分类必应美图下的文章

美瑛町的四季彩之丘，日本 Shikisai no Oka flower gardens in Biei, Japan (© Tanya Jones/Shutterstock)

Hues of Hokkaido

The Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido is known the world over as a winter wonderland. But once the snow melts, it's not long before the northerly island becomes a summery extravaganza of color. Just outside the town of Biei in central Hokkaido's hilly highlands, gardeners cultivate a rainbow blanket of tulips, lupine, marigolds, dahlias, and many more flowering plants. So wide is the assortment here at Shikisai no Oka (meaning 'Hills of Seasonal Colors') that if you visit between April and October, you're sure to find at least one type of flower in full bloom.

北海道的色调

日本北海道县被全世界称为冬季仙境。但一旦雪融化，不久，北风岛就变成了夏季色彩的盛宴。就在北海道中部丘陵高地的碧井镇外，园丁们种植着一片彩虹般的郁金香、羽扇豆、万寿菊、大丽花和更多的开花植物。Shikisai Nooka（意为“季节性色彩的山丘”）的品种繁多，如果你在4月至10月期间造访，你肯定会发现至少有一种花开得很茂盛。

香浓河对岸的景色，爱尔兰利默里克 A view across the River Shannon in Limerick, County Limerick, Ireland (© Piotr Machowczyk/Shutterstock)

A visit to Limerick on Limerick

Today is Limerick Day, and what better place to celebrate this unofficial holiday than in Limerick, Ireland. The connection between the historic city and the humorous, five-line verse is unclear. Several theories have been purported, none of them definitive. But the city of Limerick has embraced its namesake poetry style and in recent years the Limerick Writers' Centre has hosted an annual competition called Bring Your Limericks to Limerick.

We're looking across the River Shannon at the historic part of the city, a medieval section once walled off by the Vikings around 812 and known today as King's Island. That's King John's Castle on the left, built on the order of King John in 1200. Over on the right is St. Mary's Cathedral, which dates from 1168 and is the oldest building in Limerick still in use. History suggests the area was settled long before the Vikings conquered it and set about destroying Irish public records. The earliest map of Ireland, produced in 150 CE by historian and overall polymath Ptolemy, shows a place called 'Regia' at the same site as King's Island.

利默里克之旅

今天是利默里克日，还有什么比在爱尔兰利默里克更好的地方来庆祝这个非官方节日呢。这座历史名城与幽默的五行诗之间的联系尚不清楚。有几个理论被提出，没有一个是确定的。但利默里克市已经接受了同名的诗歌风格，近年来，利默里克作家中心举办了一个名为“把你的利默里克带到利默里克”的年度比赛。

我们在香农河对岸眺望这座城市的历史部分，这是一个中世纪的部分，812年左右曾被维京人围住，今天被称为国王岛。左边是约翰国王的城堡，1200年按照约翰国王的命令建造。右边是圣玛丽大教堂，建于1168年，是利默里克至今仍在使用的最古老的建筑。历史表明，早在维京人征服该地区并着手销毁爱尔兰公共记录之前，该地区就已定居。最早的爱尔兰地图是由历史学家兼托勒密全才于公元150年绘制的，图中显示了一个与国王岛位于同一地点的名为“里加”的地方。

格林内尔湖，蒙大拿州冰川国家公园 Grinnell Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana (© Pung/Shutterstock)

'The Crown of the Continent'

With one million acres of rugged, northwestern Montana wilderness to explore, a trip to Glacier National Park could fill up an entire summer and more. But let's just take one day and virtually visit Grinnell Lake. A 7-mile loop trail, a relatively easy one in this rugged country, takes you to the shores of the lake turned emerald-green by glacial silt. Grinnell Lake—as well as Mount Grinnell and Grinnell Glacier—is named for the naturalist and Audubon Society founder George Bird Grinnell. For two decades, he lobbied for the creation of the park, and on May 11, 1910, the 'Crown of the Continent,' as Grinnell dubbed this area, became the nation's 10th national park.

“大陆之冠”

有一百万英亩崎岖不平的蒙大拿州西北部荒野可供探索，一次冰川国家公园之旅可能会填满整个夏天，甚至更多。但让我们花一天时间去参观格林内尔湖吧。在这个崎岖的国家，一条7英里长的环形小径相对容易，它会带你到达湖岸，湖岸被冰川淤泥染成翠绿。格林内尔湖以及格林内尔山和格林内尔冰川是以博物学家和奥杜邦协会创始人乔治·伯德·格林内尔命名的。二十年来，他一直在游说建立这个国家公园，1910年5月11日，格林内尔称之为“欧洲大陆之冠”的这个地区成为美国第十个国家公园。

穆斯黑德湖附近的Norcross Brook河与湿地，缅因州皮斯卡特奎斯 Norcross Brook and wetlands near Moosehead Lake in Piscataquis County, Maine (© Aaron Black-Schmidt/Tandem Stills + Motion

Deep in the North Woods wetlands

To celebrate American Wetlands Month, we're flying over Norcross Brook, which snakes through the wetlands of Maine's North Woods near Moosehead Lake. Wetlands like these are an often-underappreciated natural resource. They act as vital link between land and our planet's watersheds, playing a crucial role in protecting healthy ecosystems. In addition to providing indispensable habitat for the many species that call them home, wetlands filter our drinking water and cycle nutrients. They also provide a natural buffer from storms, absorb flood waters, and capture carbon from the atmosphere—all of which help to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Some of the wetlands here around Moosehead Lake include the West Shirley Bog and the Lazy Tom Bog, both of which are well-known moose-watching hotspots. The hulking animals of Maine's North Woods are so common they're said to outnumber residents three to one. Surely there's a moose or five down there among those trees…

在北部森林湿地深处

为了庆祝美国湿地月，我们将飞越诺克罗斯布鲁克，它蜿蜒穿过缅因州北部穆塞黑德湖附近森林的湿地。像这样的湿地是一种常常被低估的自然资源。它们是连接陆地和地球分水岭的重要纽带，在保护健康的生态系统方面发挥着至关重要的作用。除了为许多称之为家的物种提供不可或缺的栖息地外，湿地还过滤我们的饮用水，循环营养物质。它们还提供了风暴的自然缓冲，吸收洪水，从大气中捕获碳，所有这些都有助于减轻气候变化的影响。

穆塞黑德湖周围的一些湿地包括西雪莉沼泽和懒惰的汤姆沼泽，这两个地方都是著名的麋鹿观赏热点。缅因州北部森林的笨重动物非常常见，据说它们的数量比当地居民多出三倍。在那些树中间肯定有一两只麋鹿…

托塞加尔瀑布，印度马哈拉施特拉邦 Thoseghar Waterfalls in Maharashtra, India (© Sonali Kumar/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

The roaring waterfalls…

Situated at the edge of the Konkan region in Maharashtra, India, the waterfall is formed of many small streams flowing from Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar and a series of other waterfalls that sprout up during the monsoon season. The sight of the waterfall is magical! You get to see the water swishing over the rocks joyfully. It thunders down into a pool like a gigantic waterspout, making a roaring sound. Needless to say, the place is rich in flora and fauna and you can see the species of exotic and local birds that you would have never seen before.

Another reason for featuring this beautiful waterfall today is that we are celebrating Maharashtra Day. On this day in 1960, Maharashtra gained statehood after the division from the Bombay State.

咆哮的瀑布…

瀑布位于印度马哈拉施特拉邦孔坎地区的边缘，由潘奇加尼和马哈巴利什瓦尔的许多小溪和一系列其他瀑布组成，这些瀑布在季风季节萌生。瀑布的景色真神奇！你可以看到水在岩石上欢快地晃动。它像一个巨大的水龙卷一样，雷鸣般地落到一个池塘里，发出轰鸣的声音。不用说，这里有丰富的动植物群，你可以看到你从未见过的外来鸟类和本地鸟类。

另一个原因是我们今天要庆祝马哈拉施特拉邦日。1960年的这一天，马哈拉施特拉邦在脱离孟买州之后获得了国家地位。

乔鲁拉大金字塔，墨西哥乔鲁拉 The Great Pyramid of Cholula, in Cholula, Puebla, Mexico (© mauritius images GmbH/Alamy)

The birthplace of Cinco de Mayo

The church we see on the grassy hill was built after Hernan Cortez and his Spanish army conquered Cholula one October day in 1519. The Spanish ravaged the holy city that day, murdering 10% of its population and burning down the many pyramids that dotted the area. But just underneath this church, buried for centuries, lay an ancient secret never discovered by the Spanish. It's the largest pyramid in the world, the Great Pyramid of Cholula, so large its enormous base would span several Olympic-sized swimming pools.

It's apt then, that we visit this holy area on Cinco de Mayo. Just 20 miles away near the city of Puebla, on May 5, 1862, another battle was waged, this time by the Mexicans against French invaders. By some miracle, the vastly outnumbered and outarmed Mexicans won the Battle of Puebla. And so today, we in the United States join those in this part of Mexico to celebrate a win over would-be conquerors.

Cinco de Mayo的诞生地

我们在长满青草的山上看到的教堂是在1519年10月的一天，赫尔南·科尔特斯和他的西班牙军队征服了乔鲁拉之后建造的。西班牙人那天蹂躏了圣城，杀害了10%的人口，烧毁了遍布该地区的许多金字塔。但就在这座埋葬了几个世纪的教堂下面，隐藏着一个从未被西班牙人发现的古老秘密。它是世界上最大的金字塔，乔鲁拉大金字塔，如此之大，其巨大的基础将跨越几个奥运会大小的游泳池。

那么，我们去参观辛科德梅奥的这片圣地是恰当的。1862年5月5日，就在20英里外的普埃布拉市附近，墨西哥人发动了另一场战争，这次是对法国侵略者的战争。奇迹般的是，人数众多、装备精良的墨西哥人赢得了普埃布拉战役。所以今天，我们美国和墨西哥这一地区的人们一起庆祝战胜潜在征服者的胜利。

鸟瞰博登湖上的迈瑙岛，德国 Aerial view of the island of Mainau on Lake Constance, Germany (© Amazing Aerial Agency/Offset by Shutterstock)

Welcome to the "flower island"!

From this height it is not immediately apparent why this island is nicknamed the “flower island”. But even a bird's eye view already suggests that the island of Mainau in Lake Constance is a special kind of natural experience - in every season of the year. Millions of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths bloom there in spring, rhododendrons, azaleas and roses can be admired in summer, dahlias bloom in autumn and in the cold months the island is transformed into a magical winter garden.

欢迎来到“花岛”！

从这个高度看，这个岛为什么被昵称为“花岛”还不清楚。但即使是鸟瞰图也已经表明，康斯坦斯湖的迈瑙岛是一种特殊的自然体验——在一年中的每一个季节。数百万的郁金香、水仙花和风信子在春天盛开，杜鹃花、杜鹃花和玫瑰在夏天可以欣赏，大丽花在秋天盛开，在寒冷的月份，岛上变成了一个神奇的冬季花园。

金门公园中日本茶园里盛开的樱花，加州旧金山 Cherry blossoms in bloom at the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California (© luisascanio/iStock/Getty Images)

It's Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

With Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month kicking off today, we're visiting the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Originally designed as a temporary exhibit in the 1894 World's Fair, the gardens became a permanent fixture in the park, overseen by landscape designer Makoto Hagiwara.

Hagiwara poured his money, passion, and talents into giving visitors to the garden an authentic taste of Japanese horticulture. Visitors then and today cross bridges over koi ponds and wander through pagodas and gardens full of native Japanese plants and trees. Hagiwara died in 1925, but his family remained in the house he built on the property until they were sent to an internment camp during World War II and the gardens were renamed 'Oriental Garden.' Once the war was over, the original name returned, but the family did not. Hagiwara's vision lives on in the gardens, and as one example of the millions of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans who've helped build and beautify our nation.

今天是亚裔美国人和太平洋 岛民遗产月

今天，随着亚裔美国人和太平洋岛民遗产月的开幕，我们将参观旧金山金门公园的日本茶园。最初设计为1894年世界博览会的临时展览，花园成为公园的永久固定设施，由景观设计师Makoto Hagiwara监督。

Hagiwara倾注了他的金钱、热情和才华，让游客们能真正体验到日本园艺的味道。当时和今天的游客都会跨过锦鲤池塘上的桥梁，漫步在充满日本本土植物和树木的宝塔和花园中。哈吉瓦拉于1925年去世，但他的家人仍住在他在这片土地上建造的房子里，直到他们在二战期间被送到一个拘留营，这些花园被改名为“东方花园”。战争结束后，原名又回来了，但家人没有。哈吉瓦拉的愿景永存于花园之中，是数百万亚太岛民帮助建设和美化我们国家的一个例子。

鸟瞰Mockhorn岛野生动植物管理区沼泽地内的潮汐通道，弗吉尼亚 Aerial view of tidal channels in marshland of the Mockhorn Island State Wildlife Management Area, Virginia (© Shane Gross/Minden Pictures)

When does the tide come in?

From the air, this tract of Mockhorn Island on the Atlantic coast of Virginia's Eastern Shore could pass for gentle farmland. But what you're really looking at is rugged tidal marshland, visible when the tide is out—the rest of the time, much of this area is underwater. Mockhorn is itself part of Virginia's coastal island chain called the Barrier Islands, which run down the east coast of the state from the Maryland-Delaware border for about 70 miles, stretching to the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. The green vegetation you see is grass, although not the kind you'll find in a suburban lawn. Instead, it's saltmarsh cordgrass, a type of perennial deciduous species that grows in wetlands and salt marshes like this one.

The only way to access the tidal channels of Mockhorn Island is by boat, and plenty of kayakers, hunters, and sport fishers are willing to brave the fickle, windy weather to enjoy the island's labyrinth of sloughs, bays, and inlets. The area's also a great destination for bird watchers, as many bird species fly directly overhead while migrating. Historically, the rugged terrain and remote location of the Barrier Islands made them a great place for those running from the authorities—it's said that pirates, including Blackbeard himself, spent time in hiding in the backwaters of this rugged coast.

潮水什么时候来？

从空中看，这片位于弗吉尼亚东岸大西洋海岸的莫克霍恩岛可以算是一片温和的农田。但你真正看到的是崎岖不平的潮汐沼泽地，其余时间退潮时可见，这一地区大部分都在水下。莫克霍恩岛本身是弗吉尼亚州海岸岛链的一部分，称为障壁群岛，从马里兰州与特拉华州的边界沿该州东海岸延伸约70英里，一直延伸到切萨皮克湾的河口。你看到的绿色植被是草，虽然不是你在郊区草坪上看到的那种。取而代之的是盐沼灯心草，一种多年生落叶植物，生长在湿地和盐沼中。

进入莫克霍恩岛潮汐通道的唯一途径是乘船，许多皮划艇手、猎人和运动渔民都愿意冒着变化无常、刮风的天气，享受岛上迷宫般的泥沼、海湾和水湾。该地区也是鸟类观察者的好去处，因为许多鸟类在迁徙时直接从头顶飞过。从历史上看，障壁岛崎岖的地形和偏远的地理位置使它成为那些逃避当局的人的好去处。据说海盗，包括黑胡子本人，都在这个崎岖的海岸的穷乡僻壤中躲藏了一段时间。

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