista [ˋvɪstə] n. 狭长的景色；远景

sandstone [ˋsænd͵ston] n. 沙岩

shale [ʃel] n. 页岩

puffin [ˋpʌfɪn] n. 海鹦

erect [ɪˋrɛkt] v. 树立；建立

stream [strim] v. 涌入，涌进

bolt  [bolt] v. 脱缰  to cause (a wild animal) to leave its lair; start

once in a while 偶而 sometimes

Aill Na Serracht  a rare, world-class wave

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland: 7 Wonders of Nature

Answer