Sensational Switzerland
世界公園－瑞士
When people plan their vacations to Europe, nations like France, Italy, and Germany are usually at the top of their lists. But if you’re short on time and looking to experience a taste of all these nations, you can do so by paying a visit to Switzerland. In addition, this charming country is a prime location for mountain activities.
當人們計劃到歐洲度假時，法國、義大利及德國等國家通常都是他們名單上的首選。但倘若你時間不夠，卻希望能一次體驗完這些國家的風情，你可以選擇到瑞士一遊。此外，這個迷人的國家也是山野活動的最佳去處。
The main reason for Switzerland’s cultural diversity is its location. Switzerland is a landlocked nation surrounded by Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria to the east. As a result, Switzerland has four national languages: French, Italian, German, and Romansh. In some areas, such as the northwestern region of the country, this can lead to interesting situations. For example, you might hear a conversation where a speaker begins by speaking French and the person he’s talking with responds in German.
瑞士能擁有多樣文化的主要原因在於它的地理位置。瑞士是個被其他國家環繞的內陸國家，北接德國，西鄰法國，南接義大利，東鄰奧地利。因此，瑞士擁有四種官方語言：法文、義大利文、德文和羅曼斯語。在瑞士某些地方，例如西北邊的區域，經常會出現一些有趣的情況。例如，你可能會聽到一段對話，說話的人用法文開頭，對方卻用德文回答。
Apart from cultural diversity, one of the reasons why tourists are attracted to Switzerland is its breathtaking scenery. Roughly 70 percent of Switzerland’s terrain consists of mountains, which makes the country an ideal location for aspiring hikers, campers, and anyone who enjoys spending time in the great outdoors. The most famous mountain in the Swiss Alps is the Matterhorn. At 4,478 meters above sea level, it is one of the highest peaks in the Alps. It is also one of the most challenging climbs, and many people have perished trying to climb it.
除了文化的多樣性之外，瑞士吸引遊客造訪的其他原因包括它美不勝收的風景。瑞士的地形約百分之七十由山脈組成，這也使得瑞士成為有抱負的登山客、露營者及喜愛戶外活動者的理想地點。馬特洪峰為阿爾卑斯山脈中最著名的山峰。其高度為海拔4,478 公尺，是阿爾卑斯山脈中最高峰之一。它同時也是最有挑戰性的山坡之一，曾有許多人在攀爬過程中不幸罹難。
One of the best ways to take in the beauty of Switzerland is to ride on the Bernese Oberland Railway. A trip on this historic train will provide passengers with an unforgettable panoramic view of the landscape. The combination of rolling green hills, jagged rocks, and snow-capped mountain peaks is sure to stick with you for a long time.
搭乘伯恩高原鐵路是欣賞瑞士之美最棒的方法之一。旅客可搭乘具有歷史意義的火車，而這趟旅程將帶給他們永生難忘的風景全貌。綿延的綠色山丘，鋸齒狀的岩石，以及白雪覆蓋的山峰所組合成的風景，絕對會讓你久久難以忘懷。
The largest city in Switzerland is Zurich, and it contains some of the best art galleries and museums in Europe. It also hosts an annual event, the Street Parade, which is one of the world’s largest techno music parades. It’s a time when people flood the streets in exotic costumes while DJs spin some uplifting electronic music. The parade is not all about the music though, as the event also doubles as a social demonstration in support of freedom, love, and tolerance. Since the inaugural event in 1992, attendance has skyrocketed from 1,000 people to well over a million visitors each year.
蘇黎世是瑞士最大的城市，擁有一些歐洲最棒的畫廊及博物館。每年在此舉辦的活動—蘇黎世電音大遊行—是全球最盛大的電音遊行之一。每年此時人們都會穿著奇特的服裝湧上街頭，同時DJ也會播放令人振奮的電子音樂。然而這場派對的主題並非只是音樂而已，這場盛事同時也是一種社會運動，表示支持自由、愛和包容。自從西元 1992 年開辦以來，參與人數已從一千人飆升至每年一百萬人以上。
If you’d rather focus on Switzerland’s powerful economy than getting your groove on, consider visiting Geneva. In addition to being an important banking and financial center, Geneva has become a symbol of international diplomacy and cooperation. This is why prestigious international organizations such as the Red Cross and the UN have established many of their offices here. In the end, whether you’re searching for history, natural beauty, or just a place to party, Switzerland has a little something for everyone.
如果你比較關注瑞士的強大經濟，而不是想要盡情熱舞的話，你可以考慮造訪日內瓦。日內瓦除了是重要的銀行業與金融中心之外，它也是國際外交與合作的象徵。這也是為什麼有名望的國際組織，如紅十字會及聯合國等，都在此設立多所辦事處。最後，無論你是想探究歷史，找尋大自然之美，或者僅想參加派對而已，瑞士都能滿足每個人的需求。
【Vocabulary】
be short on 缺乏
I can’t meet with you this afternoon because I’m short on time.
我今天下午無法跟你見面，因為我時間不夠。
charming adj. 迷人的
charm n. 魅力 & vt. 迷住
Many people are interested in renting this charming little apartment.
很多人有興趣承租這間迷人的小公寓。
prime adj. 最好的；首要的
Fancy restaurants are usually opened in prime locations where they are likely to get lots of customers.
高級餐廳通常都位於能吸引許多顧客的黃金地段。
diversity n. 多樣性
There is a lot of cultural diversity in New York City because people from all over the world have moved there.
紐約市充滿了文化多樣性，因為移民至此的人來自世界各地。
surround vt. 環繞
surrounding adj. 周圍的
An island is a body of land that is surrounded by water.
所謂的島嶼是指被水環繞的陸地。
breathtaking adj. 令人讚嘆的
Alishan attracts thousands of tourists every year with its breathtaking scenery.
阿里山因其令人讚嘆的風景而每年都吸引數千名遊客。
roughlyad v. 大約
There are roughly 100 people coming to the party.
大約有一百個人會來參加此次的派對。
aspiring adj. 有抱負的
The master advised the aspiring musicians to practice every day.
這位大師勸告這些有抱負的音樂家要每天練習。
perish vi. 死亡；滅亡
Thousands of people perished during the giant earthquake.
數以千計的民眾在此次大地震中罹難。
unforgettable adj. 令人難忘的
You should see this unforgettable movie as soon as you have the chance.
只要有機會你一定要去觀賞這部令人難忘的電影。
landscape n. 風景，景色；風景畫
The landscape of Taiwan is very mountainous in some places.
台灣某些地方的景色是相當多山的。
combination n. 結合；組合
I think the combination of peanut butter and jelly is delicious.
我認為花生醬與果凍混合在一起真的太好吃了。
gallery n. 畫廊；美術館
If you want to see some of this artist’s paintings, you should visit that art gallery.
如果你想欣賞這位藝術家的一些畫作，你應該到那間畫廊走走。
exotic adj. 奇特的；異國情調的
Kevin loves to try the exotic foods from faraway places.
凱文很喜歡嘗試來自遠方的異國食物。
costume n. 服裝；戲服
On Halloween, kids like to dress up in costumes and ask their neighbors for candy.
萬聖節時，孩子們都喜歡穿上特別的服裝來向鄰居討糖果。
uplifting adj. 令人振奮的；鼓舞人心的
Whenever I am in a bad mood, I try to read an uplifting book to make me feel better.
每當我心情低落時，我都會嘗試讀本鼓舞人心的書來讓心情變好。
tolerance n. 容忍；寬容
Even if you don’t agree with others, you should have some tolerance for their opinions.
即便你不同意他人的想法，你也應該對他們的意見有所包容。
skyrocket vt. 猛漲；飆升
We have to tighten our belts, as food prices have skyrocketed.
我們必須要勒緊褲帶，因為食物價格飆漲。
cooperation n. 合作；協力
Our team cannot succeed unless there is cooperation between players.
除非隊員同心協力，否則我們團隊無法成功。
【字彙小補帖】
landlocked adj. 內陸的
respond v. 回應・
terrain n. 地形
consist of 由……組成
peak n. 山峰
climb n. 山坡
take in 欣賞；觀賞
panoramic adj. 全景的
jagged adj. 鋸齒狀的
snow-capped adj. 被雪覆蓋的
stick v. 黏住
annual adj. 一年一次的
paraden. 遊行
techno music 電子音樂
spin v. 轉動；旋轉
electronic adj. 電子的
double as 兼作……用
demonstration n. 示威（運動）
inaugural adj. 開幕的；就任的
well over 超過
get one’s groove on 享受跳舞
diplomacy n. 外交
prestigious adj. 有名望的
文章出處：《實用English Digest 8月號》
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