标签 北爱尔兰 下的文章
巨人堤道上的玄武岩柱，英国北爱尔兰 Basalt columns of Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom (© Olimpio Fantuz/eStock Photo)
巨人堤道上的玄武岩柱，英国北爱尔兰 Basalt columns of Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom (© Olimpio Fantuz/eStock Photo)
巨石中的巨石 Rocks rock!
International Rock Day
Today is International Rock Day and we're giving due respect to these geological wonders. It might seem odd to sing the praises of rock, but think about it. Rocks have been with humankind since the beginning. From tools to housing to weapons, they've been key to our survival. A period of our history was so reliant on rocks that it will be forever known as the Stone Age. We would not be where we are today without the many minerals found on our planet, so rock on!
To celebrate, we're going to focus on one marvelous rock in particular: basalt, the most abundant volcanic rock on Earth. Here at the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, there are roughly 40,000 interlocking hexagonal columns of basalt formed after an ancient eruption. According to one Gaelic legend, however, this was built as a battleground for two giants, Ireland's Finn MacCool and Scotland's Benandonner. Another legend suggests MacCool built the causeway to cross the North Channel to meet a Scottish lover.
Revered as one of the United Kingdom's greatest natural wonders, the Giant's Causeway is one of the most popular tourist spots in Northern Ireland. If you can't make the journey, thanks to the way basalt naturally forms these polygonal columns, you could find some to construct a walkway of cobblestones to battle your own giants. At the very least, you'd have a sturdy rock that lasts the test of time.
国际岩石日
今天是国际岩石日，我们对这些地质奇观给予应有的尊重。歌颂摇滚乐似乎有些奇怪，但想想看。岩石从一开始就与人类同在。从工具到住房再到武器，它们一直是我们生存的关键。我们的历史中有一段时期是如此依赖岩石，以至于它将永远被称为石器时代。如果没有在我们的星球上发现的许多矿物质，我们就不会达到今天的水平，所以继续前进吧！
为了庆祝，我们将特别关注一种神奇的岩石：玄武岩，地球上最丰富的火山岩。在北爱尔兰的巨人堤道上，大约有40000个联锁的六角玄武岩柱，它们是在古代火山爆发后形成的。然而，根据盖尔人的一个传说，这里是两个巨人的战场，爱尔兰的芬恩·麦克库和苏格兰的贝南多纳。另一个传说是，麦考尔建造这条堤道是为了穿过北海峡去见一位苏格兰情人。
巨人堤被誉为英国最伟大的自然奇观之一，是北爱尔兰最受欢迎的旅游景点之一。如果你不能完成旅程，多亏了玄武岩自然形成这些多边形柱的方式，你可以找到一些用鹅卵石建造的走道来对抗你自己的巨人。至少，你会有一块坚固的石头，经得起时间的考验。
托利莫尔森林公园的弗利桥，英国北爱尔兰 (© Adrian McGlynn/Alamy)
Barnett Demesne公园中在白雪覆盖的山坡上玩耍的一家，北爱尔兰贝尔法斯特 Families play on the snow-covered slopes at Barnett Demesne Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland (© Stephen Barnes/Alamy)
Barnett Demesne公园中在白雪覆盖的山坡上玩耍的一家，北爱尔兰贝尔法斯特 Families play on the snow-covered slopes at Barnett Demesne Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland (© Stephen Barnes/Alamy)
Happy Boxing Day!
That 'Boxing Day (UK)' printed on your calendar's December 26 square has nothing to do with the sport of boxing—although for many modern Brits, Aussies, and other denizens of the Commonwealth, the holiday's full slate of TV sporting events is the main observance. Folks with enough post-holiday energy might even slide down the hills at the grounds of this historic estate-turned public park, Barnett Demesne, in Belfast.
But in older traditions, December 26 was the day nobles and other property owners offered gifts to servants and employees. It's not clear if 'boxing' refers to the boxes that held these presents, or to donation boxes customarily set up for the poor on the holiday—nor if these were so much gifts as reminders of one's place on the feudal social ladder. But at any rate, as you shop those big sales and munch those tasty leftovers today, consider paying homage to Boxing Day's origins by doing a good turn for someone down on their luck.
节礼日快乐！
尽管对许多现代英国人、澳大利亚人和其他英联邦居民来说，这个节日的主要庆祝活动是一系列的电视体育赛事，但印在日历12月26日方格上的“节礼日（英国）”与拳击运动毫无关系。在贝尔法斯特的巴尼特德梅斯内，有足够精力的人甚至可能会在这个历史悠久的庄园改造成的公共公园里滑下山来。
但在古老的传统中，12月26日是贵族和其他财产拥有者向仆人和雇员赠送礼物的日子。目前还不清楚“拳击”是指装这些礼物的盒子，还是指节日里为穷人设立的捐款箱，也不清楚这些礼物是否只是提醒人们自己在封建社会中的地位。但不管怎样，当你今天在那些大卖场购物，大嚼那些美味的剩菜时，不妨考虑为那些运气不好的人做一个好运祝福，以此向节礼日的起源致敬。
