世界上最狭长的国家―智利

翻译：方嘉乐

The World's Thinnest Country――Chile

or anyone who has ever been fascinated by geography, the long, impossibly thin line of Chile has always produced a moment of 1)astonishment. Chile stretches over 4,300km along the southwestern coast of South America, a distance roughly the same as that from San Francisco to New York. At the same time, its width never exceeds 240 km, making the country more than 18 times longer than its widest point.

The most obvious factor in Chile’s 2)remarkable 3)slenderness is the 4)massive and virtually 5)impassable wall of the 6)Andes, a mountain range that contains more than 50 active 7)volcanic peaks. In the center of the country, however, is a long and 8)expansive river valley, a 500-mile 9)corridor occupied in the north by 10)vineyards and great farms and in the south by 11)primeval forests and enchanting lakes.

Chile is a country of 12)startling contrasts and extreme beauty, with attractions ranging from the 13)towering volcanic peaks of the Andes to the ancient forests of the Lake District, which is the homeland of Chile’s 14)indigenous people, the Araucanians注1. Chile is famous as the location of Terres del Paine注2, considered to be the finest nature travel destination in all of South America.

Known as the City of Eternal Spring,Arica is located at the northern tip of Chile on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. It is blessed with a mild, dry climate and waters are warm enough for swimming, making it a popular, year-round beach resort. Historically, Arica was an important trade center for products from the 15)interior, and the Quechua and Aymara Indians见注1 still come to the city to sell traditional handicrafts. Arica is also a major transportation center, with international air links to 16)Bolivia and 17)Peru. Among adventure travelers, the city is best known as the starting point for 18)excursions into the Atacama Desert.

The coastal Atacama Desert is the driest in the world and almost totally 19)barren. The landscape of the moon offers an obvious comparison, except that the Atacama has its backdrop the towering Andes, which block tropical storms from the Amazon Basin to the east. During the time of El Nino注3, there can be 20)torrential rains in some areas of the desert, causing 21)flash floods and sudden, 22)ephemeral bursts of vegetation.

Santiago, the capital of Chile, is the fifth largest city in South America. Today, it is one of the most modern cities on the continent, home to nearly 5 million 23)inhabitants over a third of all Chileans. The city is one of the largest in South America and Chile’s center of commerce. Santiago is also the central point of a region filled with attractive sites and activities. Only 60 km away are the main South American ski centers, and the beautiful beaches of the Pacific are only an hour’s drive to the northwest. Just south of Santiago lie the rich and beautiful vineyards of the Maipo Valley, one of the world’s most 24)esteemed wine producing regions.

The very heart of Santiago is the Plaza de Armas, which lies along the Alameda about five blocks south of the river. The city’s European 25)heritage is evident in the Parque Forestal, designed by a French landscaper on the model of Parisian parks. For stunning views of the city, visitors should head to the top of Cerro San Cristobal, 26)accessible by bus, 27)funicular, or by a 28)vigorous hike.

The rich and apparently limitless nature of Parque Nacional Torres del Paine provides an ideal environment for observation and exploration. The 180,000-hectare park has been designated as a UNESCO 29)Biosphere Reserve, protecting the 30)guanaco that graze on the open 31)steppes and the shy Chilean deer. Birds are especially abundant.

Also part of Chile are two notable Pacific 32)possessions the Juan Fernandez Islands and the famous Easter Island, both of which are 33)administered as national parks. The mystery of Easter Island and its indigenous inhabitants has 34)intrigued travelers and 35)archaeologists for many years. Located 3,700 km off the west coast of Chile, Easter Island is the world’s most 36)isolated inhabited island. The island’s native name, Rapa Nui, is Polynesian. Isolated for centuries from the outside world, the people of Rapa Nui developed their own 37)distinctive culture, a culture perhaps best known by the moai, huge figures carved of volcanic rock. Hundreds of these sculpted 38)monoliths dot the landscape, some in 39)imposing rows, others 40)toppled, broken, and scarred by violence.

For those who enjoy traveling to remote unpopulated areas with snowcapped mountains, lakes, forests and 41)fjords, you should come to Chile. You will certainly fall in love with the country’s beautiful natural landscape right away.

对于任何着迷于地理学的人来说，智利那狭长无比，如同细线般的地形总令人惊讶不已。沿着南美洲的西南海岸，智利南北延伸4300公里以上，这一距离大概相当于从美国旧金山到纽约那么远。与此同时，智利的东西跨度绝不超过240公里，这使该国的南北长度要比东西最宽处长18倍。

造成智利如此显著的狭长地形的最主要原因是那座高耸巨大且根本无法通行的屏障―安第斯山脉。该山脉拥有50多个活火山。而在智利中部却是一个狭长且广阔的河谷，全长500英里的走廊地带分为两部分，北面分布着葡萄园和大农场，南面则是原始森林及迷人的湖泊。

智利是一个对比惊人且极度美丽的国度，从安第斯山脉高耸的火山到湖区的远古森林，到处都体现出智利的无穷魅力。湖区的远古森林还是智利土著居民―阿劳干人的集居地。智利因拥有被视为全南美洲最唯美的自然游目的地―托雷斯德尔佩恩国家公园而闻名遐迩。

被誉为“春城”的阿里卡位于智利北端的太平洋海滨上。其气候温和干燥，四季如春，海水温暖，适合畅泳，因而这里是个一年四季都很有人气的沙滩度假地。从历史上看，阿里卡曾是一个重要的国内商品集散地，如今盖丘亚族人与艾马拉人仍然来到这座城市售卖他们的传统手工艺品。阿里卡也是一个主要的交通中心，其国际航班可到达玻利维亚及秘鲁。对于冒险型旅行者来说，这座城市最有名的还是作为阿塔卡马沙漠之旅的起点。

沿海的阿塔卡马沙漠是“世界旱极”，那里可以说是个不毛之地。除了有高耸的安第斯山脉作为背景衬托，阿塔卡马的风光跟月球上的景致相似。安第斯山脉阻挡了来自东面亚马孙盆地的热带风暴。在厄尔尼诺现象期间，沙漠的某些地区会有大量降雨，造成洪水暴发，植物在短时间内突然茂盛起来。

智利首都圣地亚哥是南美洲第五大城市。如今，它已是全南美洲最现代化的城市之一，拥有近五百万居民―即超过三分之一的全国人口。圣地亚哥是南美洲最大的城市之一，它还是智利的商业中心，同时是一个汇集各式各样引人入胜的旅游景点与活动的中心地带。离市中心60公里远便是南美最主要的滑雪中心，而要到面向太平洋的美丽海滩只需朝西北方向开一个小时的车便可到达。位于圣地亚哥南面便是米埔谷那富饶美丽的葡萄园，这里是世界上最享誉盛名的葡萄酒产区之一。

圣地亚哥的市中心是位于河南面的武器广场，它沿着林荫路跨过五个街区。整座城市的欧洲遗迹在法国庭园设计师仿照巴黎公园模型设计的森林公园中尽显无遗。想看到绝佳的城市风景，游客应当登上圣母山的山顶一饱眼福，游客可以搭乘公交车、索道缆车或徒步登山。

自然资源丰富且风光无限的托雷斯德尔佩恩国家公园是户外观察与探险的理想之地。占地18万公顷的国家公园已被指定为联合国科教文组织生物圈保护区，受保护的动物包括在空旷草原上吃草的骆马以及害羞的智利鹿。另外，这里的鸟类资源也特别丰富。

智利还有两个著名的位于太平洋的所属地―胡安・费尔南德斯群岛和闻名的复活岛，两地都作为国家公园来管理。多年来，神秘的复活岛及其土著居民一直吸引着游客和考古学家。位于智利西海岸3700公里以外的复活岛是世界上最偏僻的有人居住的小岛。当地人称它为“拉帕努伊”，这是一个玻利尼西亚名字。“拉帕努伊”岛上的居民与外界隔绝了数个世纪，他们发扬了自己独特的文化，这种文化最出名的便可能是莫埃―用火山石雕成的巨型石像。数百个精雕细琢的独块巨石遍布在岛上，一些竖立着，排成壮丽的队列，一些则倒在地上，残缺不全，或留有暴力造成的伤痕。

如果你喜爱到遥远且人烟稀少的地方旅游，你应该到智利来游玩，这里有雪山、湖泊、森林以及海湾。你一定会马上爱上这个国度美丽的自然风光。