Extraordinary Rainbows of the Natural World自然界的别样“彩虹”

Imagine a world where the mountains are striped1) with candy colours and people are dwarfed2) by the landscape's immensity. Such a place exists in China's northwestern Gansu Province， where 24 million years of vibrant3) stone and mineral deposits4) have created rainbow-striped mountains.

The tinted5) peaks were fashioned by uplift from the Earth's tectonic plates6)—the same ones that formed parts of the Himalayan range—while rain， wind， and erosion shaped them into the jagged7) world seen today. Located around the city of Zhangye， the area covers more than 10 sqkm and the vista8) is most dazzling after a rainfall， when the colours glow even brighter than usual.

想象这样一个世界：群山上布满五彩缤纷的糖果色条纹，人在这种壮阔景色的映衬下变得渺小。在中国西北部的甘肃省就有这样一个地方， 2400万年来活跃的岩石和矿物沉积造就了这里身披彩虹色条纹的群山。

这些色彩斑斓的山峰是由于地球板块抬升而形成的，造就喜马拉雅山脉部分地段的也正是这些板块。经过风吹雨打和侵蚀，这些山峰就形成了我们今天看到的山峦起伏的样子。该地位于张掖市附近，面积超过十平方公里。雨后群山的颜色甚至比平时更加亮丽，此时的景致最为迷人。

In the language of the Afar people， Dallol means disintegrated9). So it makes sense that Ethiopia's Dallol Volcano is less a volcano than a sunken crater. Caused by groundwater and magma10) colliding， sulphur11)， iron oxide， salt， and other minerals have created the vivid greens and neon12) yellows that form one of the most remote， untouched， and ethereal13) natural rainbows in the world.

Dallol lies near the border of Eritrea in an area that was closed to foreigners until 2001. Even today it is prudent14) to travel with an armed guard， as border tensions persist and kidnappings have been known to happen. Because of this， only a few hundred visitors make it to this remarkable landscape every year—which is probably for the best considering the fragility of the landform， the toxic gases， and the temperatures that average above 30℃.在阿法尔人的语言中，“达洛尔”意为“崩塌的”。这样就不难理解为什么埃塞俄比亚的达洛尔火山更像是一个凹陷的坑洞，而不像是一座火山。受地下水与岩浆的碰撞的影响，硫、氧化铁、盐及其他矿物质共同呈现出鲜绿和霓虹黄的色彩，从而造就了世界上最偏远的、未经破坏、恍若仙境的自然彩色景观之一。

达洛尔火山位于厄立特里亚边界附近，所处的那片区域直到2001年才向外国人开放。由于两国边境局势持续紧张，常有绑架事件发生，即使在今天，带着武装警卫到该地游览才是谨慎之举。正因如此，每年只有几百人能成功目睹达洛尔火山的壮美景色——鉴于此地易被破坏的地貌、各种有毒的气体和平均30℃以上的气温，这或许是件再好不过的事情。Wyoming's Ultimate Spring 美国怀俄明州的极品温泉Yellowstone's Grand Prismatic15)， named for its brilliant colouration， is the largest hot spring in the US—its 370 ft diameter put into perspective16) by the paved walkway visible near the photo's top. The colour spectrum17) that ranges from deep blue to burnt red is the product of trillions of thermophiles18)， or bacterial microorganisms， which flourish in hot waters. Different temperatures determine the hue19)， and the centre's blue is the result of extreme heat that leaves the bacteria sterile20). Grand Prismatic is one of many coloured springs in Yellowstone and draws millions of visitors every year. 黄石公园的大棱镜温泉因颜色绚丽而得名，是美国最大的温泉，其直径达370英尺(编注：约113米)，靠近右图上方可以看见的人工走道可做参照。大棱镜温泉的颜色从深蓝色到火焰红不等，是在生长于温泉中数以万亿计的嗜热菌或细菌微生物的作用下产生的，这些微生物在温泉中大量生长。水温不同，温泉的颜色就不同。而温泉中心呈现蓝色是因为那里的水温极高，细菌无法存活。大棱镜温泉是黄石公园众多的彩色温泉之一，每年吸引数百万游客前来参观。1.striped [stra#618;pt] adj. 有条纹的；条纹状的

2.dwarf [dw#596;#720;f] vt. (相比之下)使显得矮小；使相形见绌

3.vibrant: 请参见P57注释32

4.deposit [d#618;#712;p#594;z#618;t] n. 沉积物

5.tinted [t#618;nt#618;t] adj. 带色的

6.tectonic plate: 【地】(地壳)构造板块

7.jagged [#712;d#658;#230;ɡ#618;d] adj. 凹凸不平的

8.vista [#712;v#618;st#601;] n. [雅]景观；景色；全景

9.disintegrate [d#618;s#712;#618;nt#618;ɡre#618;t] vt. 【地】使(岩石)崩解，使剥蚀

10.magma [#712;m#230;ɡm#601;] n. 【地】岩浆

11.sulphur [#712;s#652;lf#601;(r)] n. 【化】硫，硫黄

12.neon [#712;ni#720;#594;n] adj. 霓虹的

13.ethereal [i#712;θ#618;#601;ri#601;l] adj. 天上的，非人间的

14.prudent [#712;pru#720;dnt] adj. 审慎的；精明的

15.prismatic [pr#618;z#712;m#230;t#618;k] adj. 三棱镜的；光彩夺目的

16.put into perspective: 与……相对照