英语听力：自然百科 环球风情：爱尔兰
时间：2014-04-29 07:37:36
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（单词翻译）
Hi, I’m Paddy Kim. Ireland, it’s an exciting mix of the old and the new. Here you’ll find the quiet of the countryside and the exuberance1 of the city. But Ireland is still well stocked of this glorious castles and windswept landscapes, it really is the jewel of destination, deserving of its nick name “the Emerald Isle’’
Historically, Ireland was divided into the four provinces of Leinster, Munster, Connacht and Ulster. Today most of Ulster is now in Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland covers 5 / 6 of the Ireland, its capital is Dublin.
In Dublin, start along the river Liffey for tours of Dublin’s architecture. Visit Trinity College and explore Ireland’s oldest university and its vast libraries. But for a real brush with history, travel to the Boyne Valley in County Meath and see Newgrange. This massive tomb is similar in purpose to the pyramids of Giza though it was built over 5,000 years ago when the pyramids were even a twinkle in the pharaoh’s eye.
Ireland’s Stone Age inhabitants built it to house on their honored dead and perhaps for something more. At sunrise on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year a beam of light enters the central
chamber2. What significance this had for the builders is still a matter of debate, enter the tomb and decide for yourself. The experience is
illuminating3.
Ireland has produced a
plethora4 of castles, churches and towers. Its
monasteries5 became important centers of learning during the Dark Ages. And its
fortresses7 were strategic battle grounds against the island’s frequent
invaders8. The Rock of Cashel near Tipperary serves both the
secularly9 and religious function.
According to legend, this
fortress6 of the Munster kings was visited by Saint Patrick himself and eventually became an important medieval cathedral. If your tastes
cater10 more towards scenery than history you are in luck. Opportunity
abound11. Near Galway the cliffs of Mohair rise more than 650 feet from the sea providing dramatic views of the coast. Also nearby are the surreal landscapes of the Burren with its cracked
limestone12 in brooding ruins.
When it’s time for a more
leisurely13 pace, you can travel along the river Shannon, ride horses in the Connemara or stroll through
quaint14 towns of lush countryside, colored in Ireland’s 40 shades of green.
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