20110118 Milford Sound, New Zealand (2)

Milford Sound, New Zealand

Weather and wildlife

Over one million tourists annually explore Milford Sound. Many go by boat or plane. And one winding road leads to it, so people can walk or drive in. No matter how they come, everyone wants a chance to see the wildlife and stunning scenery. With more than 182 days of rain yearly, the sound is one of the world's wettest places. Yet the rain adds to the beauty by causing waterfalls to spring up throughout the fiord.

Visitors can see seals sunning themselves everywhere along the sound. The fiord is home to the New Zealand Fur Seal. One of New Zealand's rarest penguins, the Fiordland crested penguin can also be spotted. Tourists also come to see famous Mitre Peak, with its steep cliffs rising 1,692 meters. One survey named Milford Sound the world’s top travel destination. And author Rudyard Kipling once called it "the eighth wonder of the world." It's no surprise then that Milford Sound is a finalist in the New7Wonders of Nature contest.

scenery Un. 風景/景色

=> general look of the area

eg: The scenery along the beach is breathtaking.

=> 沿海的景色美到令人屏息

eg: Switzerland is famous for its beautiful scenery.

=> 瑞士以它美麗的風景聞名

scene n. 場景/現場

eg: The crime scene is located on the 11th floors.

=> 犯罪現場位於11樓

spring v. 冒出/長出

spring up 迅速長出/迅速出現

=> appear suddenly

eg: Weeds sprang up everywhere in our backyard when we were on vacation.

=> 我們出去度假的時候，院子裡的雜草叢生。

eg: Last spring, it seemed like gourmet restaurants were springing up everywhere in the area.

=> 去年春天美食餐廳似乎在這個區域到處快速出現。

destination n. 目的地/終點

=> a place you would go to

eg: The final destination of this bus is Chicago.

=> 這個巴士的終點站是芝加哥

eg: Napa Valley is one of the hottest vacation destinations in California.

=> Napa山谷是現在加州最熱門的觀光景點之一

eg: We should be able to reach our destination by noon.

=> 我們應該可以在中午之前到達目的地

wildlife n. 野生生物

tourist n. 旅遊者/觀光者

stunning adj. 令人震驚的

=> very beautiful, breathtaking

seal n. 海豹

crested adj. 有冠毛的

=> has feather on the top of the head

One of New Zealand's rarest penguins, the Fiordland crested penguin can also be spotted.

=> You can see the Fiordland crested penguin, one of New Zealand's rarest penguins.

cliff n. (尤指海邊的)懸崖

//== Chat room ==//

winding road 蜿蜒的道路

=> 注意wind為動詞時的發音

wind v. 蜿蜒曲折

wind v. 上緊發條

unwind v. 解開/鬆開

=> 下班回到家可以打開音響、喝個飲料unwind(放鬆心情)

wind n. 氣息/呼吸

=> 讀作wind(發音和風相同)

=> 劇烈運動後會feel winded 上氣不接下氣/喘不過氣來

//== More information ==//

In 1812, when Captain John Grono ventured into Milford Sound's narrow entrance, he was greeted by a vision of matchless natural beauty. Soon after, European seal hunters and fisherman began arriving. It took another 100 years, though, before the flocks of tourists appeared. In 1954, the Homer Tunnel opened, making Milford Sound accessible by automobile. Before that, the sound was only accessible by boat, plane, or foot.