听播客学英语 181 英格兰游人最少的地方（在线收听）

 　　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 Fen. 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 marshy 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 privately 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.
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