2012-12-30

【Aiden in English】

        The islands we bound for had two different names in the Atlantic Ocean. It depended upon whom we spoke with and what we talked about. Concerning the Argentine, the Islas Malvinas became a matter of national sovereignty. To the English, the Falkland Islands are a British Overseas Territory. Historically, there were settlements established by the French, British, Spanish, and Argentinians. Although the Falkland Islands were under British control, Argentina claimed the Falkland Islands as part of its territory. The serious conflict had affected how we entered the areas. For instance, we could not stop directly in the Falkland Islands after Ushuaia, Argentina. Otherwise, Argentina might not allow us to visit any places in its country.

        In 1982, a war broke out between Great Britain and Argentina that lasted approximately two months. They fought over the islands, which resulted in the deaths of 255 British, 649 Argentinians, and three civilian Falklanders. Eventually, Argentina lost, and England reclaimed power over the islands. Recently, tensions have escalated between the two countries regarding the long-standing issue. We had heard that the local Argentine authorities increasingly refused over half of the cruise ships inbound to Ushuaia directly from the Falklands in 2012, reportedly as a form of revenge. A couple from Australia, whom we met in Santiago, Chile, cruised with "Seabourn" on the way to Ushuaia from the Falkland Islands and failed to land in Ushuaia. No wonder we traveled between Chile and Argentina to comply with the diplomatic rules. In a way, our cruise ship had to first set foot in a neutral place, such as Cape Horn, Chile, and then detour zigzag back to the Falkland Islands.

        The Falkland Islands sat in wild, shallow waters and boasted a range of low cliffs, sandy whit beaches, and boulder beaches with extensive offshore kelp beds. The cruise ship could not dock too close to the shore, so we rowed the tender boats ashore. Interestingly, the islands in the southern hemisphere lie on the boundary between the subarctic maritime climate and temperate maritime climate zones, resembling the same climates as those found in England in the northern hemisphere.

        It drizzled constantly every year during the Christmas and New Year holidays. But this time of year, it faced the worst with the damp weather. Our tour to Volunteer Point was canceled involuntarily because the remote area had already become a swamp, and the roads had become congested and inaccessible. We missed taking a closer look at the northern coast, which is home to he largest rookery, populated with over 1,300 King Penguins in the Falkland Islands. Weighing from 24-35 pounds/11-16 kilograms and standing 3 feet/0.9 meters tall, the King was one of the largest species, second only to the Emperor Penguin.

        So there we were, at the crack of dawn, wearing waterproof jackets in the marsh-like streets, waiting for our tour guides to come to Stanley, the capital city on the windswept tip of East Falkland Island. We were planning to tour the Rockhopper Penguin Colony in Berkeley Sound.

        I hopped onto a 4-wheeled-drive SUV across Murrell Farm to travel over soft, boggy ground covered in grass and low-lying red crowberry or diddle-dee shrubs. Some penguins made out vague shapes in the distance. They were part of my imagination because they vanished like ghosts the next second. But my suspicions disappeared as the SUVs pitched and rolled out of control. I heard a penguin cry. However, it didn't matter at that moment. When I finally arrived at the craggy cliffs, I was greeted with a mean blast of all-natural cold wind and chilly water. Before I knew it, I was dripping water from head to toe. The best thing to do here was to watch the penguins hop down to the sea and gasp for food. A rookery of penguins with babies was sitting on the rocks before me. They must have been frightened and stood abruptly once they saw me up close. These little creatures were called Rockhopper Penguins, standing only 21 inches/53 centimeters tall and weighing around 5 pounds/2.3 kilograms, as one of the smallest among 17 penguin species worldwide. They were quiet and had no complaints beyond nonstop rain. Their sharp, orange beaks, elaborately curled yellow or white eyebrows, and bloodshot, red eyes would be terrifying if they were five times larger.

        I felt relieved when an SUV picked me up. Standing along such a rocky coastline, my nose seemed to have grown icicles, and my hands turned frozen solid. Soon, disaster struck. Two of the four SUVs got stuck in bogs. Luckily, my driver, with his expertise, had backed them up! He pulled out a long piece of wire and towed them out of trouble.

        After another bumpy ride back to Stanley Harbor, we met with our afternoon guide and were ready to tour the city immediately.

        First, we visited a Cathedral built from stone and brick, the southernmost Anglican Church in the world. It has a renowned arch monument constructed from two giant blue whale jawbones on its grounds. This iconic turn-of-the-century Anglican cathedral was a National Treasure in British currency. I was surprised to see a black cat sleeping on the altar of a 100-year-old Christ Church.

        Next, we walked past the post office, police station, the Liberation Monument, and a small outdoor museum featuring a real, lovely reindeer and numerous local whale skeletons. Santa Claus left it here after Christmas Eve. Many minefields remained, and no one dared to trespass on the restricted areas 30 years after the conflict between England and Argentina. 

        In the following few hours, we ended it with trekking in the countryside, eating wild plants that had a lot of vitamins, watching Rock Cormorants wrapped in red scarves around their heads on the ledges of cliffs, jetties, and even shipwrecks, and accompanying flightless Steamer Ducks moved across the water. We then ran into some cute black and white striped Magellanic Penguins. They dashed into their burrows and hid like squirrels as we passed by like a bunch of hungry hawks. With some difficulty, I could trace out the shape of a sea lion and point it out to my mom. Its head was hidden in the tall grass, and its body was well camouflaged like a rock. The hike proved to be more challenging than expected. I started to drag my legs and paint Mom with mud. Sometimes, it got so muddy that my shoes would sink, and mud would pour in. It was good that Mom brought two pairs of outdoor shoes. I couldn't tell the difference between them as we hopped on the bus that drove us back to the port.

【紅霞譯】

        我們下一站巡弋的大西洋島嶼有兩個名字，如何稱呼取決於我們的談話對象以及談話內容。在阿根廷“銀色之地”人眼中，本是馬爾維納斯“光明誓言使徒”群島；對英國人來說，實為福克蘭“獵鷹”群島。從歷史上看，法國、英國、西班牙和阿根廷的祖先早先都曾涉足過此地，雖然福克蘭群島目前隸屬英國境外領地，但阿根廷從未放棄馬爾維納斯群島主權訴求，這麼一來，兩國爭端勢必影響我們出遊這個地區。於是遊輪不得不周密安排阿根廷與福克蘭群島之間停靠港口的順序問題，並有意將智利“土地的盡頭”合恩“海岬”角留作鋪路石，我們從中立國分別出入對立國，既不傷害阿根廷人民族感情，也不遠離英國鄉間美景良辰，熊掌與魚翅同時兼得。

        追溯到1982年，阿根廷和英國之間發生過歷時兩個月的“戰爭”，他們為福克蘭或馬爾維納斯群島主權而斗，直接導致英國255人、阿根廷649人、本島平民百姓3人共計907人死亡，末了以阿根廷妥協而告終，英國再度確立管轄權。最近一段時間，兩國領土爭端又進一步升級，保衛主權與收復失地問題又重新回到國際談判桌前，聽說今年(2012)以來，阿根廷地方海關為報復英國，接連拒絕超過半數以上經福克蘭群島入境的船隻。不久前，我們在智利首都聖地亞哥“後繼者”就遇到過一對來自澳大利亞“未知的南方大陸”的夫婦，他們所乘坐的西伯恩“海伯”豪華遊輪離開福克蘭群島後因為沒有途徑中立國而無法進入阿根廷烏斯懷亞“深海灣”，使得兩人浪跡天涯的夢想成為泡影。好在我們的遊輪識大體顧大局，帶乘客先到烏斯懷亞，再去合恩角兜風，之後才入福克蘭群島賞光，經公海駛進阿根廷其它領地。

        福克蘭群島附近水域很淺，海岸線由低矮的礁石、銀白的沙灘、巨大的鵝卵石、繁茂的海藻等組成，我們的遊輪無法停泊港口附近，只能轉乘交通艇上岸。有趣的是，位於南半球的福克蘭群島地處亞北極海洋性氣候和溫帶海洋性氣候交匯帶，與位於北半球的大不列顛諸島有着共同的氣候特徵。

        每到聖誕節和陽曆新年之間，福克蘭群島陰雨連綿濕度很高，今年這裡正經歷以往從未有過的降雨天氣，致使我們行前預定去東北角“志願岬”的旅遊計劃再一次落空。志願岬是王企鵝根據地，至少有1,300隻王企鵝在此成家立業，王企鵝體重24-35磅／11-16公斤，身高36英寸／90公分；就個頭而論，王企鵝緊步帝企鵝後塵，在企鵝世界排行老二。

        破曉時分，我身着雨衣，穿行在福克蘭群島首府斯坦利“石地”貌似沼澤地的街道，一邊漫步閒逛，一邊等待導遊，斯坦利恰好座落於東福克蘭島風口浪尖上，我們打算從這裡出發，前往伯克利“白樺林”海峽鳳冠企鵝大本營觀察其生態環境。

        我跳上四輪驅動的越野車穿越穆雷爾“黑色”農場，跋涉在軟塌塌、松垮垮、濕淥淥、草絨絨的岩高蘭灌木叢中，一路上顛來晃去，非常刺激。遠處隱隱約約出現一些企鵝，我分不清是幻覺還是事實，等仔細看過去，它們像鬼一般消失得無影無蹤，不久車輪陷入泥潭，空轉打滑失去前進動力，這時我又聽到企鵝哭泣，看來這回不再來自個人幻覺。我顧不上考慮其它，一心只想着從泥巴里儘早解脫出來，好不容易抵達伯克利海峽時，沒想到迎候我的卻是一派狂風驟雨，我渾身上下淋得精透，眼下最想見識的就是企鵝如何從直起直落的懸崖頂端縱身飛躍茫茫大海撲捉食物。拖家帶口的企鵝蹲坐在岩石上，見我朝它們走來，立刻警覺起身側臉凝視前方，這些可愛的小東西名叫鳳冠企鵝，身高達1英寸／53公分，體重約5磅／2.3公斤，屬於17種企鵝個頭比較小的一類，生性恬靜，面對雨水騷擾毫無怨言。我想，如果它們的身材再魁梧出五倍，其尖利的橙色短喙、上挑的淡黃色卷眉、布滿血絲的紅眼珠子定會把人嚇個半死。

        直到越野車接我時，我這才鬆了口氣，在海邊岩石上逛盪久了，我的鼻子好像長出冰柱，手指頭凍得僵硬不聽使喚。不久麻煩來了，同行的四輛越野車中有兩輛深陷沼澤地里不能自拔，好在我的司機技高一籌，用一根長長的線繩使勁往外拉，終於幫他們擺脫困境。

        返程之路同樣濕潤泥濘，回到斯坦利港後，我們隨即與下午導遊會合，遊覽參觀海濱首府斯坦利。

        首先我們走進一座磚石砌成的大教堂，據說它為地球最南部的英國聖公會教堂，門外矗立著名的拱形紀念碑完全由兩個藍鯨顎骨建成，這個跨世紀國寶級標誌性建築被印在英制鈔票上，一隻黑貓正安詳地睡在足有100年歷史的天主教堂祭壇內，令我驚奇不已。

        接下來我們沿着郵局、警察局、解放紀念碑等轉了一圈，戶外博物園雖小，但其內有一隻活潑可愛的馴鹿和幾種當地鯨魚骨骼模型，平安夜裡聖誕老人把它留了下來。英國與阿根廷兩國發生火力爭端已過去了30年，至今島上仍然保留許多地雷區，“遊人免進”字樣的告示標誌隨處可見。

        最後，我們環繞斯坦利郊外港灣徒步行走長達幾個鐘頭，採摘野草花果，攝取廣譜天然維生素；遍足礁石旁、碼頭邊甚至沉船里，捕捉那些腦袋上好像纏有紅圍巾的岩鸕鶿倩影；陪同不善飛行的船鴨一起鴛鴦戲水，暢遊海濱。我們與麥哲倫“巨大”企鵝不期而遇，這些周身羽毛黑白相間的小傢伙一看見陌生人走近，以為饕餮之徒老鷹來臨，嚇得個個像松鼠似的，連忙跑回地洞躲了起來，我費了九牛二虎之力勾勒出海獅的身影，並指給媽媽來看，它的腦袋掩埋草叢，留在外面的大半個身子跟周圍岩石顏色相近，十分遮人眼目。這一路堅持下來並非輕而易舉，我拖着沉重的步伐，深一腳淺一腳的，濺給媽媽滿身泥水，有時候我腳上穿的鞋子深陷泥坑，不等拔出去泥巴便倒灌進來，幸運的是，媽媽帶來兩雙鞋子交替使用，可在回來的路上，我已經無法分辨它們之間有什麼差異。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2010: 節日聚會(Holiday Party)

2009: 澳洲塔斯馬尼亞荒原(Tasmania, Australia)

Stanley, Capital of Falkland Is, a Major Stop for Ships Navigating the Treacherous Straits of Magellan & a Base for Whaling & Sealing Operations 

(福克蘭群島首府斯坦利·航行於麥哲倫海峽危險水域船隻的主要停靠站 | 捕撈鯨豹的基地)

1982 Liberation Memorial Commemorating the British Forces in Liberating the Islands During the Falklands War  

(1982年解放紀念碑·紀念馬島戰爭期間解放該群島的英國軍隊 12-30-2012)

Christ Church Cathedral w/ a Whalebone Arch Constructed from the Jawbones of 2 Blue Whales, the Southernmost Anglican Cathedral in the World 

(基督大教堂·世上最南端的聖公會大教堂，擁有由兩頭藍鯨頜骨建造的鯨骨拱門 12-30-2012)

A Black Cat Slept w/ the Christ Child @ Christ Church Cathedral

(基督大教堂·黑貓睡在聖嬰身邊 12-30-2012)

Residential Area (居民區)

Police Station (警察署 12-30-2012)

Government House (總督府 12-30-2012)

Ross Road (羅斯“海岬”路 12-30-2012)

Whale Gun @ Falkland Islands Museum and National Trust 

(福克蘭群島博物館和國家信託基金會·鯨魚槍)

Sperm Whale Jaws @ Falkland Islands Museum and National Trust 

(福克蘭群島博物館和國家信託基金會·抹香鯨顎)

Skinny Reindeer (枯瘦如柴的馴鹿)

British Red Post in Stanley (斯坦利·英式紅郵筒)

Pasture for Sheep in Virtually the Entire Land Area of the Islands 

(綿羊牧場·全島幾乎所有陸地面積)

Diddle-Dee Shrubs (岩高蘭灌木叢)

SUV Stuck in Peat Bogs @ Murrell Farm

（穆雷爾農場·運動型多用途汽車深陷泥炭沼澤)

Telephone Rock (電話岩 12-30-2012)

Berkeley Sound, an "Undulating Land, w/ a Desolate & Wretched Aspect"

(伯克利海峽·“起伏的土地，荒涼而悽慘”)

Rockhopper Penguin Colony Feeding on Squid, Shrimps, & Small Crabs @ Berkeley Sound

(伯克利海峽·鳳冠企鵝大本營，以魷魚、蝦和小螃蟹為食 12-30-2013)

Rockhopper, the Smallest Falkland Penguin

(鳳冠企鵝·最小的福克蘭企鵝)

Rockhopper Penguin Egg (鳳冠企鵝蛋)

Rockhopper Penguin Chick under Mom's Belly

(鳳冠企鵝雛鳥依偎在媽媽腹下)

Trekking w/ Lady Elizabeth Shipwreck, an Old Whaler Wreck in Whalebone Cove off Stanley

(在斯坦利附近的鯨骨灣徒步穿越古老的“伊麗莎白夫人”號捕鯨沉船殘骸 12-30-2012)

Magellanic Penguins Burrow (麥哲倫企鵝洞穴)

Magellanic Penguins w/ Burrow-Nesting Habit

(麥哲倫企鵝·習於洞穴築巢)

Gazed Magellanic Penguins

(麥哲倫企鵝四處張望 12-30-2012)

Rock Cormorant, Good for Deep Diving

(岩鸕鶿·深海捕魚能手)

3 Rock Cormorants & a Juvenile (三隻岩鸕鶿與其雛鳥)

Hidden Sea Lion (藏身的海獅)

Female Steamer Duck, Flightless & Endemic to the Falkland Islands 

(雌蒸鴨·不會飛且為福克蘭群島特有物種)

Male Steamer Duck in Sexual Dimorphism w/ Striking Differences Between Males & Females

(雄蒸鴨·性別二態性)

Steamer Couples (蒸鴨夫妻)

Mother Steamer Duck Yelled to a Malevolent Seagull

(母蒸鴨向歹毒的海鷗發出警告)

Seaweed & Rocks on the Shore of  Port William

(威廉“堅定保護者”港海岸的海藻和岩石 12-30-2012)

King Penguins (王企鵝)

Flower Garden (花園)

Fox Gloves （毛地黃)

Yareta, a Unique, Cushion-Like Plant in S America

(亞雷塔“旱芹”·南美獨特的墊狀植物)

Snake Plant (虎尾蘭)

Dinner @ Star Princess

(“公主·星辰”號遊輪—晚餐 12-30-2012)

Crosslinks(相關博文):

Argentina(出遊阿根廷)

South America(漂流南美洲)

小學四年級(4th Grade)