美國死亡谷開滿罕見鮮花:十年一遇!

A hot, dry desert may be the last place you'd think of to see colorful flowers.

你也許從來不會考慮去一個炎熱且無比干燥的沙漠賞花。

But thanks to last autumn's above-average rainfall, California's Death Valley National Park?is experiencing a "super bloom" of wildflowers—a rare occurrence that happens just once every 10 years.

但是由於去年秋季降水量相對較多，美國加利福尼亞的死亡谷國家公園居然開出了漫山的花朵，景象實屬罕見，可能每十年纔有幸見到一次。

Death Valley holds the world record for hottest temperature ever recorded—a whopping 134 degrees Fahrenheit on July 10, 1913. Temperatures peak in the summer, and cool off slightly in the winter, which also coincides with the "rainy" season. The Valley's annual rainfall is just two inches—sometimes it gets no rain at all.

死亡谷向來以天氣炎熱見稱，1913年7月10日，當地溫度曾達到134華氏度（約57攝氏度），並一度成爲世界最高溫度紀錄的保持者。當地氣溫在夏季達到峯值，在冬季有所降低，因爲正值當地雨季（雖然降水量也十分有限）。死亡谷的年降雨量僅在兩英寸（約合50毫米）左右，有時甚至終年乾旱。

But this year, the park got over three inches of rain during the first two weeks in October. The above-average rainfall was enough to trigger the growth of millions of wildflower seeds that have been dormant for years. The last time there was a bloom of this magnitude was in 2005, and the time before that was in 1998.

然而，死亡谷國家公園在去年10月份前兩週降水量就達到了3英寸（約75毫米）。這些難得一見的雨水滋潤了乾旱的土地，也喚醒了沉睡多年的花種，使得千萬朵野花在當地盛然綻放。據說死亡谷上一次鮮花開放是在2005年，在這之前一次是1998年。

What kind of flowers can you seen in the desert?

你在這片荒漠中能欣賞到什麼種類的花？

The most abundant and eye-catching wildflower is the aptly named desert gold, a large, bright yellow bloom that looks like a daisy. The stems this year are growing to waist height, and the flowers cover entire hillsides and vast areas of the valley floor in the southern section of the park. These flowers are easily enjoyed from the car.

其中數量最多，也最吸引遊客注意的野花有一個恰如其分的名字——沙漠黃金，這種花花瓣較大，花色明亮，呈金黃色，看起來像雛菊。它的莖幹部分有齊腰那麼高，花朵開滿整片山坡以及公園南部的谷底部分。遊客們透過車窗就可以欣賞到這漫山美景。

Some of the other more common flowers include the deep purple phacelia; the desert five-spot, a delicate pink flower with five burgundy spots around its center; the gravel ghost, a delicate white flower that appears to be floating aboveground like a ghost because its stem is so thin it's almost invisible; and various types of desert primrose.

此外，死亡谷中還開有其他較常見的野花。例如深紫色的鐘穗花；沙漠五點花，其花朵粉嫩，花瓣上有五個酒紅色的點分佈在花心周圍；還有一種名爲"沙地鬼魂"的花，花朵呈白色，彷彿漂浮在地表之上，由於它莖幹較細，基本上很難看到，整朵花看起來就像漂浮不定的鬼魂。此外，還有沙漠中常見的櫻草花。

How long will I be able to see the wildflowers bloom?

野花盛開的景象可以觀賞多久？

The show won't last forever. Most of the flowers will wither in the next few weeks as temperatures start to rise.

這片景象並不會持續多久。幾周之後，溫度會隨之上升，大部分花朵也會逐漸凋謝。

Some flowers may be around as late as June at higher elevations, but those won't be as easy to see from a car and could require hiking.

一些開放在高海拔地區的花朵大概在6月份左右凋謝，但是這些花朵並不容易在開車途中被發現，需要遊客長途跋涉一段時間之後才能看到。

What part of the park has the best blooms?

花開最盛的地點在公園哪個部分？

Now, the best flower show is at the south end of Death Valley National Park along Badwater Road, south of Furnace Creek. As the temperature rises, those flowers will fade, and the bloom will move north and to higher elevations.

花開最盛的地點位於死亡谷國家公園的南端，沿着火爐溪南部的惡水路一直走就可以走到。隨着未來氣溫不斷升高，這些花朵將會逐漸凋零，花開的地點將會向北移動到較高海拔地區。