广阔的非洲大地绚丽多彩，极具自然之美。 它东临印度洋，西接大西洋，上承地中海与欧洲相 望，东北以红海和著名的苏伊士运河与亚洲相邻； 地形以高原为主；属热带雨林和热带草原气候。非 洲南北跨越了72个纬度，最长达8100公里；东西约 跨69个经度，最大宽度7500公里。赤道横贯非洲大 陆中部，将其一分为二。非洲是世界第二大洲，面 积达3020万平方公里，人口约5.53亿。 本章里，编者将呈现给你10处不得不说的非 洲自然景观。有人说非洲因自然、原始而美丽。其 实，美不美，任评说。
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01
世界最长河——尼罗河
The Nile is famous as the longest river in the world. The river got its name from the Greek word "Neilos", which means valley. The Nile floods the lands in Egypt, leaving behind black sediment. That’s why the ancient Egyptians named the river "Ar", meaning black.
The Nile River is actually 6,695 kilometers (4,184 miles) long. With such a long length, the Nile River is
speculated to be the longest river in the world. The
Amazon River runs a very close second, although it has been difficult to determine which is actually longer. While the Nile River is often associated with Egypt, it actually touches Ethiopia, Zaire, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Sudan, as well as Egypt. It’s only recent that the first known navigation team successfully followed the river from beginning to its end.
The Nile River has played an extremely important role in the civilization, life and history of the Egyptian nation. One of the most well known river Nile facts is the river’s ability to produce extremely fertile soil, which made it easy for cities and civilizations to spring up alongside the banks of the Nile. The fertile soil is contributed by the annual spring floods, when the Nile River overflows onto the banks. Much of the Egyptian nation consists of dry desert land. Throughout most of the year, very little rain falls on Egyptian deserts. This has remained true for thousands of years. The abundant Nile River provided much needed irrigation, even in ancient times. This waterway also provided a source of drinking water, and source of irrigation for farming as well as papyrus reeds that could be used for a variety of purposes such as paper and building materials.
The Nile Crocodile has been a major component of the Egyptian culture and way of life since the first
尼 罗 河 有 “ 世 界 最 长 河 ” 之 称 ， 其 名 称 来 源 于 希 腊 语 “Neilos”，意思为“山谷”。尼罗 河经常泛滥淹没埃及的土地，留下 黑色的沉积物。古埃及人因此将它 命名为“Ar”，意思为“黑色”。 尼 罗 河 实 际 长 约 6 6 9 5 公 里 （4184英里）。正因如此之长，它 被看作是世界最长河。亚马逊河紧 随其后，是世界第二长河，实际上 很难决定到底哪条河更长一些。人 们经常将尼罗河与埃及联系起来， 事实上，它除了埃及之外，还流经 埃塞俄比亚、扎伊尔、肯尼亚、乌 干达、坦桑尼亚、卢旺达、布隆迪 和苏丹。第一个航海队从头到尾沿 此河流进行航行也是近几年的事。 尼罗河在埃及人的文明、生 活和历史中扮演着非常重要的角 色。其中最为人所熟知的就是尼罗 河可以形成十分肥沃的土壤，这为 尼罗河两岸城市和文明的兴起提供 了条件。每年春天尼罗河泛滥，淹 没河岸两旁的土地，就形成了肥沃 的土壤。而埃及大部分土地都是干 旱的沙漠，这些地方几千年来终年 少雨。即使是在古代，充沛的尼罗 河水也提供了必要的灌溉水源。同 时，它还为人们提供了饮用水，为 农业和纸莎草提供了灌溉用水。纸 莎草有很多用途，可用来造纸和生 产建筑材料。 自从第一批埃及人在尼罗河 两岸肥沃的土地上定居以来，尼
Egyptians settled along the fertile banks of the Nile. Most Nile Crocodiles are approximately 4 meters in length, although some have been reported as longer. The animals make their nests along the banks of the Nile River, where the female may lay up to 60 eggs at one time. About three months later the babies are born and are taken to the water by their mother. They will remain with her for at least two years before reaching maturity.
Not only is the Nile River one of the main rivers of Egypt, but many would in fact; say it is the primary river of Egypt. The Nile River has certainly played a critical role in the history of this mysterious nation.
Today, exotic and sophisticated cities like Cairo grace the banks of the Nile River, as they have for thousands of years. Individuals interested in experiencing the Nile up close and personal can journey along the famous river aboard riverboats and cruises that depart from numerous cities along the bank.
罗鳄就成为了埃及文明和生活方式 的重要组成部分。大部分尼罗鳄 长约4米，据报道，有些尼罗鳄甚 至更长。 这种生物栖息在尼罗河 两岸，雌性尼罗鳄一次可产卵60 枚。大约三个月后，小鳄鱼就会孵 化出来，由母亲带至水中。在完全 长大之前，它们至少会有两年的时 间留在母亲身边。 尼罗河是埃及的主要河流之 一，埃及境内还有很多其他河流，但 尼罗河是埃及最主要的河流。毫无疑 问，尼罗河在这个神秘国度的历史长 河中起到了非常重要的作用。 今天，像开罗一样繁华的大 都市使尼罗河两岸绚丽夺目，几千 年来都是这样。尼罗河两岸的城市 周围停泊着许多巡航船，想要近距 离亲身体验尼罗河的人可以乘坐这 些船只尽情欣赏沿岸美景。 词汇
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ocabulary sediment：沉积物 sophisticated：复杂的 speculate：推断、推测 cruise：巡洋舰 navigation：航海 depart：离开 exotic：别致的、漂亮的 numerous：大量的 背景知识p
rofile 壮观的卫星地球照片 美国宇航局网站上一个将不同的卫星及各类太空任务拍摄的地球图片收集到一起的栏 目——“地球天文台”评选出了10张最壮观的卫星地球照片。其中就有尼罗河沉积平原。 苏丹南部的喀土穆是白尼罗河和蓝尼罗河汇合之处，在此处的阿尔戈齐拉州形成了壮 观的沉积平原。02
非洲屋脊——乞力马扎罗山
Mount Kilimanjaro lies on the border of Tanzania and Kenya, just south of the Equator. To the west lies the Great African Rift Valley, created by tremendous
tectonic forces which also gave birth to a string of
other volcanoes. One of these, Mount Kenya, was originally much higher than Mount Kilimanjaro.
The three summits of Mount Kilimanjaro, Shira, Kibo and Mawenzi are all of very recent origin. Shira and Mawenzi both have suffered considerable
erosion and only jagged peaks remain. Kibo, the
central, youngest and highest peak has survived as an almost perfect cone.
Although East Africa and nearby Olduvai Gorge is thought to be the cradle of mankind it is unlikely that early man would have been attracted to the steep and cold slopes of Kilimanjaro at a time when it was probably very active and dangerous. A Wachagga legend talks of Mawenzi receiving fire for its pipe from his younger brother Kibo. The Wachagga who live on the fertile volcanic soils around the base of the mountain probably only came to the area about 300 years ago thus this legend suggests very recent activity. Another of their legends talks of demons and evil spirits living on the mountain and guarding
immense treasures. Stories are told of a king who
decided to go to the top, few of his party survived and those who did had damaged arms and legs.
Arab and Chinese traders and historians make mention of a giant mountain lying inland from Mombasa or Zanzibar but few early traders ventured into the interior of the continent. Slave traders passed below it and sometimes raided the villages of the Wachagga but it was not till the middle of the 19th century that a more serious interest was taken in the
乞力马扎罗山坐落于坦桑尼亚和 肯尼亚边境，正好位于赤道南部。西部 是由地壳运动的巨大力量而形成的东非 大裂谷。同时，地壳运动还形成了其他 火山。其中之一就是肯尼亚山，最初它 比乞力马扎罗山还要高得多。 乞力马扎罗山的三个顶峰分别是 希拉、基博和马温西，它们都是近代 才形成的。希拉峰和马温西峰都经过 了较大程度的侵蚀，只剩下参差不齐 的峰顶了。位于中央的基博峰年代最 新，也最高，几乎完美地保留了最初 的圆锥形。 尽管东非及其附近的奥杜威峡 谷被认为是人类文明的摇篮，但早期 的人类恐怕不可能将陡峭寒冷的乞力 马扎罗山归于此类，因为那时它很可 能还在活动，非常危险。当地瓦恰人 的一个传说中提到马温西峰正在从它 的弟弟基博峰那里取火点烟。瓦恰人 居住在山峰底部肥沃的土地上，他们 来到这里也仅仅只有大约三百年的时 间，因此这个传说表明这座山在近代 曾经活动过。还有一个传说是关于住 在山上守护大量宝物的妖魔鬼怪的。 此外，很多故事讲到了有一个国王决 心到达山顶，结果整个队伍几乎无一 生还，而那些回来的人不是断了手臂 就是断了腿。 阿拉伯和中国商人以及历史学 家们都曾经提到在蒙巴萨和桑给巴尔 地区有一个巨大的山脉，但是早期的 商人中几乎没有人敢冒险到达大陆内 部。奴隶贩子曾从山下经过，有时甚
mountain and attempts were made to scale it. In 1848 Johann Rebmann a missionary from Gerlingen in Germany while crossing the plains of Tsavo saw Mount Kilimanjaro. His guide talked of the cold, and of tales how a group of porters were sent up the mountain to bring back the silver or other treasures from the summit. They came back only with water. Rebmann’s report stimulated great interest in Germany and in the following years several expeditions were organised; first by Baron von Decken then later by Dr. Hans Meyer who finally stood on the highest point on the 5th of October 1889.
Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, now attracts many thousands of walkers each year. On the 1st of January 2000 over 1000 people reached the summit to see the sun rise over a new
Millennium. 至突袭瓦恰人的村庄。但直到19世纪 中期，人们才开始对这座山脉着实产 生了兴趣，并试图进行攀登。 1848年，一位名叫约翰·雷布曼来 自德国盖林根的传教士经过察沃平原 时，看到了乞力马扎罗山。他的向导 给他讲述了这里的寒冷以及一群搬运 工曾被派往山上从山顶取回银子及其 他珠宝，结果却只带回来水的故事。 雷德曼的报告引起了德国人的强烈兴 趣，在接下来的几年中，先后有几个 探险队被组织起来，第一个是由戴肯 男爵组织的，之后是由汉斯·迈尔博士 组织的。迈尔于1889年10月5日首次 登上最高峰。 乞力马扎罗山是非洲的最高峰， 每年都吸引着成千上万的游客。2000 年1月1日，有1000多人爬到顶峰迎接 千禧年的日出。 词汇
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ocabulary rift：裂缝 cradle：摇篮 tectonic：地壳构造的 immense：巨大的 summit：峰顶 raid：突袭 erosion：侵蚀、腐蚀 porter：搬运工 jagged：边缘不整齐的 millennium：千禧年 背景知识p
rofile 乞力马扎罗的雪 艺术作品 《乞力马扎罗的雪》是海明威的一部中篇小说，也是其最优秀的文学作品之一。后被 改编成电影。 故事通过睡梦中和醒时的两股意识流，相互交叉，相互转化；充分地描写了“死”， 并采用了象征手法进一步深化了死亡。海明威的创作态度十分严肃，一贯反复地修改自己的作品。他喜爱马克·吐温，并深 受其影响。文体清秀、流畅明亮，这也是他语言艺术的风格。然而，最突出反映他创作特 色的，还是作品中大多数人物都有颇带孤独感的内心独白，即长篇的心理描写，实际上也 就是后来发展称为“意识流”的手法。从思想意义上看，他的人物或多或少地存在着悲观 主义色彩，反映了他世界观的局限。 电影《乞力马扎罗的雪》是根据海明威作品改编的，是由格里高利·派克(Gregory Peck)、苏珊·海华德(Susan Hayward) 、艾娃·加德纳(Ava Gardner)主演。本片曾获最佳摄影 金像奖及年度十大卖座影片提名。 现实 乞力马扎罗山有两个主峰，一个叫乌呼鲁，另一个叫马文济，两峰之间有一个10多公 里长的马鞍形的山脊相连。根据气候的山地垂直分布规律，乞力马扎罗山的基本气候由山 脚向上至山顶，分别是热带雨林气候至冰原气候。风景包括赤道至两极的基本植被。 近年来，海拔5896米的非洲第一高峰——乞力马扎罗山山顶积雪融化、冰川消融现 象非常严重，在过去的80年内冰川已经萎缩了80%以上。有环境专家指出，乞力马扎罗雪 顶可能将在10年内彻底融化消失，届时乞力马扎罗山独有的“赤道雪山”奇观将与人类 告别。
03
惊异而神奇——东非大裂谷
Stretching for over 3, 600 miles (5, 950 km) across the African continent, from the Dead Sea in Southwest Asia to Mozambique in Southeast Africa, the Great Rift Valley is truly an amazing natural attraction. The Great Rift Valley is a result of tectonic activty in the earth’s
crust and was created due to drifting and separation
of the African and Arabian tectonic plates around 35 million years ago. Its width widely varies according to changing location, ranging between 31km and 100 km. The Great Rift Valley is home to spectacular glaciers, volcanoes, depressions and lakes, offering some of the most breathtaking scenery on the earth. The Great
东非大裂谷从亚洲西南部的死海 一直延伸至非洲东南部的莫桑比克， 全长3600英里（5950千米），直跨 非洲大陆，是一处令人叹为观止的自 然景观。东非大裂谷是地壳运动的结 果，由3500万年前非洲板块和阿拉 伯板块的飘移和分离造成的。裂谷宽 度由于所在位置不同变化幅度很大， 在31千米到100千米之间。东非大裂 谷内有很多冰川、火山、洼地和湖 泊，形成了世界上最壮观的景色。东 非大裂谷还因其独特的生态系统而闻
Rift Valley is also renowned for its unique ecosystem, having some of the finest wildlife parks in Africa. The Great Rift Valley in Africa also offers excellent conditions for hiking, trekking, rock climbing, mountain biking and much more. So whether you’re an adventure seeker, a wildlife enthusiast or nature lover, the Great Rift Valley in Africa is truly a destination to be in, at least once in your life.
Though one can find breathtaking scenery all along the Great Rift Valley, it’s at its scenic best in Kenya. Near the famous Nakuru Lake its width is around 45 km, where you can see both walls of this astonishing fissure on the planet earth. Among must-see attractions in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya include the Lake Naivasha, Lake Elementeita, Lake Baringo, all known for their scenic beauty as well as rich and diverse avifauna, including flamingoes. Other major tourist attractions in the valley are the Mount Longonot National Park, Lake Nakuru National Park, Hell’s Gate National Park, Lake Bogoria National Park and the renowned Samburu Game Reserve. The wildlife in the Great Rift Valley region is unique and varied that include the endangered Colobus Monkey, Black Rhinos, Grevy’s Zebras, Reticulated Giraffe, Zebra Mouse, and Lesser Kudu Antelopes. Lions, Elephants, Leopards, Giraffes, Gazelles, Hippos, Antelopes, Monkeys, Buffalos, and Impalas are also commonly found in the region. Thousands of adventure seekers and nature lovers travel to the Great African Rift Valley from all over the world every year.
名于世，它拥有非洲最好的野生动物 公园。此外，东非大裂谷还为徒步旅 行、长途旅行、攀岩、山地自行车运 动以及其他运动提供了绝佳条件。所 以，无论你是热衷冒险、热爱野生动 物还是热爱自然，东非大裂谷都确实 是一个好去处，至少值得你在一生中 去一次。 人们可以沿着东非大裂谷发现很 多美丽壮观的景色，然而最好的景点 位于肯尼亚境内。在纳库鲁湖附近， 裂谷的宽度约45千米，在这里可以看 到地球裂缝的两壁。肯尼亚境内的东 非大裂谷有几处不得不看的地方，包 括奈瓦沙湖、艾尔曼提亚湖和巴林戈 湖，这些地方都因其独特的自然美景 以及丰富多样的鸟类而闻名，其中还 有火烈鸟。其他主要的旅游景点有隆 格诺特火山国家公园、纳库鲁湖国家 公园、海耳的盖特国家公园、波咯尼 亚湖国家公园以及著名的撒布尔日动 物保护区。在东非大裂谷生存的野生 动物非常独特而且品种繁多，包括濒 危的疣猴、黑犀牛、细纹斑马、网纹 长颈鹿、斑马鼠等。狮子、大象、豹 子、长颈鹿、瞪羚、河马、羚羊、猴 子、水牛以及黑斑羚都是这个地区常 见的动物。每年都有成千上万的冒险 家和自然爱好者来到东非大裂谷参观 游览。 词汇
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ocabulary crust：地壳 avifauna：鸟类 glacier：冰川 flamingo：火烈鸟 trekking：长途跋涉 reserve：保留用地、保护区 fissure：裂缝 reticulated：网状的背景知识
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rofile 东非大裂谷的前生与后世 东非大裂谷下陷开始于渐新世，主要断裂运动发生在中新世，大幅度错动时期从上新 世一直延续到第四纪。北段形成红海，使阿拉伯半岛与非洲大陆分离；马达加斯加岛在几 条活动裂谷扩张作用下，也与非洲大陆分裂开。 这条裂谷带位于非洲东部，南起赞比西河口一带，向北经希雷河谷至马拉维湖（尼亚 萨湖）北部分为东西两支。东支裂谷带是主裂谷，沿维多利亚湖东侧，向北经坦桑尼亚、 肯尼亚中部，穿过埃塞俄比亚高原入红海，再由红海向西北方向延伸抵约旦谷地，全长近 6000千米。西支裂谷带大致沿维多利亚湖西侧由南向北穿过坦噶尼喀湖、基伍湖等一串湖 泊，向北逐渐消失，规模比较小，全长1700多公里。 裂谷底部是一片开阔的原野，20多个狭长的湖泊如一串串晶莹的蓝宝石，散落在谷 底。中部的纳瓦沙湖和纳库鲁湖是鸟类等动物的栖息之地，也是肯尼亚重要的游览区和 野生动物保护区，其中的纳瓦沙湖湖面海拔1900米，是裂谷内最高的湖。南部马加迪湖产 天然碱，是肯尼亚的重要矿产资源。北部图尔卡纳湖，是人类发祥地之一，曾在此发现过 260万年前古人类头盖骨化石。 草原是裂谷带的重要景观。这里草原不仅面积大，而且集成了非洲大部分特征性动物 资源。马塞马拉和塞伦盖蒂两个国家公园则是草原的典型代表。它虽分属肯尼亚和坦桑尼 亚，但却连成一体。 2006年，来自英国、法国、意大利和美国的考察队经过分析和研究，预言一个新的大 陆将会在100万年间形成，东非大裂谷将会比现在长10倍，东非的好望角将从非洲大陆上 分离出去。04
风暴角——好望角
The Cape of Good Hope is a formation of land along the south coast of Africa. Rounding it by ship has come to represent the transition from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean in the east, as Cape Horn at the southern end of South America does so between the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean in the west.
There is some confusion as to the identity of the first nonnative peoples to round the Cape of Good Hope. A fifth-century B.C. Greek historian, Herodotus, made the claim of an expedition by the Phoenicians, sponsored by Necho II of Egypt, in about 600–597 B.C. A 15th-century
cartographer, Fra Mauro, gave credit to the Chinese for
accomplishing the feat in 1420.
The first European known to have sailed around the southern extent of Africa is Portuguese Bartolomeu Dias. Hoping to find a sea-lane around Africa to the Spice Islands (Moluccas) in the Indian Ocean, he embarked on his voyage in 1487. After encountering unfavorable winds along Africa’s south coast, he sailed southward and, when the winds shifted, continued eastward. He made landfall at Mossel Bay. By checking his navigational measurements, he realized that he had passed the southern tip of the continent. He continued up the coast as far as the Great Fish River. On the return trip to Portugal, in the summer of 1488, he set up a PADRÃO (pillar) at the place that is now known as the Cape of Good Hope. Sources vary as to whether he gave it that name, or named it CaboTormentoso, for "Cape of Storms," after the weather he encountered there, and that King John II of Portugal renamed it Cabo da BõaEsperança, or "Cape of Good Hope." In 1497, Vasco da Gama, also sailing for Portugal, rounded the Cape of Good Hope and continued on to India, establishing a new trade route between Europe and Asia. From that time, such journeys
好望角是位于非洲南部海岸 的一处地形。就像是南美的合恩角 标志着大西洋和其西面的太平洋的 分界一样，乘船绕过好望角就意味 着从大西洋到达了东面的印度洋。 对于到底是哪些外国人最先 绕过好望角这一问题还存在许多疑 问。公元前5世纪的希腊历史学家 希罗多德曾称在约公元前600-597 年，一个由埃及法老尼科二世资助 的腓尼基人舰队最先绕过好望角。 而15世纪的制图师弗拉·毛罗则将 这一殊荣归于中国人，认为他们在 1420年完成了这项创举。 已 知 的 最 早 绕 过 非 洲 南 部 的欧洲人是葡萄牙人巴尔托洛梅 乌·迪亚士。他于1487年开始航 行，试图在印度洋上找到通往香 料之岛（摩鹿加群岛）的海上航 线。他在非洲南部时由于风向不 利，只好向南航行，风向改变之后 才得以继续向东，之后在莫贝尔湾 登陆。检查自己的航海仪器后，他 发现自己已经经过了非洲大陆的最 南端。之后他继续沿海岸前行，直 到大鱼河。在回葡萄牙的旅途中， 即1488年夏，他在那个地方立了 一根柱子，这个地方就是今天的好 望角。对于他遭遇风暴之后是否将 那个地方命名为“风暴角”，或 “好望角”，或者是否是葡萄牙国 王约翰二世将它重新命名为“好 望角”，人们的说法不一。1497 年，瓦斯科·达·伽马也在回到葡
became routine.
The Cape of Good Hope is referred to in general usage as the southern tip of Africa. Yet, the southernmost point on the African continent is actually located at Cape Agulhas, 34 degrees and 52 minutes south latitude, some 40 miles southeast of the Cape of Good Hope. Moreover, on the projection of land referred to as the Cape of Good Hope, there are actually two points equally to the south, about a mile apart with a stretch of water between them. Although the Cape of Good Hope is located in the most temperate zone of the African continent, it is not easy to navigate its waters. The winds in the region circulate fiercely from the west, much like the winds around Cape Horn, and the weather is unpredictable and the seas often rough. The surrounding land is
inhospitable. It was not until the mid-16th century
that settlements were established to reprovision ships sailing past on their way to other destinations. The modern city of Cape Town, South Africa, is situated to the north of the Cape of Good Hope.
萄牙的旅途中绕过好望角到达印度， 从此建立了一条欧亚之间的新的贸易 航线。从那时起，这个航线开始固定 起来。 从普遍意义上来讲，好望角指 的就是非洲最南端。然而非洲最南 点实际上是厄加勒斯角，位于南纬 34º52′，在好望角东南方向约40英 里处。此外，事实上在那块被叫做好 望角的突出的土地上，有两点位置相 同，都是最南端，它们相距1英里， 中间由一片海水隔开。尽管好望角处 于非洲大陆最温暖的地方，但想要在 这里的水面上航行却不是一件容易的 事。这里的风刮得非常猛烈，就像是 合恩角那里的风一样，不断循环从西 面吹来，天气复杂多变，海水波涛汹 涌。周围的土地上也比较荒凉。直到 16世纪中期，这里才开始建立殖民 点，为过往船只提供补给。南非的 现代化都市开普敦就坐落在好望角 以南。 词汇
