新西兰英语 782 Getting to Milford Sound

 　　Milford Sound in Fiordland is the number one tourist attraction for many overseas visitors to New Zealand. However, it is not easy to get there. Many tourists choose to take a bus trip from Queenstown to Milford Sound and return in one day. The distance is 608km, round-trip. It takes 4 and a half hours each way and the boat trip on the Sound takes another 2 hours. This is a long day. There is no hotel accommodation at Milford Sound because building is not usually allowed in a National Park.

　　The road to Milford Sound is difficult for New Zealand Transport to keep open. Today it opened for the first time in a month. It has been closed because of a large rockfall. This mountain road is high, remote, often covered with snow in the winter and a high rainfall often brings down rocks onto the road. Avalanches² are another danger. When the road is closed, cruises³ on the Sound are closed also.

　　Two weeks ago, Dr Nick Smith, Minister of Conservation, visited the National Park near Queenstown. He has to decide whether to allow an 11km tunnel or a 43km monorail in the National Park. The tunnel would mean a 2 hour journey from Queenstown to Milford Sound. However, this is a National Park and many people do not want to see the environment changed or damaged.

　　Tourists who have time to spend, can stay at Te Anau which is 2 hours from Milford Sound but some Asian tourists have only a few days in New Zealand. However, 14,000 people –New Zealanders and tourists from all over the world – walk the four-day Milford track each year, starting at Lake Te Anau and finishing at Milford Sound.

　　Vocabulary

　　?Milford Sound – a Sound is a Fiord, like a deep lake with mountains around it but it opens to the sea

　　?tourist attraction – places tourists want to go to

　　?round-trip – both ways

　　?remote – a long way from a town

　　?avalanche¹ – a snow slide down the mountain

　　?cruise – boat trip

1 avalanche   

n.雪崩，大量涌来

参考例句：

• They were killed by an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.他们在瑞士阿尔卑斯山的一次雪崩中罹难。
• Higher still the snow was ready to avalanche.在更高处积雪随时都会崩塌。

2 avalanches   

n.雪崩( avalanche的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The greatest dangers of pyroclastic avalanches are probably heat and suffocation. 火成碎屑崩落的最大危害可能是炽热和窒息作用。 来自辞典例句
• Avalanches poured down on the tracks and rails were spread. 雪崩压满了轨道，铁轨被弄得四分五裂。 来自辞典例句

3 cruises   

v.乘船巡游( cruise的第三人称单数 )；以快而平稳的速度长距离行驶；巡航；轻而易举赢得（或获得）

参考例句：

• Cruises on the Thames in London, have become an annual attraction. 在伦敦泰晤士河上的巡航已成为一年一度的引人注目的事。 来自辞典例句
• Throughout the year traders and recruiters arrive from far, dry cruises. 一年到头，总有商人和募工者经过干渴的长途航行来到这里。 来自辞典例句