VOA慢速英语2014 你的下次假期旅游地是朝鲜吗？

 

AS IT IS 2014-06-30 North Korea for Your Next Vacation? 你的下次假期旅游地是朝鲜吗？

Are you bored with all the beaches and European tours?  Are you looking for a different place to go for your next vacation, a place that is “off the beaten path”?

Well, a camping trip in North Korea might be just what you are looking for.

North Korea is known for being closed off from the rest of the world.  For many years, it has kept foreigners from entering the country.

But earlier this year, everything changed. 

North Korea allows tourists to go on camping trips in the scenic¹ mountains of Myohyang and Kumgang.

Koryo Tours is a touring company based in Beijing, China.  Their website says they can “take you to the most mysterious country on the planet².”  Koryo Tours organized the first 10-day camping trip to North Korea earlier this year.  It claims this is the first time anyone has been allowed to set up a tent and stay in the mountains of North Korea.

The website for Koryo Tours reads, “This was as much a treat for the guides as they had never done this before either.”

Ten westerners went on the trip.  They hiked 79 kilometers during the entire tour, which breaks down to be about 28 km per day.  The travelers also visited landmarks³ in both mountains, such as the Kumgang Waterfall and Lake Sam Il Po. 

The reason for the increase in tourism is simple – money.  More foreign tourists equal more money for the cash-poor country.

It was the South Korean company Hyundai Asan who first introduced trips to the famed Mt. Kumgang.  But Hyundai Asan, of the Hyundai Group, shut down its Mt. Kumgamg Tourist Region⁴ in 2008.  North Korea used what was left behind to start its own tourism business in that area.

Koryo Tours is not alone in giving tourists one-of-a-kind camping trips to the North Korea's unspoiled mountains.

Uri Tours is a tour company based in the U.S. state of New Jersey⁵.  They are planning a 13-day trip to a number of mountains including Mt. Kumgang and Mt. Myohyang.  The company hopes to get at least seven travelers together later in the year.

The pro-Pyongyang newspaper Chosun Shinbo is published by ethnic⁶ Koreans living in Japan.  It says the North Korean government is trying to get more tourists by offering more variety in its tourism products.

Pyongyang’s usual tourist trips include picking fruit at local farms and orchards⁷ and long train rides through the country.  One North Korean tourist package offers travelers the opportunity to compete with North Korean athletes in the traditional martial⁸ arts of Taekwondo.

The chance to tour and camp in a country that has been closed for so long could be a huge draw for travelers seeking a very different type of vacation.

This report was produced in collaboration⁹ with the VOA Korean service.

1 scenic   

adj.自然景色的，景色优美的

参考例句：

• The scenic beauty of the place entranced the visitors.这里的美丽风光把游客们迷住了。
• The scenic spot is on northwestern outskirts of Beijing.这个风景区位于北京的西北远郊。

2 planet   

n.行星

参考例句：

• Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun. 海王星是离太阳最远的行星。
• Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. 然而, 垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。

3 landmarks   

n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址）

参考例句：

• The book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of modern science. 这部著作是现代科学发展史上著名的里程碑之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship. 孩子的出世是我们俩关系中的一个重要转折点。 来自辞典例句

4 region   

n.地区，地带，区域；范围，幅度

参考例句：

• The students went to study the geology of that region.学生们去研究那个地区的地质情况。
• It is unusual to see snow in this region.这个地区难得见到雪。

5 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

6 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

7 orchards   

（通常指围起来的）果园( orchard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They turned the hills into orchards and plains into granaries. 他们把山坡变成了果园，把平地变成了粮仓。
• Some of the new planted apple orchards have also begun to bear. 有些新开的苹果园也开始结苹果了。

8 martial   

adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的

参考例句：

• The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
• The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。

9 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。