2007年VOA标准英语-Greenland Hopes Tourism Will Raise Global Warmi

By Kane Farabaugh
Kangerlussuak, Greenland
12 July 2007
 

The former Danish colony of Greenland attained¹ home rule in 1979. Since it began governing itself, with support from the Danish government, in 1981, Greenland has made an effort to modernize² its fishing-dominated economy. Better telecommunications and more flights from Europe and the United States are making tourism the fastest growing part of the economy. VOA's Kane Farabaugh spent a week above the Arctic Circle to explore why people are heading north to explore Greenland's natural beauty.

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The picturesque landscape of Greenland

Nature here is solitary⁴, soothing⁵, and still.  There are some signs of life -- small plants, some grass. And the occasional but somewhat elusive⁶ musk⁷ ox that roams the hills along the coasts of the only part of Greenland that could actually be considered green.

Twisting through this picturesque landscape is a lonely road that leads to the edge of the habitable earth.

It is a road familiar to Kim Petersen.  He has traveled these parts often in his career as an adventure tour guide. He works for one of two tourism companies operating in Kangerlussuak, at the end of the Sondestrom Fjord.

Kim Petersen, tour guide

His services are in demand as more and more people come from Japan, Europe and the United States.  "I think this may be because they heard so much about the global warning,” says Petersen.  "The global warning means the ice is melting. Most of the people I am talking to say they want to see it before it is too late, before the melting of the ice is too much."

Work is picking up for Petersen. It is the summer season, when mosquitoes swarm⁸ and the sun never sets -- the perfect time for visitors to watch up close as the ice breaks off the massive, slow moving glacier⁹.

"I can see the difference,” Petersen adds. “I have been here for 22 years now, and I can see the ice is getting thinner in this area here."

The issue of global climate change is helping¹⁰ the tourism industry in Greenland, with Kangerlussuak at the center of the boom. If you have e never heard of Kangerlussuak, you are not alone. It is what is left of Sondrestrom U.S. Air Force Base, a Cold War outpost originally built as a way station for military planes on the way to Europe.

The people of Greenland took it over in 1992, and are turning this sleepy town on the edge of a waterway into an eco-tourism destination.

Michael Pastirik, a teacher from Atlanta, Georgia

Michael Pastirik is a teacher from Atlanta, Georgia. He is in Greenland as part of an education exchange with his school and the National Science Foundation. But on this day, he is a tourist, on the lookout¹¹ for a rental¹² bike that will take him into Greenland's vast interior.

"It feels different. It feels like you are on the edge," says Pastirik.  "I think there's stuff to do here. It doesn't have all the majesty¹³ of all the tourism spots you hear about all over the world, but it is a beautiful? Starkness¹⁴. There's certain starkness. You know, you can take bike rides here. There are trips to the glacier. The black old rock that you see around us is spectacular.

The first non-stop commercial flights from the United States to Greenland began in May. Several European carriers also have routes to Kangerlussuak. According to Greenland's official website, in 1999, more than 26,000 passengers arrived by air. That number jumped to some 33,000 in 2005, a number that continues to rise with added routes.

Cruise ships also dock outside Kangerlussuak. While many ship passengers might not stay the night at one of the three hotels in town, they visit the area and spend money. Tours, like the ones that Kim Petersen operates, are a popular draw for cruise passengers.

All of this translates into money pouring into the local economy.

While tourism is on the rise, Greenland might not be for everyone. It is the world's largest island and 85 percent of it is covered in ice. "People who like to live on the edge, I think would find enjoyment¹⁵ here," says Pastirik.

1 attained   

（通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况）

参考例句：

• She has attained the degree of Master of Arts. 她已获得文学硕士学位。
• Lu Hsun attained a high position in the republic of letters. 鲁迅在文坛上获得崇高的地位。

2 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

3 picturesque   

adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的

参考例句：

• You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
• That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。

4 solitary   

adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士

参考例句：

• I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
• The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

5 soothing   

adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的

参考例句：

• Put on some nice soothing music.播放一些柔和舒缓的音乐。
• His casual, relaxed manner was very soothing.他随意而放松的举动让人很快便平静下来。

6 elusive   

adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的

参考例句：

• Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。
• Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。

7 musk   

n.麝香, 能发出麝香的各种各样的植物，香猫

参考例句：

• Musk is used for perfume and stimulant.麝香可以用作香料和兴奋剂。
• She scented her clothes with musk.她用麝香使衣服充满了香味。

8 swarm   

n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入

参考例句：

• There is a swarm of bees in the tree.这树上有一窝蜜蜂。
• A swarm of ants are moving busily.一群蚂蚁正在忙碌地搬家。

9 glacier   

n.冰川，冰河

参考例句：

• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
• The upper surface of glacier is riven by crevasses.冰川的上表面已裂成冰隙。

10 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

11 lookout   

n.注意，前途，瞭望台

参考例句：

• You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
• It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来，公司的前景可就不妙了。

12 rental   

n.租赁，出租，出租业

参考例句：

• The yearly rental of her house is 2400 yuan.她这房子年租金是2400元。
• We can organise car rental from Chicago O'Hare Airport.我们可以安排提供从芝加哥奥黑尔机场出发的租车服务。

13 majesty   

n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权

参考例句：

• The king had unspeakable majesty.国王有无法形容的威严。
• Your Majesty must make up your mind quickly!尊贵的陛下，您必须赶快做出决定！

14 starkness   

参考例句：

• The starkness of their living conditions shocked him. 他们的生活条件一无所有，他感到十分震惊。
• I was struck by the starkness of my father's room. 我被父亲房间的简陋震惊了。

15 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。