2022年4月

巨型红杉的小萌芽，加利福尼亚州 A young giant sequoia sprouting out of an old log in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California (© Hutch Axilrod/Getty Images)

潜力惊人的萌芽 The sprout with amazing potential

Arbor Day

With a little love and support, this little sprout at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in California has a big future ahead of it. It has the potential to one day be the tallest tree on the planet, or at least close to it. Its 'big brother,' Hyperion, currently holds the record at 380 feet. They're giant sequoias, aka giant redwood trees. They often grow upwards of 300 feet tall and can live for thousands of years. They're heroes of nature, affecting the weather and climate, while housing and protecting other plants and animals. But all of this little sprout's potential is at risk because the giant sequoia is an endangered species. Fewer than 80,000 of them remain. That's why today is an important day for it and all trees.

That's right, today is Arbor Day, the day where we stop a moment to think about the trees (and hopefully even plant a few). The first American Arbor Day occurred 150 years ago when an estimated one million trees were planted in Nebraska in 1872. This year, America's Arbor Day Foundation is celebrating its 50th year of dedication to tree planting. They've planted over 350 million of them over the years, but the mission never ends. Trees are vital to the health of our planet, which means they're important for our own health as well. Why not do a little to make the future a better place and take a moment to nurture or plant a new tree today?

植树节

有了一点爱和支持，加利福尼亚州大草原溪红杉州立公园的这棵小豆芽就有了一个广阔的未来。它有可能有一天成为地球上最高的树，或者至少离它很近。它的“老大哥”海伯龙目前保持着380英尺的纪录。它们是巨大的红杉，又名巨大的红杉。它们通常能长到300英尺高，可以存活数千年。他们是大自然的英雄，影响天气和气候，同时居住和保护其他动植物。但由于巨型红杉是一种濒危物种，这种小豆芽的所有潜力都面临风险。剩下的不到8万人。这就是为什么今天对它和所有树木来说都是重要的一天。

没错，今天是植树节，这一天我们会停下来想一想那些树（希望还能种一些）。美国第一个植树节发生在150年前，1872年内布拉斯加州种植了大约100万棵树。今年，美国植树节基金会将庆祝植树50周年。多年来，他们已经种植了超过3.5亿株，但任务从未结束。树木对我们星球的健康至关重要，这意味着它们对我们自身的健康也很重要。为什么不做一点事情，让未来变得更好，今天花点时间培育或种植一棵新树呢？

大脊山，英格兰峰区国家公园 (© John Finney Photography/Moment/Getty Images)

庆祝漫游权

午夜的太阳，挪威斯瓦尔巴群岛 Midnight sun in Svalbard, Norway (© Nature Picture Library/Alamy)

无尽的夏夜 Endless summer

Midnight sun

Don't lose your sunglasses! At least not during this time of year in Svalbard, Norway, when the sun crests the horizon and never dips below it again for more than five months. From about April 19 to August 23, it's nothing but sunshine on this island above the Arctic Circle, more than 500 miles north of mainland Norway. It's not quite a day at the beach, with average summertime high temps of 39 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit (toasty compared to average wintertime temps of 5 to 9 degrees). And who knows how far it is to the nearest Ray-Ban store?

Norway is one of eight nations in the Northern Hemisphere that experience the phenomenon known as the 'midnight sun' (but the only one that lays claim to the name 'Land of the Midnight Sun'). Parts of the United States (Alaska), Canada, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Russia, and the Kingdom of Denmark (Greenland) also see the sun at local midnight during the summer months. In these northernmost climes the path of the sun is often cause for celebration. Svalbard celebrates Sun Festival Week when the sun first emerges in early March. St. Petersburg, Russia, is renowned for its White Nights of endless twilight, and Midsummer is a huge outdoor party in many northern nations. You'll want to get your sunshine while you can, because the endless dark of the polar winter lasts just as long.

午夜的太阳

别把太阳镜弄丢了！至少在挪威斯瓦尔巴特岛每年的这个时候，太阳升到地平线上，并且在五个多月内再也不会下降到地平线以下。从大约4月19日到8月23日，在挪威大陆以北500多英里的北极圈上空的这个岛屿上，除了阳光什么都没有。海滩上的天气不太好，夏季的平均高温为39到45华氏度（相比之下，冬季的平均温度为5到9华氏度）。谁知道离最近的Ray Ban商店有多远？

挪威是北半球经历“午夜太阳”现象的八个国家之一（但也是唯一一个声称拥有“午夜太阳之地”名称的国家）。美国（阿拉斯加）、加拿大、冰岛、芬兰、瑞典、俄罗斯和丹麦王国（格陵兰岛）的部分地区在夏季也会在当地午夜看到太阳。在这些最北端的气候中，太阳的路径往往值得庆祝。斯瓦尔巴特庆祝太阳节周，太阳在3月初首次出现。俄罗斯圣彼得堡以其无尽暮色的白夜而闻名，而仲夏是许多北方国家的大型户外派对。你会希望尽可能地享受阳光，因为极地冬天无尽的黑暗也会持续同样长的时间。

下莱茵省的胡内城堡，法国阿尔萨斯大区 Château de Hunebourg, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France (© Leonid Andronov/Alamy)

12世纪的历史遗迹 The castle of a thousand and one lives

Château de Hunebourg

Today, we take a breath of fresh air, nature and history with this view of the Alsatian castle of Hunenbourg, located west of Neuwiller-lès-Saverne, in the Bas-Rhin, in Alsace. The castle of Hunebourg, listed as a Historic Monument since June 2007, is installed on a sandstone rock 425 meters above sea level and accessible by the Zinsel valley.

Formerly owned by the Counts of Hunebourg, the castle was built in the 12th century. Years after years, it passed from hand to hand. In the second half of the 20th century, the castle became what it still is today, a hotel.

The site welcomes its visitors in an exceptional natural setting where you can still admire the remains of the original building such as the floors and furniture, the cave of Love, which was used as a place for romantic dates, reconstructed by Spieser, or the markers of divided areas.

胡内堡城堡酒店

今天，我们在阿尔萨斯下莱茵河畔的纽威勒-莱斯-萨维恩以西的胡嫩堡阿尔萨斯城堡中呼吸新鲜空气、自然和历史。Huneburg城堡自2007年6月起被列为历史遗迹，它坐落在海拔425米的砂岩上，可通过Zinsel山谷进入。

这座城堡曾为胡内堡伯爵所有，建于12世纪。年复一年，它从一个手传到另一个手。在20世纪下半叶，城堡变成了今天的酒店。

该景点以独特的自然环境欢迎游客，在这里，你仍然可以欣赏原始建筑的遗迹，如地板和家具、被斯皮泽重建的爱情洞穴，或分割区域的标记。

半穹顶景观点上空的银河，优胜美地国家公园，加利福尼亚州 Milky Way rising above Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, California (© Cory Marshall/Tandem Stills + Motion)

你能把灯关掉吗? Could you turn off the lights?

Dark Sky Week

During International Dark Sky Week, we're counting ourselves lucky to have this spectacular nighttime view, considering the astonishing fact that 83% of the global population lives under a light-polluted sky. Unneeded artificial light is classified as a pollutant and has been proven to have harmful side effects. Not only does it waste money and energy, it also disrupts plants and animals, is believed to impact the climate, and blocks our view of the universe.

Encouraging people to get away from artificial light is one of the goals of International Dark Sky Week, and today's photo shows just how magnificent that can be. Here, we're treated to a beautiful view of the Milky Way from Yosemite National Park in California. Yosemite is part of a network of national parks monitoring dark night skies to gather a complete data set of light pollution. They've learned that 'two-thirds of Americans cannot see the Milky Way from their backyard, and if current light pollution trends continue, there will be almost no dark skies left in the contiguous United States by 2025.'

Luckily, dark sky is a recoverable resource. There are ways to reduce our light use and improve the view of the night sky for everyone. Think about it over the course of the next week, preferably while gazing at a night sky undisturbed by light pollution—or at least a beautiful photo of one.

黑暗天空周

在国际黑暗天空周期间，考虑到全球83%的人口生活在轻度污染的天空下这一令人震惊的事实，我们认为自己有幸拥有这一壮观的夜景。不需要的人造光被归类为污染物，并已被证明具有有害的副作用。它不仅浪费金钱和能源，还扰乱动植物，被认为会影响气候，阻碍我们对宇宙的看法。

鼓励人们远离人造光是国际黑暗天空周的目标之一，今天的照片展示了这是多么壮观。在这里，我们可以在加利福尼亚州约塞米蒂国家公园欣赏到银河系的美景。约塞米蒂是国家公园网络的一部分，该网络监测黑夜天空，以收集光污染的完整数据集。他们了解到，“三分之二的美国人无法从自家后院看到银河系，如果目前的光污染趋势继续下去，到2025年，毗邻的美国将几乎没有黑暗的天空。”

幸运的是，黑暗的天空是一种可回收的资源。有一些方法可以减少我们的光线使用，改善每个人的夜空视野。在接下来的一周里好好想想，最好是在凝视没有光污染的夜空时，或者至少是一张美丽的照片。

天津滨海新区图书馆, 中国天津 Tianjin Binhai New Area Library in Tianjin, China (© Imaginechina Limited/Alamy)

看到和被看到 See and be seen

World Book Day

World Book Day takes us to the Tianjin Binhai New Area Library in Tianjin, China. Nicknamed 'The Eye,' this immense, stunning facility was completed in 2017 as the focal point of the Binhai Cultural Center. Designed by Dutch design firm MVRDV in collaboration with local architects, the library's floor-to-ceiling bookshelves appear well stocked with books, but most of them are actually printed images. The real books are stored in traditional rooms with normal shelves. Still, it looks super cool.

The original idea for World Bood day was conceived in 1922 by Spanish writer Vicente Clavel Andrés to honor famed 16th century author Miguel de Cervantes. It was first celebrated in 1926 on October 7, Cervantes' birthday, before being moved in 1930 to his death date, April 23, which is also the date of William Shakespeare's death. In Spain, the day often involves an exchange of gifts, with the traditional gifts being a book and a rose. In 1995 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) established World Book Day as a worldwide celebration of the written word and the power of stories.

世界图书日

世界图书日带我们去中国天津的天津滨海新区图书馆。这个巨大而令人惊叹的设施被称为“眼睛”，作为滨海文化中心的中心，于2017年竣工。由荷兰设计公司MVRDV与当地建筑师合作设计，图书馆从地板到天花板的书架似乎堆满了书籍，但其中大部分实际上都是印刷品。真正的书存放在传统的房间里，有普通的书架。不过，它看起来超级酷。

1922年，西班牙作家维森特·克拉维尔·安德烈斯（Vicente Clavel Andrés）为纪念16世纪著名作家米格尔·德·塞万提斯（Miguel de Cervantes）而构思了世界嘘声日的最初构想。1926年10月7日，塞万提斯的生日，第一次庆祝这个节日。1930年，塞万提斯去世，也就是4月23日，也就是威廉·莎士比亚去世的日子。在西班牙，这一天通常包括交换礼物，传统的礼物是一本书和一朵玫瑰。1995年，联合国教育、科学及文化组织（UNESCO）设立了世界图书日，作为全世界对文字和故事力量的庆祝。

维多利亚纪念堂，印度加尔各答 (© Roop_Dey/Shutterstock)

一座献给皇室的纪念堂

卡鲁拉国家公园里的小湖，爱沙尼亚 Small lake in Karula National Park, Valgamaa County, Estonia (© Sven Zacek/Minden Pictures)

世界之眼 Eye of the world

Earth Day

For this year's Earth Day we find ourselves floating above Karula National Park, the smallest national park in the smallest Baltic nation. Visiting this jewel of Estonia feels appropriate for Earth Day, as it is home to a variety of endangered species, including animals such as the pond bat, the lesser spotted eagle, and the black stork. Rare plants thrive here, too, like the endangered Baltic orchid, mezereon, and the daisyleaf grape fern. In addition to the draw of its biodiversity, Karula is a popular spot for camping, adventure tourism, fishing, nature photography, hiking, and cycling.

On this day in 1970, some 20 million Americans rallied in communities across the United States to raise awareness of environmental issues. The landmark event is credited for sparking the passage in the 1970s of the most comprehensive environmental reform legislation in US history, including the creation of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Earth Day is now celebrated in nearly 200 countries and has grown to include Earth Week and even Earth Month celebrations. That's good news for Earth's residents, big and small.

地球日

今年的地球日，我们发现自己漂浮在最小的波罗的海国家中最小的国家公园卡鲁拉国家公园上空。在地球日参观爱沙尼亚的这颗明珠感觉很合适，因为它是各种濒危物种的家园，包括池蝠、小斑鹰和黑鹳等动物。珍稀植物也在这里茁壮成长，比如濒临灭绝的波罗的海兰花、梅泽伦和戴西莱夫葡萄蕨。除了吸引生物多样性，卡鲁拉还是露营、探险旅游、钓鱼、自然摄影、徒步旅行和骑自行车的热门景点。

1970年的这一天，大约2000万美国人在美国各地的社区集会，以提高人们对环境问题的认识。这一里程碑式的事件被认为是20世纪70年代促使美国历史上最全面的环境改革立法获得通过的原因，包括制定了《清洁空气、清洁水和濒危物种法案》以及环境保护局（EPA）。现在，近200个国家都在庆祝地球日，并且已经发展到包括地球周甚至地球月的庆祝活动。这对地球上大大小小的居民来说都是好消息。

今天冰岛人在庆祝什么? What are Icelanders celebrating today?

First day of summer

After long—very long—winter nights, it's not surprising that the First Day of Summer is cause for a big celebration in Iceland. The public holiday falls on the first Thursday after April 18, and launches Harpa, the first summer month of the old Norse calendar that was followed by the country's first inhabitants. The year was split into just two seasons back then—summer and winter—which explains why Sumardagurinn Fyrsti, the First Day of Summer, falls in chilly April. Indeed, folklore has it that if you put a dish of water outside the night before the holiday and it freezes, you'll have a good summer. Regardless of temperature, the holiday does herald the arrival of those famously long days with little darkness, a welcome relief after the light-deprived winter months.

So how do Icelanders celebrate the First Day of Summer? Well, they take part in flag-waving local parades, listen to marching bands, and enjoy outdoor games and sports with family and friends. There's a tradition of giving summer gifts ('sumargjafir'), and those are often connected to outdoor activities—maybe a bike or a soccer ball, or new clothes—to encourage children to play together in the fresh air after the long, frigid winter. And of course, what celebration would be complete without food? The holiday gets people cranking up the barbecue and gathering for 'summer' food, even though the average high temperature in April is in the 40s. Getting cold watching a parade? Icelandic crepes with thick cream and jam inside will warm you up. Feeling chilly but you're determined to think 'summer'? Join the hardy Icelanders who make ice cream a First Day of Summer must-have.

初夏

在漫长的冬夜之后，不足为奇的是，夏天的第一天是冰岛举行盛大庆祝活动的原因。公共假日在4月18日之后的第一个星期四，并推出了哈帕，这是古挪威历法中的第一个夏季月份，随后是该国的第一批居民。这一年分为两个季节，分别是夏季和冬季，这也解释了为什么Sumardagurinn Fyrsti，夏季的第一天，会在寒冷的四月降临。事实上，民间传说，如果你在假期前一天晚上把一盘水放在外面，水结冰了，你就会有一个美好的夏天。不管气温如何，这个节日确实预示着那些以漫长而黑暗少著称的日子的到来，在光线不足的冬季几个月后，这是一种受欢迎的解脱。

那么冰岛人如何庆祝夏天的第一天呢？嗯，他们参加挥舞国旗的地方游行，听游行乐队，和家人朋友一起享受户外游戏和运动。有一种传统是赠送夏季礼物（“sumargjafir”），这些礼物通常与户外活动有关，比如自行车或足球，或者新衣服，以鼓励孩子们在漫长寒冷的冬天后在新鲜空气中一起玩耍。当然，没有食物，什么样的庆祝活动才算完整？尽管4月的平均高温在40多度，但这个节日还是会让人们开始烧烤，并聚在一起吃“夏季”食物。看游行会感冒吗？冰岛薄饼里面有厚厚的奶油和果酱会让你暖和起来。感觉很冷，但你决定去想“夏天”？加入坚韧不拔的冰岛人的行列吧，他们把冰淇淋作为夏季的第一天必备品。

巴尔干湖上的木板路 Boardwalk over Balkan lakes

Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia

In a country more famous for its coastline, about a million visitors each year venture inland to amble along these boardwalks and marvel at spectacular lakes and mountains. Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest and largest of Croatia's national parks. The big attraction is the series of 16 descending, turquoise-colored lakes, connected by subterranean karst rivers, and above ground by streams and waterfalls. The lakes are separated by natural dams of travertine, which is deposited by moss, algae, and bacteria. The water changes color from green to azure to gray depending on the angle of the light and the density of minerals and organisms in the water. About 11 miles of wooden boardwalk make it easy for people to wander among the lakes, falls, and caves that are open to visitors year-round.

The 115-square-mile park was established in 1949 in what is now central Croatia, near the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1979, Plitvice's unique beauty put it on the list UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The lakes seem to magically disappear into the moss-covered earth, and then reappear downstream, proof enough that these woods are indeed enchanted.

克罗地亚的普利特维兹湖国家公园

在一个以海岸线闻名的国家，每年大约有100万游客冒险到内陆，沿着这些木板路漫步，欣赏壮观的湖泊和山脉。普利特维兹湖国家公园是克罗地亚最古老、最大的国家公园。最大的吸引力是16个下降的绿松石色湖泊，由地下喀斯特河流连接，地面上由溪流和瀑布连接。湖泊之间由苔藓、藻类和细菌沉积的钙华天然坝隔开。根据光线的角度以及水中矿物质和生物体的密度，水的颜色会从绿色变为蓝色再变为灰色。大约11英里长的木板路使人们可以轻松地在全年开放的湖泊、瀑布和洞穴中漫步。

这座115平方英里的公园建于1949年，位于现在的克罗地亚中部，靠近波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那边境。1979年，普利特维奇独特的美景将其列入联合国教科文组织世界遗产名录。这些湖泊似乎神奇地消失在苔藓覆盖的土地上，然后再次出现在下游，这足以证明这些森林确实被施了魔法。

星空迷