2025年4月

郁金香，荷兰 Tulip fields in Netherlands (© 1111IESPDJ/Getty Images)

盛放的美好时光 A blooming good time

郁金香，荷兰

从著名的郁金香花田到世界上最大的花卉拍卖市场，荷兰与郁金香的渊源悠久。有趣的是，郁金香的原产地并非荷兰。这些绚丽的花朵最早于 16 世纪末由奥斯曼帝国传入荷兰。到了 17 世纪，郁金香的价值飙升，甚至一颗郁金香球茎的价格曾超过一栋房屋。这一时期被称为“郁金香狂热”，常被视为是最早有记录的金融泡沫之一。1637 年价格崩盘后，许多人一夜破产，但荷兰人对郁金香的喜爱却从未消退。

最著名的郁金香花田，如今日图片中展示的壮观景象，主要分布在阿姆斯特丹郊外的博尔伦斯特雷克（花卉区）等地。红、黄、粉、紫等色彩斑斓的郁金香花海绵延至天际。另一处不可错过的赏花胜地是位于利瑟的库肯霍夫公园，这是世界上最著名的花卉公园，每年春天仅开放数周，展示超过七百万株花卉，包括稀有和异国品种的郁金香。公园的花卉设计每年都会变化，因此每次参观都会带来全新的体验。如果错过了郁金香的花期，也无需遗憾。荷兰的郁金香产业全年保持繁荣，这一点在阿尔斯梅尔花卉拍卖市场体现得尤为明显，作为全球最大的花卉交易市场，这里每天有数百万朵鲜花，包括郁金香，被买卖并运往世界各地，为无数家庭带去缤纷色彩和春天的气息。

Tulips, Netherlands

From famous tulip fields to the world's largest flower auction, the Netherlands and tulips go a long way back. Tulips didn't originate here. These beauties arrived in the country in the late 16th century, brought from the Ottoman Empire. By the 17th century, they became so valuable that a single bulb could cost more than a house. This period, known as 'tulip mania,' is considered one of the first recorded financial bubbles. When prices crashed in 1637, fortunes were lost, but the love for tulips remained.

The most famous tulip fields, like the ones pictured here, are found in regions such as the Bollenstreek (Bulb Region), just outside Amsterdam. Rows of red, yellow, pink, and purple stretch as far as the eye can see. Then there's Keukenhof, in Lisse, the world's most famous flower park, open only for a few weeks each spring. It showcases over 7 million flowering bulbs, including rare and exotic tulip varieties. The designs change every year, so no two visits are ever the same. If you miss the bloom, don't worry—the Netherlands keeps its tulip industry thriving year-round. The Dutch take their tulips seriously, and nowhere is this more evident than at the Aalsmeer Flower Auction, the largest flower market in the world. Here, millions of flowers, including tulips, are bought and sold daily, making their way to homes across the globe.

纳克索斯岛的蓝色时刻，基克拉泽斯群岛，希腊 Blue hour in Naxos, Cyclades, Greece (© Sizun Eye/Getty Images)

在繁星闪耀之前 Before the stars take over

纳克索斯岛，基克拉迪群岛，希腊

当白昼消退或黎明降临，希腊的纳克索斯岛便笼罩在一片深邃的蓝色光辉之中，沉浸在蓝色时刻的神秘魅力里。在这短暂的时间里，当太阳位于地平线下方，余晖映照，使天空呈现出浓郁的蓝色。

纳克索斯岛以其丰富的刚玉岩矿藏闻名，这是一种天然研磨石，在现代替代品出现之前，曾是最优质的天然研磨材料之一，作为基克拉泽斯群岛中最肥沃的岛屿，纳克索斯岛拥有稳定的水源供应，并因独特的风味而备受推崇。包括浓郁的阿森尼科奶酪、风味独特的纳克索斯土豆、以本地柑橘酿造的基特隆酒，以及主要由百里香花蜜的纳克索斯蜂蜜。这座阳光充沛的岛屿遍布海滩、村庄和古老遗迹。无论是想在阿吉娅安娜、阿吉欧斯普罗科皮奥斯或普拉卡等海滩放松，还是想在岛上顶级风筝冲浪与风帆冲浪胜地迎风驰骋，纳克索斯岛都能带来无尽的冒险与乐趣。

Naxos in the Cyclades Islands of Greece

As daylight fades or just before it emerges, the island of Naxos in Greece takes on an azure glow, immersing itself in the magic of the blue hour. When the sun is positioned well below the horizon, during this brief window, the lingering sunlight casts a deep blue hue across the sky.

Naxos is renowned for its deposits of emery, a corundum-rich rock that was once among the finest natural abrasives used before modern alternatives emerged. The most fertile island in the Cyclades, it has a reliable water supply in the region. It is celebrated across Greece for its signature flavors, including the rich Arseniko Naxou cheese, flavorful potatoes, aromatic Kitron liqueur made from local citrus, and Naxian honey, primarily sourced from thyme nectar. A sun-soaked island, Naxos is packed with beaches, villages, and ancient ruins. Whether you're looking to rest on the sands of beaches like Agia Anna, Agios Prokopios, or Plaka, or chase the wind at one of the island's top windsurfing and kitesurfing spots, there's no shortage of adventure here.

碎片大厦，伦敦 (© Dennis Fischer Photography/Moment/Getty Images)

伦敦最尖锐的地标

伦敦碎片大厦

伦敦天际线中有许多标志性建筑，但没有一座能像碎片大厦一样独具特色。这座玻璃幕墙摩天大楼高达310 米，不仅是英国最高建筑，更成为了现代伦敦的象征。它由意大利建筑师伦佐·皮亚诺设计，他以高科技、轻质且实用的设计风格著称。受教堂尖塔和船桅的启发，他构想出一座线条流畅、逐渐收窄的建筑，能够反射不断变化的天空。大厦于2009 年开始建设，并于2012 年正式落成，成为西欧最高的摩天大楼。

碎片大厦坐落于曾经的南华克塔旧址，如今已成为商业、奢华和全景观赏的中心。大楼共有95 层（其中仅72 层可居住），内部设有办公区、餐厅、五星级香格里拉酒店，以及伦敦一些最昂贵的公寓。可持续发展理念也融入了其设计之中，建筑采用高效能源系统，包括冷热电联产系统，使其不仅仅是一座闪耀的城市地标，更是一座注重环保的现代建筑。

日落时分的加兹特鲁加特岛 , 巴斯克地区, 西班牙 Gaztelugatxe at sunset, Basque Country, Spain (© Eloi_Omella/Getty Images)

朝圣圣胡安·德·加兹特鲁加特 Pilgrimage to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe

日落时分的加兹特鲁加特岛 , 巴斯克地区, 西班牙

加兹特鲁加特小岛位于西班牙巴斯克地区比斯开海岸，以其壮丽的风景而闻名。岛顶坐落着圣胡安·德·加兹特卢加切修道院，供奉施洗者圣约翰。这座修道院始建于10 世纪，曾因战争和火灾多次损毁，亦数次重建。如今的建筑矗立在小岛之巅，游客需沿着一条狭窄的石阶小径攀登241 级台阶方能抵达。这里是著名的朝圣地，游客常会敲响教堂的钟三次并许愿。相传施洗者约翰曾踏足此地。站在山顶，可俯瞰比斯开湾崎岖的海岸线，远眺坎塔布连海的壮美风光。加兹特鲁加特因成为美剧《权力的游戏》的取景地而名声大噪。在剧中，它被塑造为坦格利安家族的祖传领地龙石岛。

Gaztelugatxe at sunset, Basque Country, Spain

Gaztelugatxe is a stunning islet located on the coast of Biscay in the Basque Country, Spain. It's famous for its dramatic scenery and the small hermitage dedicated to John the Baptist at its peak. San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, which dates back to the 10th century, has been rebuilt several times due to damage from battles and fire. Today's building is perched atop the islet and is accessible by a narrow path that includes 241 steps. It's a popular pilgrimage site, and visitors often ring the church bell three times and make a wish. According to legend, John the Baptist himself set foot on the islet. The views from the top offer panoramic vistas of the rugged coastline and the Cantabrian Sea. Gaztelugatxe gained international fame as a filming location for the TV series 'Game of Thrones,' where it served as Dragonstone, the ancestral seat of House Targaryen.

苏州古镇风景，江苏省，中国 Suzhou Ancient Town Landscape, Jiangsu Province, China (© gyn9038/Getty Images)

春和景明 Spring and bright scenery

江苏苏州古镇景观

清明是中国二十四节气之一，源于古代祖先信仰和春祭。至今，扫墓、踏青仍是清明节的主要活动。清明节，春回大地，万物生机，正是人们出门赏春的好时节。

今天的图片展示的是苏州古镇的美景。春光明媚，景色宜人。来到水乡古镇，乘一叶扁舟，只见柳树、花树摇曳生姿。你能听到吴侬软语和江南民歌。处处充满诗情画意，美不胜收。

沃森峰上空的彩虹, 巨人柱国家公园, 亚利桑那州, 美国 Rainbow over Wasson Peak, Saguaro National Park, Arizona, USA (© Frank Staub/Getty Images)

天空无极限 The sky is the limit

沃森峰上空的彩虹, 巨人柱国家公园

您是否曾偶然发现彩虹，并感受到一股幸福感？你是否曾想在雨后捕捉阳光下的七彩奇观？从北欧神话中的众神，到爱尔兰妖精的聚宝盆，彩虹一直被赋予神秘的意义。但除了传说，彩虹背后的科学同样引人入胜，德国物理学家狄奥多里克在1304年给出了第一个合理的解释。他发现，阳光进入雨滴后会发生折射，然后在雨滴内反射，再折射出雨滴。这个过程将光线分解成不同的颜色，形成我们看到的光谱。虽然我们知道 “ROYGBIV”（红、橙、黄、绿、蓝、靛、紫）是彩虹的基本颜色，但彩虹实际上包含了数百万种颜色的渐变混合物。

并非所有彩虹看起来都相同。当第二道较暗且颜色顺序相反的彩虹出现在主彩虹上方时，便形成了双彩虹。今日图片展示了美国亚利桑那州萨瓜罗国家公园瓦森峰上空的一道绚丽彩虹。在干旱少雨的沙漠景观中，仙人掌与岩石山坡构成的背景下，这道彩虹格外醒目，证明了即使在最干燥的土地上，大自然依然能带来惊喜。

National Find a Rainbow Day

Have you ever spotted a rainbow and felt a little lucky? National Find a Rainbow Day, celebrated today, is all about looking to the sky for that magical mix of sun and rain. Nature's color wheel has long been linked to myths and legends, from Norse gods to the Irish leprechaun's pot of gold. But beyond folklore, the science behind rainbows is just as compelling. The first real explanation came from Theodoric of Freiberg, a German physicist, in 1304. He discovered that rainbows form when sunlight enters a raindrop, bends, reflects inside, and then bends again as it exits. This process splits light into its colors, creating the spectrum we see. The classic 'ROYGBIV' (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet) doesn't tell the whole story—rainbows contain millions of colors blended together.

Not all rainbows look the same. Double rainbows occur when a fainter, reversed arc appears above the main one. Moonbows happen at night when moonlight refracts through water droplets. The rare supernumerary rainbow features extra pastel bands inside the primary arc. Today's image features a rainbow over Wasson Peak in Saguaro National Park, Arizona. Against a backdrop of desert cacti and rocky slopes, the vibrant arc stands out in a place where rain is scarce, proving that even the driest landscapes can surprise you.

时间的波浪 Waves of time

凯恩维尔附近荒地的砂岩地层, 犹他州, 美国

蜿蜒起伏的砂岩脊绵延于犹他州凯恩维尔荒地，宛如大自然在石头上绘制的笔触。这些地貌由细粒沉积物构成，最初沉积在古代河流三角洲和内陆海洋中，随后逐渐硬化为岩石。随着时间的推移，侵蚀作用穿透了这些地层，露出流动般的波纹状图案。沉积岩层记录着气候变迁和古老地貌的演变。今日图片中，这片荒凉的土地看似毫无生机，但在早春时节，降雨会让大地铺满紫色和黄色的小花。一天的不同时刻，光影不断变化，展现出不同的角度与风貌，为摄影师和游客提供了丰富的观赏体验。尽管这片崎岖不平的地形大部分仍然保持原始状态，但部分区域地势较为平缓，允许游客在无需剧烈攀爬的情况下轻松探索。

荒地广布于除南极洲以外的所有大陆。早期探险者在穿越这些艰难地形时遭遇重重困难，因此赋予它们“荒地”之名。古生物学家经常能在这里发现史前生物的化石遗骸。尽管环境极端，这些土地依然孕育着丰富的生命，包括沙漠植物、蜥蜴和鸟类。

Sandstone formations in the badlands near Caineville, Utah

Wavy sandstone ridges stretch across the Caineville Badlands in Utah, resembling nature's brushstrokes on stone. These formations are made of fine-grained sediment that settled in ancient river deltas and inland seas and later hardened into stone. Over time, erosion carved through the layers, exposing flowing, ripple-like patterns. The sedimentary layers tell a story of shifting climates and ancient landscapes. The barren land may appear lifeless, but during early spring, rainfall causes the terrain to be blanketed with tiny purple and yellow flowers. While much of the terrain remains rugged, some areas offer easy access, allowing visitors to explore without strenuous hiking.

Badlands exist on every continent except Antarctica. Early explorers named them after struggling to navigate harsh terrains. Fossil hunters frequently uncover remnants of prehistoric creatures in the eroded hills. Despite the extreme conditions, badlands support a wide range of life, including desert plants, lizards, and birds.

星空迷