Luis國際資訊事務所

by Joshua Samuel Brown
Though Israel's Dead Sea is a place for relaxation, holes around it threaten to sink tourism.
以色列的死海是放鬆的好去處，但它沿岸的孔穴恐將使其觀光業一蹶不振。



　　Lying in a valley with Jordan to the east and Israel and Palestine to the west, the Dead Sea is a body of water known for its extremely high salt content. The salinity of the Dead Sea is almost nine times as high as that of ocean water, making it impossible for most fish and sea creatures to live within its waters. The dry desert surrounding the Dead Sea, though prized for its beauty, is also a harsh environment that does not invite animal life.
　　It's an unusual twist of fate then that the Dead Sea attracts visitors interested primarily in health. People from around the world flock to the Dead Sea to take advantage of the purported properties of its water and the health benefits offered by the sunshine, dryness, and higher air pressure of the area itself. The water in the Dead Sea is high in both salt and minerals, and it is believed that this water has therapeutic value. People suffering from various skin ailments swear by the restorative properties of a good soak in the Dead Sea.
　　The area's health benefits aren't a new discovery—the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians all visited the area and returned home with tales of the curative properties of the water in the Dead Sea. Even The Bible speaks of the Dead Sea as a retreat for ancient Hebrew kings. One other healthy fact about the Dead Sea is that the water's high salt content causes anyone lying in it to float, making drowning nearly impossible.

1. peril n.（嚴重的）危險
put...in peril　　使……陷入險境
= put...in danger
例: The wrong investment put the company in peril.
（錯誤的投資使該公司陷入危機。）

2. to the east/west/south/north　　在東面∕西面∕南面∕北面（某地方之外）
比較:
in the east/west/south/north of...　　在……的東∕西∕南∕北部（某地方之內）
例: The castle is located to the north of that forest.
（該城堡位於那座森林的北邊。）
例: My grandparents live in the south of Taiwan.
（我的祖父母住在台灣南部。）

3. 倍數詞 + as + adj./adv. + as...　　是……幾倍的……
例: The bullet train runs three times as fast as the regular train.
（子彈列車行駛的速度是一般火車的 3 倍。）

4. surround vt. 圍繞，包圍
例: The police surrounded the two robbers and forced them to surrender.
（警方包圍了那兩名強盜，迫使他們投降。）

5. a twist of fate　　命運的轉折
twist n. 意外轉折
例: In a strange twist of fate, my dog and cat get along with each other.
（我的小狗和小貓出乎意外地相處融洽。）

6. primarily adv. 主要地
例: The islanders live primarily by fishing.
（這些島民主要靠打漁為生。）

7. flock vi. 聚集
flock to + 地方　　湧向某地
例: Every summer, tourists flock to the beaches of Kenting.
（每年夏天遊客蜂湧至墾丁海邊。）

8. take advantage of...　　利用……
例: As a student, you should take advantage of your free time to study.
（身為學生，你應該利用空閒時間唸書。）

9. be high in...　　富含……，含有豐富的……
be low in...　　含有少量的……，……的含量低
例: Kiwi fruit is high in calcium.
（奇異果富含鈣質。）
例: This drink is low in sugar and calories.
（這種飲料含糖少、熱量低。）

10. suffer from + 疾病　　飽受某疾病之苦
suffer vi. 患（病）；受苦
例: Tom suffers from stomach pains.
（湯姆飽受胃痛之苦。）
例: They put the dog to sleep because they didn't want him to suffer.
（他們不想讓狗兒受苦，所以讓牠安樂死。）

11. swear by...　　極其信賴……的功用
例: Gina swears by spas and massages.
（吉娜十分相信水療及按摩的療效。）

12. speak of...　　談到……
例: Kelly refused to speak of the tragedy that happened to her when she was 10.
（凱莉拒絕談及她 10 歲時發生的不幸。）

1. content n. 含量
2. salinity n. 鹽度
3. desert n. 沙漠
4. prize vt. 珍視，高度重視
5. harsh a. 嚴酷的，惡劣的
6. purported a. 傳說的
7. property n. 特性
8. dryness n. 乾燥
9. air pressure　　氣壓
10. mineral n. 礦物質
11. therapeutic a. 有療效的
12. various . 各式各樣的
13. ailment n.（尤指輕微的）疾病
14. restorative a. 恢復健康的
15. soak n. 浸泡
16. curative a. 治病的
17. retreat n. 休養所
18. float vi. 漂浮
19. drown vi. 淹死，溺斃

＊ a body of water　　水域

　　死海位於山谷中，東臨約旦西迎以色列和巴勒斯坦，該水域素以極高的含鹽量聞名。死海的鹽度幾乎是海水的 9 倍，大多數魚類與海中生物都無法在這片水域生存。死海四周的乾燥沙漠雖以美景著稱，嚴苛的環境卻也讓動物怯步。
　　但就是有這麼不尋常的境遇，死海吸引了注重健康的觀光客登門造訪。人們從世界各地湧入死海，利用傳聞中的海水特性，以及本區晴朗乾燥、氣壓略高的氣候 對健康所帶來的益處。死海的水富含鹽份及礦物質，據信有治病效果，各類皮膚病的患者都信誓旦旦宣稱浸泡在死海中真的有助健康。
　　死海地區對人體健康的益處並不是新發現，古時候的希臘人、羅馬人和埃及人都來過這裡，並將死海海水具有療效的傳聞帶回鄉里間。甚至連《聖經》也提到死 海是古代希伯來國王度假休養的地方。死海另一項有益健康的地方是它的高含鹽量讓所有人都能浮在水上，幾乎不可能會溺水。