内格罗河，亚马逊河流域，巴西 Río Negro, Amazon basin, Brazil (© Timothy Allen/Getty Images)

内格罗河，亚马逊河流域，巴西 Río Negro, Amazon basin, Brazil (© Timothy Allen/Getty Images)

水上明镜 Mirror, mirror, on the water

内格罗河，亚马逊河流域，巴西

内格罗河起源于哥伦比亚，是亚马逊河的支流之一。在西班牙语中，
内格罗河（Río
Negro）的意思是“黑色的河”，因为从远处看它，河水是黑色的。但走进观看，其河面平静如镜，就如图中所展示的那样，可以倒映出蔚蓝的天空以及彩虹的颜色。内格罗河的河水之所以是黑色的，是因为附近沼泽中渗出了有机物分解时产生的高浓度腐殖酸。作为亚马逊河北岸最大的支流之一，内格罗河在复杂的亚马逊流域生态系统中发挥着至关重要的作用。它也是许多动植物的家园，比如极度濒危的黑白柽柳猴、巴西巨獭以及近700种鱼类。

Río Negro, Amazon basin, Brazil

From its source in Colombia, the Río Negro flows about 1,400 miles to become one of the largest tributaries of the Amazon River at the Meeting of Waters in Manaus, Brazil. It is also the largest blackwater river in the world, its water stained by decomposing organic matter that seeps in from swamps. These slow-moving, dark waters beautifully reflect the colors of the sky, including the rainbows which form over the Amazon basin, as seen here. The river also plays a crucial role in the ecosystem, as the home of many plants and animals, including the critically endangered Brazilian barefaced tamarin, the giant river otter, and nearly 700 species of fish.