Iceland's name is misleading. Even though it may sound like a frozen, forbidding place, it has a thriving culture, and even the land itself is very active. Take a closer look to see how Iceland might be completely different from what you imagined. 冰島的國名總讓人產生誤解。雖然它聽起來有如一個冰寒凶險的地方,文化卻極為興盛,島上風氣活躍。讓我們來一窺冰島這個國家,看它與你想像中有多大的天壤之別。
A closer look 說古論今
Iceland is not really as cold and unpleasant as its name suggests. Even though the weather is cool during the summer (on average 11℃), the average temperature during the winter is only -1℃. In fact, even though Greenland's name suggests that it has a more pleasant climate, Iceland is warmer (Greenland's average temperature is -10℃ in February).
PHOTO: AP
Iceland may be cool on the surface, but it is hot underneath. It sits on the edge of the European and North American tectonic plates. There are 130 volcanoes on the island, and over the last 500 years, about one-third of all the lava that has erupted onto the Earth's surface has been on Iceland. Iceland is also known for its rivers and waterfalls. It is home to the most powerful waterfall in Europe, and 99 percent of Iceland's electricity is produced from dams and other renewable energy sources.
Because much of the center of the country is so barren, almost everyone lives along the coast. Ninety-nine percent of the population lives in urban areas, and 60 percent lives in the capital, Reykyvich. Icelanders have produced many important literary works. The literacy rate is 100 percent, and even though there are less than 300,000 people living in the country, there are three daily newspapers and 101 other publications. In fact, Iceland publishes more books per person than any other country in the world. (Taipei Times)
冰島其實不如國名所指的如此冰冷不適。它夏季氣候涼爽(平均11℃),冬季的平均氣溫只有零下一度。雖然格陵蘭島(Greenland)的地名聽起來氣候較怡人,但事實上冰島還比較溫暖(格陵蘭島二月的平均氣溫為零下10℃)。
冰島地表也許氣候涼爽,但地底下卻溫度炙熱。它座落於歐洲與北美洲板塊的邊緣。冰島島上共有一百三十座火山,過去五百多年來,全球噴發到地表的岩漿約有三分之一噴發在冰島。冰島也以河流與瀑布著稱。它擁有全歐洲最大的瀑布,99% 的電力來自水壩與其他可再生的能源。
由於冰島中央大多是貧瘠不毛之地,幾乎所有民眾都沿海而居。99% 的人口住在都會地帶,有六成民眾住在首都雷克雅維克。冰島人創作出許多重要的文學作品,識字率百分之百,即使全國人口不到三十萬人,卻有三家報紙與一百零一項其他的出版刊物。事實上,冰島出版的書籍數量佔人口平均值高於世界上其他國家。
(翻譯:賴美君)
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