Whale1 Watching in Kaikoura在凱庫拉觀鯨

soniamillet

Kaikoura is a smalltown on the east coast2of the South Island of NewZealand which looks outover the Pacific Ocean. Ifyou keep going east from Kaikoura， you will arrive in South America. There are3，500 people in the town.

凱庫拉是新西蘭南島東海岸的一個小鎮，面朝太平洋。如果你從凱庫拉一直向東，將會到達南美洲。這個小鎮上有3500 人。

Kaikoura was first settled3 by Maori4 900 years ago. The name comes fromtwo Maori words： Kai means eat or food， and koura means a kind of seafood verygood to eat. Twenty years ago， Kaikoura was a small town best known for itsseafood. However， today it is famous for the whales that visit the coast. Whales arethe largest animals on the earth and whale watching has grown into an importanttourist attraction5. The tourists from all over the world are coming for it.

900 年前，毛利人最早在凱庫拉定居，Kaikoura 這個名字來自兩個毛利語單詞：kai 意為吃或食物，而koura 意為一種非常好吃的海鮮。二十年前，凱庫拉是一個以海鮮聞名的小鎮。然而，今天它以造訪海岸的鯨魚而聞名。鯨魚是地球上最大的動物，觀鯨已成為一個重要的旅游項目。世界各地的游客都慕名而來。

During the mid 19th century， European settlers6 in Kaikoura builtwhaling stations which produced7 oil. The oil from whales was valuable8.Now all that has changed. Whaling is big business again， but now it isabout watching them not killing them.

19 世紀中葉，凱庫拉的歐洲定居者建造了捕鯨站，生產（鯨魚）油。鯨魚油的價值很高。現在一切都變了。捕鯨又成了一項大生意，但現在是觀賞它們而不是屠殺它們。

The waters off the coast of Kaikoura are so rich9 in food that some kinds ofwhales live there for many months of the year. Other kinds of whales swim up thecoast from the cold waters in the south to give birth10 and raise11 their young inthe warmer waters in the north. They pass Kaikoura on the way.

凱庫拉海岸附近的水域食物很豐富，以至于有些種類的鯨魚一年中有好幾個月都生活在那里。其他種類的鯨魚從南部寒冷的水域沿著海岸一直游到北部溫暖的水域分娩，并養育幼崽。它們在途中會經過凱庫拉。

Whale watching tours are run all year. There are anumber of companies12 running several tours13 each day， but itis best to buy a ticket before you go. So you wont miss it. Youcan go whale watching on a boat or fly over the water in asmall plane. Some companies will give you your money back ifyou dont see a whale.

全年都有觀鯨之旅。有很多公司每天都有幾趟旅程，但最好在出發前買好票，這樣你才不會錯過。

你可以在船上觀鯨，也可以乘坐小型飛機飛越水面觀鯨。如果你沒有看到鯨魚，有些公司會把錢退還給你。

Whales are not the only attraction inKaikoura. Many other animals live in the oceanand along the coast. You can go swimming withdolphins which are sometimes seen in groups of800. You can see many kinds of ocean birds，like the albatross14， one of the worlds largestflying birds. You can go fishing. The Kaikoura coast is home to 200 kinds of fishand sea life.

鯨魚不是凱庫拉唯一的游覽項目。許多其他動物生活在海洋和沿海地區。

你可以和海豚一起游泳，有時可以看到多達800 只海豚。你可以看到許多種海鳥，比如世界上最大的飛鳥之一，信天翁。你還可以去釣魚。凱庫拉海岸是200種魚類和海洋生物的家園。

Kaikoura is rich in Maori history and you can enjoy the beautiful snowmountains. While there are many things to do in Kaikoura， the most popularattraction is whale watching.

凱庫拉的毛利人歷史悠久。你還可以欣賞美麗的雪山。雖然在凱庫拉有很多事可以做，但最受歡迎的游覽項目還是觀鯨。

Notes

1. whale. 鯨

2. coast .海岸；海濱

3. settle . 定居；安家；在……建殖民地；移居于

4. Maori . 新西蘭的毛利人；毛利語

5. attraction . 有吸引力的事物；游覽勝地

6. settler . 移居者；殖民者

7. produce . 出產；產出；生產；制造

8. valuable.值錢的；貴重的；重要的；珍貴的

9. rich? . 富含的

10. birth . 出生；誕生

11. raise? . 撫養；養育

12. company . 公司

13. tour . 旅行；旅游；游覽；參觀；觀光

14. albatross?.[鳥]信天翁