20100714 Trekking Through the Trees (1)

Trekking Through the Trees

Adventure awaits in the treetops

Tarzan's effortless flights through jungle treetops have had humans living vicariously through him for decades. If only swinging from branch to branch through the jungle rooftop were as feasible for real people. Thanks to canopy trekking, now it is! Today, humans can walk or "fly" through leafy treetops, all the while enjoying nature at its finest.

How it all started

Humans have long been drawn to the mysteries of rainforest canopies. Suspended at around 40 m in the air, these canopies are the most productive habitats on Earth.

As much as 40 percent of the world's species spend their lives living among the canopy branches! That's not surprising seeing as the green canopy leaves receive so much sunlight that there is constant food and warmth. Scientists were among the first to understand the vast diversity of rainforest canopies. In the 1970s they began to study canopies by using ropes to access their heights and building platforms for long-term surveillance. Today, even more elaborate methods are used to study the canopies. One of those methods, canopy walkways, has recently become more than a science project - canopy walkways are now popular tourist attractions too.

trek v. 健行

=> go for a walk, usually for long distances

trek trekked trekked trekking

eg: We trekked through the forest and reached the lake in the afternoon.

=> 我們健行穿過森林並且下午到達了湖邊。

eg: Sam and his friends went treakking in the mountains last weekend.

=> 山姆和他的朋友上個週末到山上健行。

vicariously adv. 間接地/代替地

eg: Through the author's description we can vicariously experience his exotic journey.

=> 我們可以透過作者的敘述彷彿親身經歷他的異國之旅。

eg: Those who are addicted to online games live vicariously through computers and stop living in the real world.

=> 網路遊戲上癮者透過電腦而生活，他們停止在真實的世界上生活。

sur- 在...之上

surveillance n. 監視/監督

under surveillance 在某人監視之下

=> observation

eg: The thief tampered with several surveillance cameras.

=> 竊賊破壞了好幾臺監視錄影機。

eg: The police put the suspect under surveillance last week.

=> 警察從上星期開始監視這名嫌疑犯。

Tarzan 泰山 (美國作家E.R.Burroughs的作品"人猿泰山"之主角)

feasible adj. 可行的/可實行的

=> possible, able to be done

canopy n. 遮雨篷/天篷

habitat n. (動物的)棲息地

seeing as

=> considering the fact that

=> realizing the fact that

diversity n. 多樣性

=> the quality of several different kinds of something

eg: The U.S.A has a diversity of people.

//== Chat room ==//

thanks to you 跟 thank you 不一樣

thanks to

= because of

thanks to you (可以用於好事和壞事，用在壞事往往帶著諷刺的語氣)

=> because of you

eg: Thanks to you, I was late to the meeting

=> 因為你的關係，我開會遲到了

eg: Thanks to your foolishness, we lost a lot of money.

=> 多謝你的愚蠢，我們損失了一大筆錢。

No thanks to you.你沒有功勞

=> You give me no help.

eg: I finally got my license. No thanks to you.

=> 我最後拿到駕照了，你沒有幫我任何忙

Thanks, but no thanks. 不要，謝謝

=> a polite way of turning down an offer

=> 可以用來婉拒別人的句子

=> 如果別人想要請你吃飯，你不想要去則你可以禮貌地說：Thanks, but no thanks.(我心領了)

//== Grammar on the Go ==//

If only swinging from branch to branch through the jungle rooftop were as feasible for real people.

=> I wish that swinging from branch to branch through the jungle rooftop were as feasible for real people.

if only (informal way)

=> I wish

eg: I wish my house were bigger.

=> If only my house were bigger.

eg: I wish the theater tickets were cheaper.

=> If only theater tickets were cheaper.