2021年6月

阿罗芒什莱班的桑树港，法国诺曼底 Mulberry Harbour in Arromanches-les-Bains, Normandy, France (© agefotostock/Alamy)

On this shore, history was made

As the sun sets on a beach in Normandy, France, what appear to be working barges and boats offshore are actually the remnants of Mulberry Harbours, temporary portable harbors created by the Allies during World War II. Their story begins 47 years ago today, on D-Day, when the first of the Allied troops touched down on the Nazi-occupied beaches at Normandy. After the Allies successfully held the beachheads, the Mulberries were towed into place so the artificial harbors could provide the port facilities necessary to offload the thousands of men and vehicles, and tons of supplies necessary to sustain the effort to drive the Germans out of France.

Two Mulberry Harbours were built for D-Day. The one known as Mulberry A was constructed off Omaha Beach to aid US forces. Mulberry B was built here, off Gold Beach at Arromanches to supply British and Canadian troops. Mulberry A was destroyed in a storm just a few days after it was built, but Mulberry B was operational for 10 months after the landings, providing crucial infrastructure to the Allied operation. The innovative feat of military engineering enabled the largest seaborne invasion in history, which in turn laid the foundations of the Allied victory on the Western Front.

在这片海岸上，创造了历史

当太阳落在法国诺曼底的一个海滩上时，看似在海上工作的驳船和船只实际上是桑葚港的残余物，桑葚港是二战期间盟军建立的临时便携式港口。他们的故事开始于47年前的今天，也就是诺曼底登陆日，当时盟军的第一支部队在诺曼底登陆了纳粹占领的海滩。盟军成功占领滩头阵地后，桑葚被拖到适当的地方，这样人工港口就可以提供必要的港口设施，卸载成千上万的人和车辆，并提供数吨必要的物资，以维持将德国人赶出法国的努力。

为D日建造了两个桑葚港。这座名为“桑葚A”的建筑是在奥马哈海滩附近建造的，目的是帮助美军。Mulberry B是在阿罗曼奇斯的黄金海滩附近建造的，为英国和加拿大军队提供补给。桑葚A号在建成后几天就在暴风雨中被毁，但桑葚B号在登陆后的10个月内仍在运行，为盟军的行动提供了至关重要的基础设施。军事工程的创新成就促成了历史上最大规模的海上入侵，进而奠定了盟军在西线取得胜利的基础。

La Selva生物站热带雨林树冠上的黑嘴巨嘴鸟，哥斯达黎加 Black-mandibled toucan in the rainforest canopy of La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica (© Greg Basco/Minden Pictures)

Bird's-eye view on World Environment Day

For World Environment Day today we're in northeastern Costa Rica, a nature lover's paradise. The UN established World Environment Day in 1974 to encourage awareness and action for the protection of the environment. It begins with research, which is exactly what happens in this pristine corner of the planet. The misty canopy of forest pictured here is part of La Selva Biological Station, an internationally renowned center for tropical forest research that's associated with universities and research institutions from the United States, Costa Rica, and Puerto Rico.

The scientists chose a prime location to conduct their studies. Covering nearly 4,000 acres, this is one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the world. Researchers and students here at La Selva Biological Station can study at least 2,000 species of plants, 125 species of mammals, 87 species of reptiles and tens of thousands of insects, arachnids, and other arthropods. And don't forget the 470 species of birds. Can you spot the black-mandibled toucan in our image?

世界环境日鸟瞰

今天是世界环境日，我们来到哥斯达黎加东北部，一个热爱自然的天堂。联合国在1974年设立了世界环境日，以鼓励保护环境的意识和行动。它从研究开始，这正是发生在地球这个原始角落的事情。这张薄雾密布的林冠照片是La Selva生物站的一部分，这是一个国际知名的热带森林研究中心，与美国、哥斯达黎加和波多黎各的大学和研究机构有联系。

科学家们选择了一个绝佳的地点进行研究。占地近4000英亩，是世界上生物多样性最强的生态系统之一。拉塞尔瓦生物站的研究人员和学生可以研究至少2000种植物、125种哺乳动物、87种爬行动物和数以万计的昆虫、蛛形纲动物和其他节肢动物。别忘了470种鸟类。你能在我们的照片中认出黑色下颚巨嘴鸟吗？

法国西南部阿卡雄湾的皮拉沙丘 The Dune of Pilat in Arcachon Bay, southwest France (© aluxum/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Against all odds

Whether you've been there or not, you will no doubt recognize the famous Dune of Pilat, stretching all the way across our image today. Located in the Gironde, at the entrance to the Arcachon basin, near the town of La Teste de Buche, the one known as the white lady has almost perfect measurements. At 106 meters high, 2.7 kilometers long, and 60 million cubic meters of sand, the Dune of Pilat is the highest dune in Europe. Belonging to the coastal dunes of Aquitaine, the Dune of Pilat is to date the only one of this system still in motion; each year, it moves 1 to 5 meters east, driven by winds and tides, gradually covering the adjoining maritime pine forest.

不择手段

无论你是否去过那里，你都会毫无疑问地认出著名的比拉特沙丘，它一直延伸到我们今天的形象。坐落在吉伦德，在阿卡松盆地的入口处，靠近拉斯特德布赫镇，一个被称为白女士有几乎完美的测量。皮拉特沙丘高106米，长2.7公里，沙量6000万立方米，是欧洲最高的沙丘。皮拉特沙丘属于阿基坦海岸沙丘，是迄今为止该系统中唯一仍在运动的沙丘；每年，它在风和潮汐的推动下向东移动1至5米，逐渐覆盖邻近的海洋松林。

斯洛文尼亚索奇河上的木制吊桥上骑自行车的人的鸟瞰图 Aerial view of cyclists on a wooden suspension bridge over the river Soča in Slovenia (© Amazing Aerial Agency/Offset by Shutterstock)

Get on your bike and ride

In honor of the UN's World Bicycle Day, we're at Triglav National Park in Slovenia, with a birds-eye view of riders crossing this dubious-looking wooden suspension bridge over the glacial blue water of the river called Soča. Protecting some of the most magnificent mountain landscapes of the Julian Alps, Triglav is the country's only national park, but it's a stunner. Running along Slovenia's northwestern border with Italy, Triglav was first protected as a 'conservation park' in 1924, then made a national park in 1981. The park gets its name from the mountain at its heart, Triglav, long considered a symbol of Slovenia and of Slovene identity.

Since 2018, the UN General Assembly has recognized June 3 as World Bicycle Day to honor 'the uniqueness, longevity, and versatility of the bicycle, which has been in use for two centuries.' The bicycle has gone through many iterations since Karl Drais created the brake-less, pedal-less bike forerunner called a 'velocipede' in 1817. The German inventor would likely be floored by today's variety of bike options, from new lightweight road bikes to heavier mountain bikes with fatter, knobby tires designed to handle rougher terrain. More than 200 years after von Drais introduced his two-wheeled contraption, bicycles remain as popular as ever. Chances are there's one just waiting for you to take it for a spin, and what better day to do so than World Bicycle Day?

骑上你的自行车

为了纪念联合国的世界自行车日，我们来到了斯洛文尼亚的特里格拉夫国家公园，鸟瞰着骑手们穿过这座看起来可疑的木制吊桥，桥上是一条蓝色的冰川河，这条河被称为Soča。特里格拉夫保护着朱利安阿尔卑斯山上一些最壮丽的山景，是这个国家唯一的国家公园，但它是一个惊人的奇迹。特里格拉夫位于斯洛文尼亚西北部与意大利交界处，1924年首次作为“保护公园”受到保护，1981年被列为国家公园。该公园的名字来源于其核心山脉特里格拉夫，长期以来被认为是斯洛文尼亚和斯洛文尼亚人身份的象征。

自2018年以来，联合国大会将6月3日定为世界自行车日，以纪念自行车的独特性、长寿性和多功能性，这种自行车已经使用了两个世纪。自从卡尔·德赖斯发明了无刹车自行车以来，自行车经历了多次迭代，1817年被称为“velocipede”的无踏板自行车的先驱。这位德国发明家很可能会被今天各种各样的自行车选择所打倒，从新的轻型公路自行车到更重的山地自行车，这些自行车的轮胎设计得更胖、多节，以适应更崎岖的地形。在冯·德赖斯发明了他的双轮装置200多年后，自行车仍然像以前一样流行。很有可能有一天你正等着去兜风呢，还有什么日子比世界自行车日更好呢？

鸟瞰罗卡附近的Grotta della Poesia，意大利莱切 Aerial view of the Grotta della Poesia (Poetry's Cave) near Roca, Lecce, Italy (© Amazing Aerial Agency/Offset by Shutterstock)

Pretty poetic for a pit

Taking a bird's-eye view along the coast of Italy's bootheel, you'll spot many coves and caves like this one, the Grotta della Poesia. In English that's Poetry's Cave, a sea-flooded sinkhole so named for the ancient poets who—legend has it—were bemused by a beautiful princess who often came here for a dip.

Nowadays it's a popular spot for all water lovers, regardless of royal standing. Inside the sinkhole, an underground cavern carries the clear waters out to sea, beckoning the most intrepid swimmers and scuba divers toward the open Adriatic.

很有诗意

沿着意大利鞋跟海岸鸟瞰，你会发现许多像这样的海湾和洞穴，Grotta della Poesia。在英语中，那是诗的洞穴，一个被海水淹没的大坑，以古代诗人的名字命名，传说是因为一位美丽的公主经常来这里泡个澡。

如今，无论皇室地位如何，这里都是所有爱水人士的热门去处。在深坑内，一个地下洞穴将清澈的海水带到大海中，吸引着最勇敢的游泳者和潜水者朝着开阔的亚得里亚海前进。