2014-06-15 父親節

【Aiden in English】

        The Pocono Mountains are a nationally famous attraction. When you think about them, the first thing that comes to mind is lush, green forests and deep, majestic valleys. You probably would never have considered the peaceful and quiet town at the foot of the mountains a gateway to the Poconos. That's precisely where Dad and I were going.

        After an hour of torturous driving, we arrived at the tiny town of Jim Thorpe in eastern PA. At first, the city looked undisturbed. But as Dad and I roamed the streets, people began to open shops and display their homes. It seemed as if somebody had flipped the switch, and people started appearing everywhere.

        The square next to our parking lot was soon filled with tourists and food stands. That's when I noticed the architecture of the buildings. They all resembled the red painting on the walls in the old style of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Yet what was truly interesting was that all the buildings were very different. The houses were used in a large variety. Some were for homes, some for shops, some for restaurants, and many more. The experience allowed me to see that nothing was the same.

        The town was only half of Jim Thorpe. It had a natural side, surrounded by mountains and lakes. There was a sightseeing train that offered a scenic view of the countryside. Dad and I zoomed onto the train after lunch and sat there in anticipation for the ride to begin. We were not disappointed with this place, as it is often referred to as the "Little Switzerland of America." The countryside was terrific, with great lakes and meandering streams. The songs of birds rang through the forest, and the mountains seemed to touch the sky. The ride was perfect, except for the conductor blabbing on about history.

        Just as I thought the ride was over, it blasted off to another level. There, around the bend, was a waterfall. It wasn't huge, but the fall was substantial enough to make the train passengers gasp in surprise. The water flowed into a stream that ran through the middle of a vast forest. After this spectacular show, the landscapes have been etched into our memory forever.

【紅霞譯】

        波科諾“雙山河溪”山脈可謂全國久負盛名的優勝美地，一提起蘊藏其中的旅遊景點，你首先會聯想起蔥鬱繁茂的綠色森林和幽邃深壑的峽谷盆地，也許你永遠意識不到通往山間小溪山脈的路上有座祥和靜謐的小鎮，這正是我和爸爸要去的地方。

        經過個把鐘頭顛簸行駛，我們終於抵達位於賓夕法尼亞“山林”州東北部的吉姆索普“明路”鎮。初來乍到，小鎮看似與世隔絕，不過一旦走街串巷深入社區，我們發現當地居民開店納客招攬生意，不約而同地從四面八方湧現出來。

        停車場附近的廣場遊人如織，地攤縱橫，建築結構迥異，所有樓房均被塗成紅色，突出體現十九世紀末、廿世紀初古典風格，各式各樣的民居商家餐館設計獨具匠心，讓我大開眼界。

        吉姆索普依山傍水，觀光列車可以讓你置身事外，親臨大自然欣賞鄉村景色。午餐後，我們決定抓緊時機乘車環遊這座素有“美洲小瑞士”之稱的名城。河水淼淼，炊煙裊裊，鳥兒在林中歡舞歌唱；我們站在山巔之上，天際近在咫尺，恨不能信手可得。如果列車員在介紹風土人情時播音清晰可辯，環遊效果會進一步得到提高。

        返程途中，我們眼前出現一個氣勢不大但卻相當奇特的瀑布，山水自上而下，徑直跌至密林深處。吉姆索普好山好水好風光，令人刻骨銘心。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2012: Descriptive─Commentary Speech(應用文─解說辭)

Train Station (火車站 06-08-2014)

Jim Thorpe, the Switzerland of America

(吉姆索普·美洲瑞士)

Hibachi Grill Chinese Buffet on Father's Day

(父親節·鐵板燒中式自助餐 06-15-2014)

Crosslinks(相關博文):

USA(出遊美國)

5th Grade(小學五年級)