2014-01-03

【Aiden in English】

        If you love hippos, crocodiles, and aquatic birds, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in South Africa is the place to be, mainly when you happen to be in Zulu territory, on the outskirts of Richards Bay. Many animals reside there, and it was also declared a UNESCO Heritage Site.

        The iSimangaliso Wetland was well protected since St. Lucia Lake flourished with life with the help of a rich supply of fish. The hippos could be seen around every bend and came in pods of ten or twenty. Their giant heads would bob up and down. If you were lucky, you might even catch a yawn or two. The enormous mouth had teeth on both sides, and two big ones were in the front.

        If you liked the birds, this place would feel like a paradise. African Fish Eagles flew around while Pied Kingfishers searched for food. The sky was filled with a spectacular variety of birds. The yellow weaver is the most common, which you would also find on the reeds. The ever-hyper little birds nested in colonies woven from the cattail-like, delicate leaf fibers. They shot around, looking for insects.

        iSimangaliso Wetland Park turned out to be a fantastic place. The ecosystem was so lively that you couldn't help exploring it. Out of all these animals, there was no way to compare them. It was impossible to say which was the best unless you encountered a crocodile. If you saw one, you'd better watch out.

        In 1999, iSimangaliso Wetland Park was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

【红霞译】

        如果你喜爱河马、鳄鱼以及水鸟动物，那麽南非伊西曼格利索“奇迹”湿地公园应该属於零距离接触它们的理想场所，特别当你访问理查兹“坚强统治者”湾远郊南非人口最多的祖鲁“天堂”族领地，有几个理由叫你非去不可，它不仅动物品种繁多，而且还成为联合国科教文组织《世界遗产名录》之一。

        伊西曼格利索湿地之所以得到如此厚爱，主要因为圣卢西亚“光明”湖水产丰富，河马无处不在，10个或20个成群结队游荡湖中，大脑袋上下摆动。如果你有幸碰到它们打个哈欠，硕大的嘴巴里两颗犬齿格外抢眼。

        倘若你为鸟类爱好者，伊西曼格利索湿地公园无疑是飞禽生活的天堂。吼海雕鹰击长空，斑鱼狗翩翩起舞，这里各种鸟类荟萃，到处呈现“莺歌燕舞春无限”的美好景象。最常见的当属织巢鸟，芦苇丛中屡见不鲜，这些欢蹦乱跳的小东西群居在用香蒲状的细叶纤维编织的鸟窝，昆虫逃不过它们敏锐的眼光。

        伊西曼格利索大湿地公园的确是一个难得的好地方，活龙活现的生态系统令人心向往之，每个动物都各有特色，很难说谁比谁更为上乘，除非你遇到了鳄鱼。如果真是那样，你千万要小心为妙。

        1999年，伊西曼格利索被联合国教科文组织纳入《世界遗产名录》。

Today in History(历史上的今天):

2013: Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay(乌拉圭殖民圣镇)

2011: 算命先生(Fortune Teller)

2009: 祝愿孩子(Wish)

Richards Bay, the Largest Export Coal Terminal in the World

(理查兹湾·世上最大的煤炭出口码头)

Breakwaters Constructed in 1976 Using South African Invented Dolosse "Large Concrete Blocks" 

(防波堤·建于1976年，使用南非发明的多洛斯“大型混凝土块”)

Zulu Tribe Dominating Southeastern under the Leadership of Shaka Zulu, & for Being a Dominant Group in Modern South Africa

(祖鲁部落——以沙卡·祖鲁“肠甲虫·天堂”为首统治非洲东南部，并为现代南非的主导群体)

Mandela Housing in a Zulu Village

(祖鲁村·曼德拉民居)

Savanna Covered Hills @ the Zulu Kingdom

(祖鲁王国·疏林草原覆盖的山丘)

Zulu Natives (祖鲁土著人)

iSimangalisoWetland (伊西曼格利索湿地)

Mapelane Nature Reserve (枫香自然保护区)

Eucalyptus Forest (桉树林)

Timber Industry (伐木工业)

iSimangaliso Wetland Park (伊西曼格利索湿地公园)

Zulu Street Performers (祖鲁街头艺人)

Woodland @ iSimangaliso Wetland Park

 (伊西曼格利索湿地公园·树林)

African Fish Eagle (非洲海雕)

Pied Kingfisher (斑鱼狗)

Weaved Nest w/ Narrow Entrances Facing downward

(编织巢入口狭窄朝下)

Yellow Weaver Weaving Nest by a Male Bird & Using as a Form of Display to Lure Prospective Females

(雄性黄织巢鸟正在筑巢·雄鸟将草窝用作展示形式来吸引潜在的雌鸟)

Crocodile (鳄鱼)

Hippopotamus Pod (河马群)

Mostly Submerged Hippos w/ Exposed Eyes, Ears, & Nostrils 

(河马身体大部分没入水中，但眼睛、耳朵和鼻孔暴露在外)

Hippo Showing Tusk for Demonstration of Its Strength & Aggressiveness 

(河马·打哈欠以显示自己的力量和侵略性)

Hippo Tusk (河马牙 01-03-2014)

Crosslinks(相关博文):

South Africa(出游南非)

Across the Indian Ocean(穿越印度洋)

Africa (漫游非洲)

5th Grade(小学五年级)