You have probably never been to Iceland, but you might have seen its fascinating scenery at the movies or on TV. Maybe you were impressed by the green landscape in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty or the breathtaking glaciers and ice-covered mountains of the North in Game of Thrones. Due to its natural wonders, this island has become a favorite location of many movie directors. Iceland has a unique combination of geographical features that include volcanic terrain as well as glaciers. This has earned it the nickname of the Land of Fire and Ice.
你可能從來都沒有去過冰島，但是你可能有在電影或電視上面看過它絕美的景色。也許你對於《白日夢冒險王》那片綠油油的景色印象深刻，或難以忘懷在《權力遊戲》裡北方令人屏息的冰河與冰雪覆蓋的山峰。因為其自然奇景，這座島嶼已經變成許多電影導演最愛的拍攝景點之一。冰島是各種地理景觀的獨特結合，其中包含了火山地貌與冰河。這讓它贏得了「冰與火之國」的外號。
The "fire" is mostly underground. The geothermal energy that lies beneath this chilly island has led to the formation of some distinctive tourist attractions. One of the most popular sightseeing spots is Iceland's second largest but most active geyser, Strokkur, which sprays boiling liquid twenty meters into the air every four to ten minutes. Also, no trip to Iceland will be complete without a visit to the Blue Lagoon, where you can bathe in the mineral-rich hot spring water, and apply silica mud to your face and body to cleanse your skin.
那些「火」主要都在地底下。位於這個嚴寒島嶼地底下的地熱能量造就了一些獨特旅遊景點的形成。其中一個最熱門的景點就是冰島第二大卻是最活躍的間歇泉：斯特羅柯間歇泉，這座間歇泉每四到十分鐘會向空中噴發二十公尺高的滾燙液體。還有，沒去過藍湖，冰島之旅就不算是完整，在那裡，你可以浸泡在富含礦物質的溫泉水裡，並且將矽土塗抹在臉部及全身來淨化皮膚。
If you are feeling energetic, you can follow the hiking trails through Thingvellir National Park, which lies in the region where the Eurasian and North American plates are drifting apart from each other. Did you know that, because of this action, Iceland is expanding at the rate of two centimeters a year? If that doesn't excite you, you couldn't but be impressed by a stroll along the black sand beach at Vík, where magnificent rocks are tidily placed and strong waves splash against the black volcanic pebbles. Legend has it that the stone pillars in the sea used to be little trolls. They were ordered by the gods to pull a big ship to the shore before sunrise. They failed and were turned to stone as a result.
如果你精力充沛，可以沿著辛格維利爾國家公園的健行步道踏青，這條步道所在地區位於歐亞板塊與北美板塊彼此越漂越開的地方。你知道就是因為這樣的板塊漂移，冰島正以每年兩公分的速度擴張當中嗎？如果這個還不讓你感到興奮，你絕對會對漫步在維克的黑色沙灘上印象深刻，在那裡，壯麗的岩柱整齊劃一地排列著，而強勁的海浪拍打著黑色的火山鵝卵石。傳說中，海中的石柱曾經是小精靈。他們被眾神命令在日出前把一艘大船拉上岸。他們失敗了，因此被變成了石頭。
Besides the fires beneath, the ice that covers much of the island creates some awe-inspiring landscapes. On the surface of Vatnajokull, the largest glacier in Iceland, hiking, snowmobile rides, and ice climbing are all popular activities. You can also observe the incredible structure of a glacier and drink pure glacial water on a tour through an ice cave. What's more, many visitors can't help being fascinated by the sight of the bright blue icebergs floating ashore at Diamond Beach on Jokulsárlón, a lake formed from melting ice at the head of a glacier.
除了在地底下的火之外，覆蓋幾乎全島的冰雪更是創造了令人敬畏的景觀。在瓦特納冰原的表層上，也就是全冰島最大的冰川，健行、雪上摩托之旅與攀冰都是很熱門的活動。你也可以在去冰洞的行程中，觀察冰河令人難以置信的結構，及飲用純淨的冰河水。再者，有許多遊客忍不住對於在傑古沙龍冰河湖的鑽石海灘上，那些漂浮靠岸的藍色發光冰山著迷不已，該湖泊是一座由冰河前端的融冰所形成的湖泊。
Glacial activity has forged countless deep valleys, and a trip would not be half the fun without a glimpse of some of the impressive waterfalls contained within them, such as Dettifoss. Named "the Beast," this is the most powerful waterfall in Europe. Not far away from the Beast is Godafoss, the waterfall of the gods. It is said that Icelanders, even after converting to Christianity, tossed statues and totems of the old gods into the pool at its base as a way of continuing to honor them. Maybe you will sense the spirits of Odin or Thor during your visit.
冰河活動造就了無數的深谷，而且如果沒有一窺其中一些令人印象深刻的瀑布的話，像是黛提瀑布，冰島之旅的樂趣將大大減低。名為「野獸」，這是歐洲最大的瀑布。離「野獸」不遠之處有座高莎瀑布，也就是眾神的瀑布。傳說冰島人，甚至在改信基督教之後，把舊神祉的雕像與圖騰丟入瀑布底的池子，作為持續崇敬祂們的一種方式。也許你會在拜訪的時候感受到奧丁或索爾的聖靈哦。
From Batman Begins to Captain America: Civil War, the stunning natural scenery of Iceland has provided a background scenery for many recent movies. Therefore, it's no surprise that more and more tourists are eager to see the amazing wonders of the Land of Fire and Ice with their own eyes. You might never end up appearing in a science fiction movie, but a trip to Iceland can make you feel like you're part of one.
從《蝙蝠俠：開戰時刻》到《美國隊長：英雄內戰》，冰島令人驚豔的自然風景為許多近年來的電影提供了場景。因此，可想而知越來越多觀光客熱切想要親自一睹這個冰與火之國的美景。你可能永遠無法在科幻電影之中摻一腳，但是一趟冰島之旅可以讓你彷彿置身其中。
- breathtaking [ˋbrɛθ͵tekɪŋ] adj.
令人屏息的
What I remember most about my trip to Nepal is the breathtaking scenery of the Himalayas. - glacier [ˋgleʃɚ] n.
冰河
These two photographs show how much the glacier has melted due to climate change. - glacial [ˋgleʃəl] adj.
冰河的
The type and shape of these rocks indicate that there was glacial activity in this region during the last Ice Age. - geographical [dʒɪəˋgræfɪk!] adj.
地理學的，地理的
Professor Morley has extensive geographical knowledge of this region, which he has studied for over 40 years. - geography [ˋdʒɪˋɑgrəfɪ] n.
地理學
In geography class today we learned about different types of climate. - volcanic [vɑlˋkænɪk] adj.
火山的
People on the island are being advised to leave to escape from a possible volcanic eruption. - volcano [vɑlˋkeno] n.
火山
Mt. Etna is an active volcano on the Italian island of Sicily. - nickname [ˋnɪk͵nem] n.
外號，綽號
In World War Two, Erwin Rommel was a German general whose nickname was "the Desert Fox" because of his success in North Africa. - chilly [ˋtʃɪlɪ] adj.
寒冷的，涼颼颼的
The weather is expected to turn chilly on the weekend, and we might need our coats when we go out. - formation [fɔrˋmeʃən] n.
形成；結構
Strong winds high in the atmosphere sometimes cause the formation of unusually shaped clouds.
At the beach we noticed a large rock formation that looked a little like a monkey's head. - distinctive [dɪˋstɪŋktɪv] adj.
有特色的，特殊的
The man is easy to recognize because there is a distinctive purple mark on his forehead. - distinct [dɪˋstɪŋkt] adj.
與其他不同的，有區別的
These monkeys have a large nose that makes them distinct from similar species. - distinction [dɪˋstɪŋkʃən] n.
卓越；區別，不同點
Though she didn't win first prize, Irene performed with distinction in the speech contest.
There is a clear distinction between disliking a task and being unable to do it. - sightseeing [ˋsaɪt͵siɪŋ] n.
觀光，遊覽
Tomorrow we are leaving for Europe on a 15-day sightseeing trip. - spray [spre] v.
噴灑
The kids were having fun in the backyard, spraying water at each other. - spray [spre] n.
水花
Tommy got soaked by the spray from a passing truck on the wet road. - mineral [ˋmɪnərəl] n.
礦物
The country's economy depends on its mineral resources, including oil and coal. - mineral [ˋmɪnərəl] adj.
礦物的，礦質的
The only thing Belinda drinks during the day is bottled mineral water. - trail [trel] n.
（鄉間或林間）小道
If you follow this trail, you will reach the mountain peak in about an hour. - splash [splæʃ] v.
激起水花；（使）（液體）濺潑
The kids are all in the yard, splashing around in the pool.
Don't splash that juice on your computer keyboard, or you might damage it. - splash [splæʃ] n.
濺潑聲
Tony completely messed up his dive and hit the water with a loud splash. - pebble [ˋpɛb!] n.
卵石，礫石
While walking on the beach, we saw many beautiful colored pebbles. - pillar [ˋpɪlɚ] n.
（建築物的）柱子，支柱
These huge stone pillars are all that remain of the ancient temple. - incredible [ɪnˋkrɛdəb!] adj.
難以置信的
We all watched in astonishment at the dancer's incredible performance. - incredibly [ɪnˋkrɛdəblɪ] adv.
極為，相當
The film was incredibly boring, and I don't know how I stayed awake through it. - iceberg [ˋaɪs͵bɝg] n.
冰山
The sinking of the Titanic in 1912 took place just after the ship struck an iceberg. - melt [mɛlt] v.
（使）融化
The refrigeration system in the delivery van broke down, and all the ice cream melted.
Susan realized that her body heat was melting the bar of chocolate in her pocket. - forge [fɔrdʒ] v.
鍛造
In ancient times, skilled workers in this castle forged strong weapons from iron. - glimpse [glɪmps] n.
一瞥，瞥見
Paula stood outside the hotel all morning, hoping to catch a glimpse of her favorite pop star. - convert [kənˋvɝt] v.
改變信仰；轉換
Sam was brought up as a Christian but he recently converted to Islam.
Our next-door neighbor has converted the cabin in his garden into an office. - toss [tɔs] v.
拋，扔，投
The bride tossed her flowers into the crowd of guests, and it was her sister who caught them. - statue [ˋstætʃʊ] n.
雕像，塑像
It's a statue of King Frank, who ruled this country in the 15th century. - stunning [ˋstʌnɪŋ] adj.
絕美的，極漂亮的
As the bus went round a corner, we stared in wonder at the stunning scenery in front of us. - drift apart
逐漸變得遙遠
After the ship sank, the survivors were in two lifeboats, which slowly drifted apart on the ocean. - at the rate of
按...之速度，按...比率
People in the region are dying at the rate of more than a thousand a day due to the famine. - Legend has it that...
據傳說...
Legend has it that this old house is haunted by a mischievous ghost. - as a result
結果，因此
Eric lost his job and couldn't pay his rent as a result.
