世界上十大令人歎爲觀止的美景(上)

There are many things that can leave someone breathless, aside from grinding out a triathlon or spending time at high altitudes. The sight of a bride on her wedding day may take the breath from a groom-to-be. Witnessing an orchestra play a Mozart symphony in a grand concert hall might do it as well. Perhaps the sight of your baby being born might do the trick.

除了參與“鐵人三項”的運動或者在高原地區生活，世界上還有很多會讓人窒息的事。準新郎在婚禮當天看到美麗新娘的剎那可能會被驚豔到窒息；在音樂大廳聆聽樂團演奏莫扎特交響曲時，你可能會被震撼到窒息。再也許，當你第一眼看到剛出生的寶寶時也會激動到窒息。

But sometimes it's not a life event at all, but the mere sight of something awe-inspiring. You stand before it, a chill comes over you and your breath becomes shallow and measured. One can only imagine the early settlers making their way across the American West and riding up to the rim of the Grand Canyon for the first time. The feeling they must have gotten is likely similar to what a modern tourist might feel when faced with that same breathtaking vista. The Grand Canyon makes the cut on our list, along with nine other breathtaking views around the globe.

然而有時候讓你驚歎的常常不是一些生活中的具體事情，僅僅只是你看到的某些東西。站在這些事物面前，你會感覺心頭一顫，呼吸也變得急促起來。你們大可以想象早期移民者穿越美國西部過程中，在科羅拉多大峽谷邊緣看到的景象。面對這令人歎爲觀止的景色時，他們一定和現在的遊客有過一樣感受。本文中，美國的大峽谷，連同全球各地的其他九大美景，爲讀者朋友們呈現出十大無與倫比的景觀。

of the Empire State Building

10.帝國大廈之頂

The expanse of New York City's urban jungle is something that's left many tourists over the years confused and maybe a little intimidated. Street level is where the action is, but if you really want to take it all in and leave your breath behind, there's no better way than to take the long elevator ride to the observation deck of the Empire State Building (ESB). Since the fall of the Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001, the ESB has regained its status as the tallest building in New York. This National Historic landmark climbs more than a quarter of a mile straight up, with the observation deck located 1,050 feet (320 meters) above the city streets on the 86th floor. The view from the deck has taken the breath away from more than 110 million visitors since it opened in 1931. The deck offers a 360 degree vista of the 230 buildings that are at least 30 stories high, including an unparalleled view of the chrome spires of the legendary Chrysler Building.

紐約城龐大複雜——也許還帶着點兒恐怖意味的城市建築多年來一直讓遊客很頭疼。遊客通常在街道上欣賞這些城市美景，但是如果你非要把它一次性盡收眼底，就拋開你的恐懼，乘上電梯直達帝國大廈觀景臺。自從2001年9月11日雙子塔倒塌後，帝國大廈就是紐約城最高的建築了。這座國家歷史性地標垂直高度達400多米，觀景臺大約在距地面320米處，相當於地面高樓第86層的高度。自1931年對公衆開放以來，大廈已經吸引了1.1億多遊客前來參觀。大廈觀景臺提供了360度的視角，可以看到230幢至少30層樓高的大廈，包括傳說中壯觀得無與倫比的克萊斯勒大廈樓頂。

of the Eiffel Tower

9.埃菲爾鐵塔之頂

What the Empire State Building offers New York tourists, the Eiffel Tower matches in Paris. And while the City of Lights doesn't have the kind of jaw-dropping skyscrapers that Gotham does, it's still a breathtaking view once you take the elevator ride up the tower to the observation deck. At 984 feet (320 meters), the tower is the second tallest structure in France, behind the Millau Viaduct, and was the tallest in the world until the completion of the Empire State Building. While there are 1,671 steps that go to the top of the tower, visitors can only climb to the first and second tiers at 189 feet (57 meters) and 379 feet (115 meters). In order to go to the top lookout for the most breathtaking view, you need to ride one of two elevators that make the trip every eight minutes -- about 100 per day. For the best viewing, show up about an hour before sunset and take in the "magic hour" before the sea of yellow lights come to life as darkness falls.

巴黎旅行必去埃菲爾鐵塔，如同紐約旅行必去帝國大廈。雖然巴黎的燈光不如紐約摩天大樓的璀璨燈光來的讓人瞠目結舌，但是乘電梯直上埃菲爾鐵塔觀景臺，壯觀的景象依然會讓人震驚。塔高320米，是法國第二高建築，僅次於米洛高架橋，在美國帝國大廈竣工前埃菲爾鐵塔一直是世界最高建築。通往塔頂的臺階有1671個，通常遊客只能達到57米高的第一層和115米高的第二層。爲了達到塔頂看到壯景，人們需要乘坐電梯，那裏有兩架電梯，每8分鐘一個班次，一天來回約100次。爲了欣賞最美的景色，你可以日落前一個小時到達埃菲爾塔頂，然後感受那具有魔幻色彩的一小時——夜色降臨前，夕陽餘暉灑落海面。

of the Grand Canyon

8.科羅拉多大峽谷的邊緣

The shining star of the National Park Service program in the United States, the Grand Canyon hosts more than 5 million visitors each year. Standing on the edge of the canyon rim is something that can only be fully understood by doing it yourself. No words can aptly describe, and no photograph can fully capture the sheer size and magnitude of the natural world wonder. It truly does take your breath away and is something that must be experienced in person. The canyon is a jaw-dropping 277 miles (445.7 kilometers) long and 18 miles (29 kilometers) wide at its widest point and we can thank the Colorado River for forming it over a period of about 3 to 6 million years. For a little more solitude, try venturing out to the more distant North Rim. This section of the canyon is no less breathtaking, and gets about 10 percent the number of visitors as the more heavily frequented South Rim.

科羅拉多大峽谷作爲國家公園服務項目中閃耀的明星，每年接待超過500萬名的遊客。只有親身站在峽谷的邊緣才能完全理解這一切。沒有任何語言可以形容這樣的景色，沒有一張照片可以完全把這個規模宏大的世界級自然奇蹟收納進去。它的景色的確美得令人窒息，而且這種無法形容的美必須親自體驗。科羅拉多大峽谷長達277英里（相當於445.7千米），最寬處有18英里（即29千米）。對此，我們應該感謝科羅拉多河——經過它三百到六百萬年的沖刷，這峽谷景觀才得以形成。另外，喜歡清靜的話就去探索更遠的北部峽谷邊緣，那裏的景色絲毫不比其他地區差，並且大部分遊客通常都是去南緣觀景的，只有大約10%的遊客纔會去峽谷北緣。

it of Mount Everest

7.珠穆朗瑪峯的峯頂

This view takes your breath away in more than one way. Not only will you feel like you're at the top of the world at the summit of Nepal's Mount Everest, but the incredible altitude will literally leave you breathless. Everest was formed about 60 million years ago and is the tallest peak (from sea level) on the planet at 29,035 feet (8,850 meters). Because of the extreme weather conditions at the summit, climbers rarely attempt to complete the ascent outside of the months of May and June, when the jet stream is pushed north. If you do choose to make the ascent, you may come across some dead bodies along the way. There are about 120 bodies of those that the mountain has claimed on your path to the top -- they've been impossible to remove. But don't let that dissuade you. If you're an experienced mountaineer, you can be one of the 150 people that attempt to reach the summit each year. Once you're at the top, have your camera ready, because you'll only be there for a few minutes before you start your descent.

這裏的景色會以不同的形式令你屏息。珠峯峯頂不僅僅會讓你感受到自己正站在世界的最高處，它那高得令人難以置信的海拔也會讓你無法呼吸。珠穆朗瑪峯形成於6000萬年前，它的最高峯（從海平面算起）有29035英尺（8850米）。由於珠峯頂上極端惡劣的天氣情況，除了5月和6月——這兩個月的急流是向北的，天氣較爲溫暖，登山者很少嘗試去爬完全程。如果你選擇登山，沿途也許你會看到一些屍體。在通往峯頂的路上，大約有120具已經無法被移動的登山者的屍體。但是不要讓這些成爲你登頂的障礙。如果你是一個經驗豐富的登山家，你完全可能成爲每年成功登頂的150個人中的一位。一旦你站在峯頂，準備好你的相機，因爲幾分鐘之後你就要開始下山。

of Machu Picchu

6.馬丘比丘之端

The Incan ruins at Machu Picchu have been the subject of research and speculation since their rediscovery in 1911. While Peruvians knew about this "Lost City of the Incas" above the Urubamba Valley, they weren't excavated and examined by historians until Hiram Bingham did so in 1911. Ever since then, the tiered stone ruins have been on the radar of historians, anthropologists and tourists alike. Nobody is exactly sure why the Inca people built this architectural wonder, but some theories include use as a destination for religious pilgrimages, a retreat for Incan rulers or as an astronomical observatory. Whatever its purpose, to view the ruins that sit unseen from below remains one of the truly breathtaking things you can take part in. The three distinct areas constructed in the 1400s (agricultural, urban and religious) are all built to blend seamlessly into the surrounding natural environment. The combination of the history, mystery and natural wonder of Machu Picchu make it one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.

馬丘比丘——印加帝國的遺蹟，在1911年被重新發現後一直是人們研究和思索的對象。當初祕魯人得知坐落在烏魯班巴河谷之上的這座“失落的印加城市”時，並沒有任何的歷史學家去挖掘和研究它，直到1911年，海勒姆·賓厄姆才首次着手研究馬丘比丘。從此之後，這個石城遺蹟備受廣大歷史學家、人類學家、旅遊愛好者等的關注。沒有人確切知曉印加人建造這一建築奇蹟的原因，然而猜想則有很多，比如說用作宗教朝聖的地點、印加皇室的避暑勝地，還有人認爲它可能是當時國家的天文臺。 不管其修築的目的是什麼，親臨此境來觀賞這平時在低處難以見到的景色已是令人真正心潮澎湃的一件事。15世紀的人們居然能夠把三個不同領域（農業、城市和宗教）的特色景觀完美地融進一座城及其周圍的自然環境中：馬丘比丘古城遺址外圍是層層梯田形成的農業區，城區則由200座建築和109個連接山坡和城市的石梯組成。城內規劃井然，北部多爲莊嚴的宮闕神殿，南部是作坊、居室和公共場所。奇妙的歷史、令人產生無限遐想的各種謎團和引人入勝的自然奇觀，使馬丘比丘古城成爲世界新七大奇蹟之一。

審校:梅子九 編輯:旭旭 來源：前十網