An Ancient Attraction 希臘‧雅典‧愛琴海‏

by Matthew Brown Greece is a must-see thanks to thousands of years of history and the timeless appeal of natural beauty. 希臘擁有數千年的歷史和歷久彌新的自然美景，是不容錯過的旅遊國度。 　　With a history that spans over 4,000 years, it's no surprise that Greece is one of the world's favorite tourist destinations. Visitors to Greece get to see where Western civilization, including its literature, art, science, and language, came from. The biggest tourist attraction in Greece today is its ruins, the ancient buildings that show how people lived thousands of years ago. Even so, the Greece of today also has fantastic food, lovely weather, and spectacular beaches. Greece is facing challenges and going through changes these days, but as the world advances, Western societies will always look to Greece to learn more about their roots. 希臘擁有 4 千多年歷史，無怪乎是世界上最受喜愛的旅遊景點之一。到希臘的遊客都能一睹西方文明，包括文學、藝術、科學、語言等的源頭。今日希臘最大的旅遊景點是其遺址，亦即展現數千年前人們如何生活的古老建築。即使如此，現今的希臘也擁有美食、怡人的天氣和景色壯麗的海灘。近來希臘正面臨挑戰並在蛻變當中。然而當世界在進步之際，西方社會還是會一直仰賴希臘尋求他們的根源。 　　Greece is located in southeastern Europe. It is a country with strong connections to the sea and has nearly 1,400 islands.With the tenth-longest coastline in the world, it includes some absolutely breathtaking beaches. The stretches of sand, along with the warm, relaxing Mediterranean climate, make Greece a great place for a getaway. It has beautiful landscapes, and 80 percent of the country is covered in mountains. The best-known is the famous Mount Olympus, which stands as the highest mountain in Greece at close to 3,000 meters. 希臘位於東南歐，是一個與海密不可分、擁有近 1,400 個小島的國度。希臘的海岸線長度在世界上排名第 10，因此她擁有一些景色絕美的海灘。一望無際的海灘加上溫暖怡人的地中海型氣候，使希臘成為理想的渡假聖地。希臘的陸地景觀同樣美不勝收，而且這國家有百分之八十都為山脈所覆蓋。其中最著名的要屬奧林帕斯山了，這是希臘最高的山脈，高度將近 3 千公尺。 　　People say that Greece is the cradle of Western civilization, and for good reason. The notion of democracy was developed in ancient Greece, and so was Western drama. Also, an incredible amount of Western science exists thanks to the thinkers in Greece that were active some 2,500 years ago. Of course, different parts of the world have their own histories of science, art, and philosophy, but many of the ideas that are such an important part of the West come from this amazing civilization. 人們都說希臘是西方文明的搖籃，這是有原因的，因為民主的概念起源於古希臘，西方戲劇亦然。還有，西方科學的昌盛也要歸功活躍於 2,500 年前的希臘思想家。當然，世界各國都有各自的科學、藝術和哲學史，但西方許多重要的思想都是來自這不可思議的文明。 精解字詞片語   1. span vt.（時間）涵蓋；（空間）橫跨 例: The nun's work with orphans spans over half a century. （這位修女對孤兒們付出心力超過半個世紀之久。） 例: The ancient empire once spanned most of Central Asia. （這個古老的帝國曾一度橫跨幾乎整個中亞。） 2. It's no surprise + that 子句　　……一點都不令人驚訝 = It's not surprising + that 子句 例: It is no surprise that everyone likes Emma. She's a very sociable person. （每個人都喜歡艾瑪一點也不令人訝異，因為她非常善於交際。） 3. Even so, S + V　　即使如此，…… 例: The storyline in this book is very predictable; even so, I can't put it down. （這本書的故事情節很好猜，即使如此，我還是忍不住繼續讀下去。） 4. spectacular a. 壯觀的，壯麗的 例: The view from the top of the Great Wall of China was truly spectacular. （從萬里長城看下去的風景真是壯觀。） 5. challenge n. 挑戰 face a/the challenge　　面對挑戰 例: The company had to face one challenge after another from its competitors. （那家公司必須面臨競爭對手接二連三的挑戰。） 6. go through...　　經歷……（尤指不好的經驗） = experience vt. 例: David went through a lot of pain after his wife left him. （老婆離開後，大衛經歷了很多痛苦。） 7. look to...　　依賴……；求助於…… = turn to... 例: You shouldn't look to your parents after you graduate from college. （大學畢業後，你就不該再依賴父母了。） 8. absolutely adv. 完全地；絕對地 例: Newton was an absolutely brilliant scientist. （牛頓絕對是位傑出的科學家。） 9. breathtaking a. 令人嘆為觀止的 例: Owen bought this house for its breathtaking view of the mountains. （歐文因這棟房子能看見令人嘆為觀止的山景而買下它。） 10. be covered in/with...　　覆蓋著…… 例: Rita was covered in flour after a whole day of baking. （經過一整天的烘培，芮塔全身上下都是麵粉。） 11. cradle n. 搖籃；發源地 be the cradle of...　　為……的搖籃∕發源地 例: Mesopotamia is one of the cradles of civilization. （美索不達米亞平原是文明的發祥地之一。） 12. ..., and for good reason　　……是有充分理由的 例: There is a sign warning travelers not to cross the run-down bridge, and for good reason. （設立標示警告遊客不要搭這座廢橋不是沒有道理的。） 13. incredible a. 驚人的；難以置信的 例: It's incredible that your vintage car goes so fast. （你的古董車跑這麼快，真不可思議。） 14. thanks to + N/V-ing　　由於∕多虧…… = due to + N/V-ing = because of + N/V-ing = as a result of + N/V-ing = on account of + N/V-ing 例: Thanks to the Internet, it is now easier to communicate with people everywhere. （多虧網路，現在和各地的人聯絡已經便利許多。）

難句分析

＊ The notion of democracy was developed in ancient Greece, and so was Western drama.
（民主的概念起源於古希臘，西方戲劇亦然。）
注意:
本句使用 so 引導的肯定簡應句。so 是副詞，表示『同樣地』，並非連接詞，故之前要有連接詞 and 連接兩句，而且使用 so 時其後須採倒裝句構。

單字小舖

1. ancient a. 古老的，古代的
2. civilization n. 文明
3. ruin n. 遺跡（常用複數）
in ruins　　成了廢墟
4. fantastic a. 極好的
5. lovely a. 美好的
6. advance vi. 進步
7. root n. 根源
8. connection n. 關聯；關係
9. coastline n. 海岸線
10. stretchn. 延伸；延亙
11. getaway n.（可逃避壓力的）短期渡假
12. landscape n. 風景
13. notion n. 概念；想法
14. democracy n. 民主（制度）
15. philosophy n. 哲學

Grammar Tips

Greece is located in southeastern Europe.
注意:
locate 與 situate 均表『使座落於』，常用被動語態。表『位於∕座落在……』的常見用法如下：
a. be located in + 區域內或大地方（如城市、國家等）
= be situated in + 區域內或大地方（如城市、國家等）
例: Hawaii is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
（夏威夷位於太平洋的中央。）
b. be located at + 小地方（如學校、車站等）
= be situated at + 小地方（如學校、車站等）
例: This village is located at the edge of a river.
（這座村莊位於河邊。）
c. be located on + 地方（表面上、樓層上、轉角等）
= be situated on + 地方（表面上、樓層上、轉角等）
例: The college is located on the top of a mountain.
（這所大學座落於山頂上。）
例: The restaurant is located on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Oak Street.
（那家餐廳位於第五大道和橡樹街的轉角處。）