2022年4月

梅萨维德国家公园的方形塔楼，美国科罗拉多州 Square Tower House in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado (© lightphoto/Getty Images)

普韦布洛城堡 Castle of the Ancestral Puebloans

Square Tower House in Mesa Verde National Park

We continue our celebration of National Park Week (through April 24)–and the UNESCO International Day for Monuments and Sites–with a visit to the impressive Square Tower House in Mesa Verde National Park. Square Tower House is one of many cliff dwellings constructed by the Ancestral Puebloans in what is now the American Southwest. At 27 feet, it's the tallest structure in the park. Square Tower House is also notable for its kiva, a round, sunken room used for ceremonies. Unlike most of the ancient kivas found in the region, the kiva at Square Tower House has an intact original clay roof supported by wooden beams.

Ancestral Puebloans lived in today's Four Corners region, where the borders of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico meet at a single point. It's unclear when exactly this culture emerged, but the current consensus is that the Ancestral Puebloans appeared in this area a little more than 3,000 years ago. They're believed to have built the series of cliff dwellings for defensive reasons as various factions competed for scarce resources when the region suffered from a prolonged drought. It's thought that the changing climate eventually became so severe that it likely drove them from the cliff dwellings sometime around 1300 CE, just a century or so after construction began. Today, many of the cliff dwellings have been restored and visitors can view the homes and kivas of the builders.

梅萨维德国家公园的方形塔楼

我们继续庆祝国家公园周（至4月24日）——以及联合国教科文组织纪念物和遗址国际日——参观梅萨维德国家公园令人印象深刻的方形塔楼。方塔住宅是普埃布劳恩斯家族在现在的美国西南部建造的众多悬崖住宅之一。它高27英尺，是公园里最高的建筑。方形塔楼房屋也因其kiva而著名，kiva是一个圆形的下沉式房间，用于举行仪式。与该地区发现的大多数古代基瓦不同，广场塔楼的基瓦房屋有一个完整的原始粘土屋顶，由木梁支撑。

普韦布劳恩斯的祖先生活在今天的四角地区，科罗拉多州、犹他州、亚利桑那州和新墨西哥州的边界在这里交汇。目前尚不清楚这种文化是什么时候出现的，但目前的共识是，祖先普韦布洛人在3000多年前就出现在这个地区。据信，当该地区遭受长期干旱时，各派系为了争夺稀缺资源，出于防御原因，他们修建了一系列悬崖住宅。据认为，气候变化最终变得如此严重，可能在公元1300年左右的某个时候，也就是建筑开始后的一个世纪左右，将他们赶出悬崖住宅。如今，许多悬崖上的住宅已经修复，游客可以看到建筑商的房屋和地窖。

黄石国家公园的大棱镜泉鸟瞰图，美国怀俄明州 Aerial view of Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming (© AirPano LLC/Amazing Aerial Agency)

“美国最好的想法”起源于此 'America's best idea' began here

National Park Week begins

Only a very small percentage of Yellowstone's total visitors see the park when it looks like this. In winter, when the park grows quiet, its hydrothermal features really stand out, like the rainbow-hued Grand Prismatic Spring near the center of this image, the most photographed feature in Yellowstone.

Just the inspiration we need as we start National Park Week, an occasion to celebrate the splendor of our park system and turn to thoughts of hiking, paddling, and camping. The 'Week' is actually a bit longer, starting today and running through Sunday, April 24. Yellowstone was established by congress 150 years ago as the nation's first national park. Today, there are 63, and they include the volcanoes of Hawaii, the giant sequoias of California, the Grand Canyon, and the desolate moonscape of the Badlands.

Perhaps no national park better captures the American landscape than Yellowstone, 3,500 square miles of lakes, canyons, rivers, mountains, waterfalls, hot springs, and its charismatic megafauna—bison, wolves, elk, and grizzly bears. But it's Yellowstone's hydrothermal sites that really set it apart. Old Faithful might be the most famous, but it's only one of 10,000 around here. Although the park is still chilly in April, you'll have the place mostly to yourselves. Only about 44,000 visit Yellowstone in April, compared to the nearly 1 million who gather each July. If you need more incentive, entrance fees today, in honor of National Park Week, are on the house.

国家公园周开始

当黄石公园看起来像这样时，只有很小比例的游客参观了它。在冬天，当公园变得安静时，它的热液特征真的很突出，比如这张图片中心附近彩虹色的大棱柱形泉水，这是黄石公园拍摄最多的特征。

这正是我们开始国家公园周时所需要的灵感。国家公园周是一个庆祝我们公园系统辉煌的时刻，我们可以考虑徒步旅行、划船和露营。“一周”实际上要长一点，从今天开始，一直持续到4月24日周日。黄石公园是美国国会在150年前建立的第一个国家公园。如今，这里有63座火山，其中包括夏威夷的火山、加利福尼亚州的巨大红杉、大峡谷和荒地荒凉的月球景观。

也许没有哪个国家公园能比黄石公园更好地捕捉到美国的风景。黄石公园有3500平方英里的湖泊、峡谷、河流、山脉、瀑布、温泉，以及迷人的大型动物群——野牛、狼、麋鹿和灰熊。但真正让它与众不同的是黄石公园的热液遗址。老忠实可能是最有名的，但它只是这里一万个中的一个。虽然四月份公园里仍然很冷，但你可以独处。4月份只有大约4.4万人参观黄石公园，而每年7月有近100万人聚集在这里。如果你需要更多的奖励，为了纪念国家公园周，今天的入场费是免费的。

Arc de Triomphe wrapped in posthumous art installation by Christo and Jeanne-Claude on September 24, 2021, in Paris, France 2021年9月24日，克里斯托和Jeanne Claude在凯旋门追寻遗迹, 法国巴黎 (© Bruno de HOGUES/Getty Images)

An icon is 'Wrapped' 图标被“包装”

World Art Day

To celebrate World Art Day, we're taking a look at one of the greatest triumphs (pun intended) of public art—last fall's 'L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped,' by the late artists Christo and wife Jeanne-Claude. Completed and staged 16 months after Christo's death at age 84, 'Wrapped' was the fruition of an idea 60 years in the making. On view for 16 days from Saturday, September 18 to Sunday, October 3, 2021, the project required 269,000 square feet of recyclable silvery-blue polypropylene fabric that completely covered the monument. The fabric glistened and glimmered with the changing light of Paris. The pleated fabric was held fast to the arch by nearly two miles of red rope.

Over the decades, Christo and artistic partner Jeanne-Claude created several large-scale installations at famous landmarks around the world, using fabric in tandem with landscapes and structures like Berlin's Reichstag and New York's Central Park.

World Art Day was declared by the International Association of Art, a UNESCO partner, as an international celebration of the fine arts, and to promote awareness of creative activity all over the world. It is celebrated every April 15, which also aptly marks the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci, the embodiment of creativity.

世界艺术日

为了庆祝世界艺术日，我们来看看去年秋天由已故艺术家克里斯托和妻子珍妮·克劳德（Jeanne Claude）创作的《凯旋门》（L’Arc de Triomphe，Wrapped），这是公共艺术最伟大的成就之一（双关语）。在克里斯托84岁去世16个月后完成并上演的《包裹》是一个酝酿了60年的创意的成果。从星期六，9月18日至星期日，2021年10月3日的16天，项目需要269000平方英尺的可回收银蓝色聚丙烯织物，完全覆盖了纪念碑。织物在巴黎不断变化的光线下闪闪发光。褶皱的布料被将近两英里长的红绳牢牢地固定在拱门上。

几十年来，克里斯托和艺术合作伙伴珍妮·克劳德在世界各地著名的地标建筑创作了几部大型装置作品，将织物与柏林国会大厦和纽约中央公园等景观和建筑相结合。

联合国教科文组织的合作伙伴国际艺术协会宣布世界艺术日为国际性的艺术庆典，旨在促进全世界对创意活动的认识。每年4月15日都会庆祝它，这也恰如其分地标志着创造力的化身莱昂纳多·达芬奇的生日。

达特穆尔国家公园的薄雾，英格兰德文郡 (© AWL Images/Danita Delimont)

大雾笼罩着达特穆尔

科罗拉多河上的马蹄湾，美国亚利桑那州 Horseshoe Bend, Arizona (© Michael Dunn/Getty Images)

打卡马蹄湾会带来好运吗？ Does this horseshoe bring good luck?

Horseshoe Bend, Arizona

Grab your boots and gear, today we're heading to Arizona to hike out to Horseshoe Bend. Known as the 'east rim of the Grand Canyon,' it's actually about 140 miles from the other rims and is really more a part of nearby Glen Canyon. Scientifically, the beautiful view exists thanks to something called an 'entrenched meander.' Around six million years ago, the area was closer to sea level. The Colorado River, following the path of least resistance, meandered and became trapped when the Colorado Plateau uplifted around five million years ago. Over time, the river water cut through exposed sandstone, forming the thousand-foot-deep, 270-degree horseshoe-shaped bend.

Horseshoe Bend used to be a locally loved gem until social media came around to spread photos like this one. Now, nearly two million tourists a year hike to this national splendor. It's believed that, eventually, the Colorado River will cut through the neck of the bend. So, if you want your selfie with the horseshoe, you only have another million years, give or take.

亚利桑那州马蹄湾

带上你们的靴子和装备，今天我们要去亚利桑那州徒步去马蹄弯。它被称为“大峡谷的东边缘”，实际上距离其他边缘约140英里，实际上更像是附近格伦峡谷的一部分。从科学角度讲，这美丽的景色之所以存在，是因为有一种叫做“根深蒂固的曲流”的东西大约600万年前，该地区接近海平面。科罗拉多河沿着阻力最小的路径蜿蜒而行，在大约500万年前科罗拉多高原抬升时陷入困境。随着时间的推移，河水穿过裸露的砂岩，形成了千英尺深、270度马蹄形的弯曲。

马蹄弯曾经是当地人喜爱的珍宝，直到社交媒体开始传播像这样的照片。现在，每年有近200万游客徒步前往这个国家的辉煌。据信，科罗拉多河最终将穿过弯道的颈部。所以，如果你想在马蹄铁上自拍，你只能再活一百万年，不管付出与否。

森林中的结香花，日本 Mitsumata (aka paperbush) in a forest in Japan (© nattya3714/Getty Images)

是金色的花朵？还是造纸的灵魂？ Golden flowers, paper banknotes?

Mitsumata blossoms

Stress seems to melt away when you gaze at this serene forest protecting the mitsumata blossoms below. While the flowering buds are beautiful in their natural state, the mitsumata shrub (Edgeworthia chrysantha) has so much more to offer. Originally brought from China to Japan by monks, the green plant is now a staple of Japanese papermaking and one of three principle ingredients in washi, traditional Japanese paper. No wonder, then, that it's also known as the Oriental paperbush. Mitsumata washi is dense and holds ink well—it's a favorite of artists and calligraphers—and sheets of mitsumata paper are also used in traditional shoji screens.

It's this very versatility and strength that made mitsumata a natural candidate for Japanese banknotes. The dense, short fiber from the inner layer of bark helps create sturdy currency that can withstand millions of grubby hands and transactions. Mitsumata made its Japanese banknote debut in 1879, and it's still used in currency there today.

Want to see mitsumata in bloom? Spring's the time to catch the golden flowers, and gardeners note that you'll smell the heady, almost spicy fragrance before you see the bush itself. After the flowers fade, the leaves take on a bluish, silvery hue, and in autumn they turn golden themselves.

三宅多花

当你凝视这片宁静的森林，保护着下面的三缄花时，压力似乎消失了。虽然花蕾在自然状态下是美丽的，但三宅田灌木（Edgeworthia chrysantha）还有很多可以提供的。这种绿色植物最初是由僧侣从中国带到日本的，现在是日本造纸的主要原料，也是日本传统纸张“和纸”的三大主要成分之一。难怪它也被称为东方纸丛。三宅和美是一种密度高、墨迹好的纸张，是艺术家和书法家的最爱，传统的幕布也使用三宅和美的纸张。

正是这种多才多艺和强大的实力，使三田成为日本纸币的天然候选。树皮内层密集的短纤维有助于创造出坚固的货币，可以承受数百万肮脏的手和交易。三濑于1879年首次发行日本纸币，至今仍在日本使用。

想看三浦田盛开吗？春天是捕捉金花的时候，园丁们注意到，在你看到灌木之前，你会闻到令人陶醉的、几乎是辛辣的香味。花凋谢后，叶子呈现出蓝色、银色的色调，到了秋天，它们自己也变成了金色。

从国际空间站拍摄到的地球上方的渐亏凸月 The waning gibbous moon is pictured above the Earth's horizon from the International Space Station (© NASA)

尤里之夜的凸月 A gibbous moon on Yuri's Night

International Day of Human Space Flight

Sixty-one years ago today Yuri Gagarin became the first human to see Earth from space, with a view likely similar to this image of the waning gibbous moon from the International Space Station. With a call of 'Poyekhali!' ('Off we go!'), Gagarin launched into low Earth orbit in his Vostok 3KA spacecraft, making history in less than two hours with a complete trip around the planet.

'International Day of Human Space Flight' is observed today by astronomy lovers of all nationalities, it becomes an international celebration held every April 12 to commemorate milestones in space exploration.

国际人类太空飞行日

61年前的今天，尤里·加加林（Yuri Gagarin）成为第一个从太空看到地球的人，其视角可能与国际空间站拍摄的这张月亮逐渐变圆的图像相似。喊着“波耶卡利！”我们在史上不到两个小时的时间里发射了“加加林”号宇宙飞船。

“国际人类太空飞行日”今天由各族天文爱好者庆祝，它成为每年4月12日为纪念太空探索里程碑而举行的国际庆祝活动。

与光同行 Go with the glow

Light show at the skatepark

The art of light painting combines with the artistry of skateboarding to bring you this provocative image from Arvada Skatepark in Colorado. At 40,000 square feet, the park, which opened in 2012, is the third-largest in the country. The massive park includes a snake run, large bowl, medium bowl, street plaza with manual pads, banks, granite pieces, ledges, rails, step ups, stair set, benches, Jersey barrier, brick stamped china bank, and a pyramid. And if you know what all those things are, you're probably a steezy sk8r.

This image was created using a technique called 'light painting,' a photographic technique that involves moving a light source while taking a long-exposure photograph. In this way, the artist can 'draw' with light on the photo. How would you imagine the artist created this image?

滑板公园灯光秀

光绘艺术与滑板艺术相结合，为您带来这张来自科罗拉多州阿瓦达滑板公园的挑衅性图片。该公园占地40000平方英尺，于2012年开放，是美国第三大公园。这座大型公园包括一条蛇径、大碗、中碗、带手动垫的街道广场、银行、花岗岩块、壁架、栏杆、台阶、楼梯组、长凳、球衣护栏、砖印中国银行和金字塔。如果你知道这些都是什么，你很可能就是steezy sk8r。

这张照片是用一种叫做“光绘”的技术拍摄的，这是一种摄影技术，在拍摄长曝光照片时移动光源。这样，艺术家就可以在照片上用光线“画画”。你认为艺术家是如何创造这幅图像的？

去亚速尔群岛游玩 Gateway to the Azores

Ponta Delgada

Today we're taking a trip to Ponta Delgada in the Portuguese Azores island chain. It's the largest city on São Miguel, known as the 'green island,' the largest and most populated island in the autonomous region of Portugal. Gorgeous views and beaches make this a tourist hot spot. The Azores islands are especially popular for outdoor adventure, with world-class hiking, diving, and sailing.

德尔加达桥

今天我们要去葡萄牙亚速尔群岛的德尔加达桥。它是圣米格尔岛上最大的城市，被称为“绿岛”，是葡萄牙自治区最大、人口最多的岛屿。美丽的风景和海滩使这里成为旅游热点。亚速尔群岛特别适合户外探险，有世界级的徒步旅行、潜水和帆船。

2800年历史的老城 2,800 years of history

Málaga, Spain

Today we're visiting a city with over 2,800 years of history, one of the oldest in Europe. Málaga is said to have been founded by the Phoenicians in 770 BCE and today its year-round exceptional weather has made it the capital of tourism in Spain. Situated perfectly along the Costa Del Sol, an estimated six million tourists make the trip to this culturally rich mecca every year. If you can pull yourself away from the beautiful beaches, you'll find yourself abound in historical architecture, museums and the local cuisine of espetos, specially skewered sardines cooked over an open fire.

Aside from paying Pablo Picasso's birthplace a visit, the most well-known reason people make the journey to Málaga is to celebrate Holy Week. Handled differently than the silent and meditative celebrations throughout the rest of Spain, Málaga's 45 processions are essentially colorful, loud, and exciting parties throughout the streets commemorating The Passion of Jesus from Palm Sunday until Easter Sunday. The event has happened for more than 500 years with a vast number of floats and other processional materials being carried over from year to year.

西班牙马拉加

今天我们要参观一座有2800多年历史的城市，它是欧洲最古老的城市之一。据说，马拉加是腓尼基人在公元前770年建立的，今天，一年到头的特殊天气使其成为西班牙的旅游之都。坐落在太阳海岸沿线，每年估计有600万游客前往这个文化丰富的麦加。如果你能远离美丽的海滩，你会发现自己拥有丰富的历史建筑、博物馆和埃斯佩托的当地美食，特别是在明火上烹制的串制沙丁鱼。

除了参观巴勃罗·毕加索的出生地，人们前往玛拉加最著名的原因是庆祝圣周。与西班牙其他地区的静默和冥想庆祝活动不同，玛拉加的45场游行基本上是五颜六色、喧闹和激动人心的聚会，贯穿于整个街道，从棕榈周日到复活节周日，纪念耶稣的激情。这件事已经发生了500多年，每年都有大量的彩车和其他游行材料被带到这里。

星空迷