听播客学英语 181 英格兰游人最少的地方

 　　In the county of Norfolk, in Eastern England, during the Middle Ages, people used to cut peat from the ground. They dried the peat in the sun, and used it as a fuel for fires. Over time, the places where people had cut the peat filled with water, to form shallow lakes. Today these lakes are called the Norfolk Broads. They are home to many species of water plants and birds. There are old windmills along the banks of the rivers. The sedge which grows in the water is cut and used to make traditional thatched roofs for houses. And, of course, the area is very popular with visitors. Thousands of people go to the Norfolk Broads each year, and enjoy boating on the Broads and the slow-moving rivers.

　　But there is one part of the Norfolk Broads which has hardly any visitors. Indeed, it is estimated that maybe only 50 people have been there in the last 100 years. That is about the same number of people who climb Mount Everest each year. It is smaller than the number of people who have been in space.

　　The place is called Sutton Fen¹. It is not big, only about 170 hectares. Like the other Broads, it is a stretch of shallow water, filled in many places with reeds, sedge and other water plants. The land around is marshy² and impossible to cross on foot. There are rare plants, insects, birds and animals. The only sounds are sounds like these. That booming noise is the song of the bittern, a water bird which is now very rare in England. Bitterns still live in Sutton Fen.

　　For many years Sutton Fen has been privately³ owned. But now it has been bought by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which is one of Britain’s largest conservation charities. They will be responsible for managing Sutton Fen, to keep it a special place. They will cut some of the sedge to keep the waterways clear. But apart from that they will try to keep Sutton Fen in its present condition. Probably more than 50 people will go to Sutton Fen in the next 100 years, but it it will still be one of the least visited places in England.

1 fen   

n.沼泽，沼池

参考例句：

• The willows over all the fen rippled and whitened like a field of wheat.沼泽上的柳树，随风一起一伏，泛出白光，就象一片麦田一样。
• There is a fen around each island.每个岛屿周围有一个沼泽。

2 marshy   

adj.沼泽的

参考例句：

• In August 1935,we began our march across the marshy grassland. 1935年8月，我们开始过草地。
• The surrounding land is low and marshy. 周围的地低洼而多沼泽。

3 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。