分类必应美图下的文章

位于阿肯色州和密西西比州交界处的密西西比河 Mississippi River on the border between Arkansas and Mississippi (© NASA)

Gazing down on planet Earth

It's Earth Day today and we are high above the blue marble looking down on the border between Arkansas and Mississippi. Those small, blocky shapes are towns, fields, and pastures–the teal green is the mighty Mississippi River. Anyone who has flown in the window seat of an airplane and has gazed down at Earth below might wonder why the colors in this image are so unreal. That's because they are. These images were taken in 2013 by Landsat 7, a NASA satellite that uses thermal infrared sensors to help scientists better distinguish flora, fauna, water, and manmade objects. For almost 50 years, NASA has been using satellite imagery to understand how climate change and population growth are affecting our fragile planet. These satellites help NASA see where deforestation and wildfires are happening, where glaciers are melting, and how rising waters are encroaching on cities.

The biggest cause of these changes? According to NASA, it's us. Since the first Landsat launched in 1972, the Earth's population has almost doubled, from 4 billion people then to 7.8 billion today. But there is some good news to mark this Earth Day: The Mississippi River we see here is much less toxic now than it was back in 1972, thanks to environmental laws and regulations.

俯瞰 地球

今天是地球日，我们在阿肯色州和密西西比州交界处的蓝色大理石上方俯瞰。那些小而块状的形状是城镇、田野和牧场——青绿色是浩瀚的密西西比河。任何坐过飞机靠窗座位的人，都可能会想，为什么这张照片中的颜色如此不真实。那是因为他们是。这些图像是2013年由美国宇航局的陆地卫星7号拍摄的，该卫星使用热红外传感器帮助科学家更好地区分动植物、水和人造物体。近50年来，美国宇航局一直在利用卫星图像来了解气候变化和人口增长是如何影响我们这个脆弱的星球的。这些卫星有助于美国宇航局了解森林砍伐和野火正在发生的地方，冰川正在融化的地方，以及上涨的海水如何侵蚀城市。

这些变化的最大原因是什么？据美国宇航局说，是我们。自从1972年第一颗陆地卫星发射以来，地球人口几乎翻了一番，从当时的40亿人增加到今天的78亿人。但是，有一些好消息值得纪念这个地球日：由于环境法律和法规，我们在这里看到的密西西比河现在的毒性比1972年时要小得多。

马德拉岛的北海岸，葡萄牙 The north coast of Madeira, Portugal (© Hemis/Alamy)

Exploring the 'Pearl of the Atlantic'

We're taking a view of the island of Madeira, by far the largest island in the Madeira archipelago, which sits 320 miles off the coast of Morocco in the North Atlantic. Part of an autonomous region of Portugal, Madeira, known as the 'Pearl of the Atlantic,' boasts a diverse forest ecosystem, endemic flora and fauna, and the largest living stand of laurel trees in the world. It's a great place to hike, too. Trails run alongside irrigation channels, called levadas, that move water all over the island. Walks range from easy strolls in the countryside to precarious hikes along mountain ridges or into remote parts of the forests. Afterward, the calorie-depleted can dig into a local delicacy like peixe espada com banana (fried local fish with banana) and sip on Madeira wine. Saúde!

探索“大西洋明珠”

我们正在观看马德拉岛，这是迄今为止马德拉群岛中最大的岛屿，位于北大西洋摩洛哥海岸320英里外。作为葡萄牙自治区的一部分，被称为“大西洋明珠”的马德拉拥有多样化的森林生态系统、特有的动植物群和世界上最大的活月桂林。这也是徒步旅行的好地方。小径沿着被称为levadas的灌溉渠延伸，这些灌溉渠将水输送到全岛。散步的范围从乡村的轻松漫步到沿着山脊或进入森林偏远地区的危险徒步旅行。之后，消耗掉的热量可以吃到当地的美味，比如peixe espada com香蕉（用香蕉炸当地鱼），然后啜饮马德拉葡萄酒。萨乌德！

乌布德格拉朗梯田，印度尼西亚巴厘岛 Tegalalang Rice Terraces, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia (© Michele Falzone/Alamy)

Terraced fields of green

Twice a year, all of Bali, Indonesia—including those who live and work in the lush, green rice terraces you see here—join together to celebrate the country's most important holiday, Galungan. This 10-day Balinese-Hindu milestone always comes at the end of the traditional 210-day Balinese calendar, usually in March or April, and then again in September or October.

This spring, the festivities began on April 14, and on that day the Balinese invited the spirits of their ancient ancestors into their homes with prayers and other offerings draped from bamboo poles called penjor, which seem to be erected everywhere. Planted in the ground at individual homes or along the sides of roads and decorated with coconut leaves and flowers, penjor are used to hang offerings as a kind gesture towards the spirits. The tenth and final day of Galungan is called Kuningan, which comes on April 24 this year. To mark this finale, a specially prepared yellow rice will be offered to the departing ancestors, a gift to accompany them on their return journey to the spirit world.

绿色梯田

每年两次，印度尼西亚巴厘岛—包括那些住在这里绿油的梯田里生活和工作的人—一起庆祝这个国家最重要的节日，加尔隆根。这10天的巴厘印度教里程碑总是在传统的210天巴厘历的结束，通常是在3月或4月，然后在9月或10月再次出现。

今年春天，节日从4月14日开始，那天巴厘人邀请他们古老祖先的灵魂们到他们的家里，祈祷和其他祭品都是用竹竿做成的，这些竹竿上挂着，这些祭品似乎到处都是竖立的。彭若尔种植在单独的家里或道路的两侧，用椰子叶和鲜花装饰，用来悬挂祭品，作为对灵魂的一种亲切的姿态。高龙根的第十天也是最后一天，叫做昆ingan，今年4月24日。为了纪念这一结局，将向离世的祖先赠送一份特制的黄米，作为陪伴他们返回精神世界的礼物。

大群的芒基蝠鲼跃出水面，墨西哥加利福尼亚湾 Large school of Munk's pygmy devil rays from the air, Gulf of California, Mexico (© Mark Carwardine/Minden Pictures)

Rays on parade

The feeding frenzy is on! Each spring and fall, the waters off Mexico's Baja California peninsula become the perfect place to spot Munk's devil rays in massive schools like this one. Unlike stingrays (and perhaps the devil), devil rays lack fearsome pointy tails. In fact, these giants—whose wingspans can reach about 9 feet—are pretty gentle all around, feeding mainly on plankton. And for them, mealtime is party time: During huge devil ray gatherings like this, rays are seen continually bursting out of the water and landing with loud bellyflops.

射线在游行

喂食狂潮开始了！每年春天和秋天，墨西哥下加利福尼亚半岛附近的水域都会成为在像这样的大型学校里发现芒克魔鬼鱼的最佳地点。不像黄貂鱼（也许还有魔鬼），魔鬼鱼没有可怕的尖尾巴。事实上，这些翼展能达到9英尺左右的巨型生物四周都很温和，主要以浮游生物为食。对他们来说，进餐时间是聚会时间：在这样的大型魔鬼鱼聚会上，可以看到鱼不断地从水里迸发出来，并带着响亮的肚脐落地。

蒙塔尔巴诺埃利科纳，意大利西西里岛 Montalbano Elicona, Messina, Sicily, Italy (© Antonino Bartuccio/SOPA Collection/Offset by Shutterstock)

In Sicily, history is everywhere

Today we're in Montalbano Elicona on the island of Sicily. It's known for the very old castle at the crest of the hill, as well as the quaint medieval village below. It's no wonder that Montalbano Elicona has been called one of the most beautiful towns in all of Italy. The castle itself is believed to have been built in the 13th century by medieval power broker Frederick II of Swabia. He wore many hats, including King of Sicily, Holy Roman Emperor, and—as far-fetched as it sounds—the King of Jerusalem, a title he claimed after conquering that city during the Sixth Crusade. The castle was originally designed as a fortress, but it also served as a summer residence for Frederick and other rulers who followed him.

Surrounding the castle are several other interesting historical sites, including the Church of St. Catherine, known for its Romanesque portal built in the 14th century, its mix of Catalan and renaissance architecture, marble statues of St. Catherine and St. Nicholas Bishop, and a representation of the Last Supper by artist Guido Reni. Also of note is the nearby Argimusco plateau, where an array of large oblong stones, including one which is said to resemble an eagle, have long prompted speculation that they were placed there by members of a prehistoric island culture. However, scientists now believe that these so-called megaliths of Argimusco, sometimes referred to as the Stonehenge of Sicily, are actually of natural origin, and the unique boulder shapes are simply the result of centuries of wind erosion.

在西西里，历史无处不在

今天我们在西西里岛上的蒙塔尔巴诺埃利科纳。它以山顶上非常古老的城堡以及下面古色古香的中世纪村庄而闻名。难怪蒙塔尔巴诺·艾利科纳被称为意大利最美丽的城镇之一。城堡本身被认为是建于13世纪的中世纪权力掮客弗雷德里克二世的斯瓦比亚。他戴着许多帽子，包括神圣罗马皇帝西西里国王，以及听起来很牵强的耶路撒冷国王，这是他在第六次十字军东征中征服耶路撒冷后获得的头衔。这座城堡最初是作为要塞设计的，但它也作为弗雷德里克和其他跟随他的统治者的避暑住所。

城堡周围还有其他一些有趣的历史遗迹，包括圣凯瑟琳教堂（Church of St.Catherine），因其建于14世纪的罗马式大门而闻名，它融合了加泰罗尼亚和文艺复兴时期的建筑，圣凯瑟琳和圣尼古拉斯主教的大理石雕像，以及艺术家吉多·雷尼（Guido Reni）对《最后的晚餐》的描绘。同样值得注意的是附近的阿尔吉穆斯科高原，那里有一排长方形的大石头，其中一块据说像鹰，长期以来一直有人猜测它们是史前岛屿文化的成员放在那里的。然而，科学家们现在认为，这些所谓的阿吉姆斯科巨石，有时被称为西西里巨石阵，实际上是自然起源的，这些独特的巨石形状只是几个世纪风蚀的结果。

新河峡国家公园中的新河峡大桥，西弗吉尼亚州 New River Gorge Bridge in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, West Virginia (© Entropy Workshop/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

A river runs through it

To kick off National Park Week, which begins today, we're visiting America's newest national park, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, in West Virginia. This incredible view is of the New River Gorge Bridge, which, when completed in 1977, was the world's highest bridge carrying a regular roadway. It held that distinction for 24 years and is now a popular attraction for BASE jumpers and rappelers.

Far below the bridge is the New River, which—despite its name—is the second oldest river in the world. Its exact age is unknown, but geologists believe the New River is a segment of the preglacial Teays River, which fossil evidence suggests could be 320 million years old. Today, rafters and kayakers come to ride the New River rapids, which can reach a level of Class V, which means they're among the most difficult waters to navigate.

一条河穿过它

为了拉开今天开始的国家公园周的序幕，我们将参观美国最新的国家公园，西弗吉尼亚州的新河峡谷国家公园和保护区。这是令人难以置信的观点是新河峡谷大桥，这是在1977年建成时，世界上最高的桥梁进行定期道路。24年来，它一直保持着这一殊荣，现在已经成为跳垒和饶舌的热门景点。

桥下远处是新河，尽管它的名字是世界上第二古老的河流。它的确切年龄不得而知，但地质学家认为这条新河是前冰期Teays河的一段，化石证据表明这条河可能有3.2亿年的历史。今天，椽子和皮划艇来乘坐新的河流急流，这可以达到五级水平，这意味着他们之间的最困难的水域航行。

菲格雷斯的达利剧院博物馆, 西班牙 Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres, Spain (© Valerija Polakovska/Shutterstock)

'A theatrical dream'

The work of surrealist artist Salvador Dalí is the stuff of dreams: melting clocks, burning giraffes, weird objects suspended in midair. Gaze at a Dalí and you may find yourself gripped with a strange sense of familiarity, like your subconscious has visited these strange places before. But what if you could literally step into a huge Dalí piece?

This odd, ostentatious building in Dalí's hometown of Figueres, Spain, is exactly that. Fully imagined and designed by the artist himself, the Dalí Theatre-Museum is built on the ruins of the town's former municipal theater, where a precocious 14-year-old Dalí once had his first exhibition. 'The people who come to see it will leave with the sensation of having had a theatrical dream,' said Dalí, and his design delivered. The Theatre-Museum is a labyrinthine guided tour exploring Dalí's artistic growth and his wild ways of thinking—it features 1,500-plus Dalí originals from all stages of his career, as well as collected works by artists who inspired him. Some might even say it houses the specter of the great surrealist: Dalí himself is buried in a crypt below the building.

“戏剧梦”

超现实主义艺术家萨尔瓦多·达利的作品充满了梦想：融化的时钟、燃烧的长颈鹿、悬在半空中的怪异物体。凝视一个达利人，你可能会发现自己被一种奇怪的熟悉感紧紧抓住，就像你的潜意识以前去过这些奇怪的地方一样。但如果你真的能走进一个巨大的达利片呢？

达利家乡西班牙菲格雷斯（Figueres）的这座奇特、招摇的建筑正是如此。达利剧院博物馆完全是由艺术家自己想象和设计的，它建在该镇前市政剧院的废墟上，一个早熟的14岁的达利曾经在那里举办过他的第一次展览达利说，前来观看的人会带着做了一个戏剧梦的感觉离开，他的设计交付了。剧院博物馆是一个迷宫式的导游之旅，探索达利的艺术成长和他狂野的思维方式。它展出了1500多件达利在其职业生涯各个阶段的原作，以及激发他灵感的艺术家收集的作品。有人甚至会说，这里藏有伟大超现实主义的幽灵：达利本人被埋在大楼下面的一个地下室里。

Lake and a reservoir

Today, we’re taking in views of Alberta’s largest reservoir – Abraham Lake. It was created in 1972 following the completion of the Bighorn Dam on the North Saskatchewan River. The dam was built by then Calgary Power Company, now TransAlta, to produce hydroelectric power. As seen here, Abraham Lake boasts a vivid shade of blue, further contributing to the breathtaking view with the mountains in the background. Of late, this gem in the Rockies has become a must-see for photographers every winter, for the emergence of the extraordinary frozen bubbles trapped under the lake. As the temperature drops, methane gas released from water-dwelling bacteria, forms into bubbles and freezes under the surface of the frozen lake. When the layer of ice on the lake is clear, the frozen bubbles can be seen and make for a remarkable spectacle.

湖和水库

今天，我们将欣赏艾伯塔省最大的水库——亚伯拉罕湖。它是1972年在北萨斯喀彻温河上的比格霍恩大坝完工后建造的。大坝由当时的卡尔加里电力公司（现为TransAlta）建造，用于生产水力发电。如图所示，亚伯拉罕湖拥有一个生动的蓝色阴影，进一步促进了以山脉为背景的惊险景色。最近，落基山脉的这块宝石每年冬天都成为摄影师们的必看之地，因为湖底出现了异常冰冻的气泡。随着温度下降，水中细菌释放出的甲烷气体形成气泡，冻结在结冰的湖面下。当湖面上的冰层清澈见底时，可以看到结冰的气泡，形成一种非凡的景象。

Nothing plain about it

The Carrizo Plain National Monument is a unique attraction in California—not just because of its breathtaking, colorful views, but also due to its quiet, isolated feel. Just a few hours from Los Angeles, it covers almost 250,000 acres along the base of the Temblor Mountains, giving visitors a chance to escape the crowds and experience nature. In spring, wildflowers cover the hills and valley floor, creating the amazing scene pictured here. The area also features other diverse plant species, including several listed as threatened or endangered. Wildlife includes antelope and elk, as well as rare species such as the San Joaquin kit fox, the blunt-nosed leopard lizard, and the giant kangaroo rat.

这件事没什么明显的

卡里佐平原国家纪念碑是加利福尼亚独特的景点，不仅因为它令人叹为观止、景色丰富，而且由于它安静、孤立的感觉。距离洛杉矶仅几个小时，它就覆盖了近25万英亩的TEMBLOL山脉，让游客有机会逃离人群，体验大自然。春天，山间和山谷的地面上都是野花，创造了这里的惊艳景象。该地区还拥有其他多样的植物物种，包括被列为濒危或濒危植物的几种。野生动物包括羚羊和麋鹿，以及稀有物种，如圣约金基特狐狸、钝鼻豹蜥和巨大袋鼠。

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