20100506 Mysterious Mound in Australia Draws Thousands (2)

Mysterious Mound in Australia Draws Thousands

Uluru's ancient mysteries begin with its geology. Uluru is likely two-thirds buried, with the invisible part jutting below the surface at an 80-degree angle. The Rock is a magical place for the Aboriginal people - a place to be respected, best-visited through a six-mile Base Walk around the perimeter. But climbing the 1,141-foot-high Rock has been a goal of generations of white Australians and other tourists. Climbing the Rock is banned during high heat, strong winds or thunderstorms.


When the trail is open, the hike takes the physically fit about one hour up and one hour down - sometimes it involves stepping backwards on the steep crevices. Those who are more cardio-challenged should count on a four-to six-hour round trip. I choose to stay on ground level, partially out of respect for the wishes of the Aborigines. Also, I stay partially out of the knowledge that an average of one person a year dies on the hike, either from heart attack or falling on the steep, sometimes slippery trail. Making it to the top isn't my personal obseeion, so no point in endangering my fragile hold on existence.




jut v. 突出/伸出
jut out
jut jutted jutted jutting
eg: Her hip bones jutted out because of her birth defect.
=> 因為先天缺陷，她臀部的骨頭是突出。
eg: The balcony of the hotel room juts out above the garden.
=> 旅管房間的陽臺伸展出花園的上空中。

perimeter n. 周圍/邊緣
=> an outer edge of the land or the border around it
eg: The police set road blocks around the perimeter of the town to stop the fugitive from running away.
警方在這個城鎮的周圍設路障防止逃犯逃走。
eg: A river runs along the perimeter of this village.
=> 沿著這個村莊周圍有一條河流。

perimeter n. 周長
eg: The perimeter of the football field can be calculated with a formula.
=> 足球場的周長可以用公式來計算。

ban v. 禁止/發禁令
=> prohibit
ban banned banned banning
eg: This movie was banned in Mainland China.
=> 這部電影在大陸被禁了
eg: The player is banned till the competition is over.
=> 這個球員被禁賽一直到比賽結束




geology n. 地質學
=> the science that study the earth and the rocks and how they were formed



crevice n. 裂縫/裂隙
=> a crack forming a opening in the rock

cardio
=> refer to the heart

cardio-challenged
=> your heart canoot really take it , you are not able to do this climb

physically-challenged
= the handicapped

slippery adj. 滑的/容易滑的
slippery trail

obsession n. 著迷/被纏住
=> something you would think about someone all the time

fragile adj. 易碎的




//== Chat room ==//

one-way trip 單程旅程

round trip 去了目的地掉頭回原地的旅行

turn around 掉頭

roundtrip ticket 來回票
=> 通常一張來回票會比兩張one-way trip ticket便宜

roundabout n. (英)圓環
rotary n. (美)圓環
= traffic circle

roundabout adj. 兜圈子/迂迴的/微婉的
= indirect
eg: say something in a roundabout way 用微婉的方式來表達一件事