不能說的祕密！亞述爾羣島的神祕桃源

There are few corners of the world that remain blissfully oblivious to tourism.
世間幸有幾處世外桃源，尚未受到旅遊產業的驚擾。

The Azores can be counted as nine of them as this is the number of islands that make up the Portuguese archipelago, Europe’s westernmost point in the Atlantic Ocean.
亞述爾羣島可算這些世外桃源中的九個，因爲這是一組羣島，共有9個，位於葡萄牙境內，在歐洲最西端的大西洋洋麪上。

My first glimpse from the air of craggy volcanic cones and brilliant blue lakes in ancient craters didn’t disappoint.
當我第一眼從空中瞥見這些羣島，看見突兀的火山丘和火山坑中湛藍的湖水，果然不會令人失望。

These captivating castaways, all with their own individual charms, are a nirvana for nature lovers. The lushness of the countryside with green pastures and tidy stone walls seemed at times as familiar as the Yorkshire Dales.
這些攝人心魄的世外之景，以其獨特的魅力，成爲了自然愛好者的伊甸園。鄉村地區綠樹成蔭，滿眼蔥鬱，整齊的小石牆讓人聯想到約克郡谷地的英倫風光。

Waterfalls tumbled down sheer cliffs, fantastic ferns fanned gently in the breeze, and puffs of vapour hissed an escape from deep underground.
瀑布從陡峭的山崖上傾斜而下，巨大的蒲葉在微風中搖擺，不時從地殼深處呲的噗出一股水蒸氣，煞是有趣。

It was like stumbling on to the film location of Jurassic Park without the dinosaurs.
我們好像誤入了一個拍攝電影的取景點，一個沒有恐龍的侏羅紀公園。

At our stylish, Art Deco Terra Nostra Garden Hotel, there was a thermal pool in the grounds.
我們下榻在高端的Art Deco Terra Nostra花園酒店，一樓有溫泉泳池。

The water looked murky, but on hearing that the mineral mix is an elixir of youth, I plunged straight into the balmy bath and didn’t want to get out again until I looked half my age.
溫泉中的泉水看起來很渾濁。不過聽說池中的礦物混合物具有返老還童的功效，我便立刻跳入池中，洗了個油膏澡，賴在池中不願出來，除非我看起來年齡只有現在的一半。

The hotel’s restaurant is one of many in the area that serves up ‘Cozido das Furnas’.
旅館中的餐廳供應當地特色“火鍋宴”，在本地許多餐廳你都能找到這樣的菜。

After one active morning canoeing in the crater of Furnas Lake, we stepped ashore to watch men unearthing these meaty casseroles that had been slow-cooked underground by the heat of the volcano.
在佛納思火山湖的火山口泛舟伐船，開心地度過了一早上之後，我們上岸並看見當地人正在掘出埋在土裏的砂鍋，砂鍋裏煮着各種肉食，都是利用地下火山岩溶的溫度慢火細燜而成。

Seafood-lovers will relish specialities such as octopus in red wine, and fish you’ve never heard of.
愛好吃海鮮的人會非常喜歡這裏的特色海鮮菜，包括紅酒章魚，還有各種你聞所未聞的魚類。

My favourite lookout – the panorama over the Green and Blue Lakes from the Vista do Rei (or King’s View) – has been voted one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Portugal.
我最喜歡的景色是從Vista do Rei縱觀碧藍湖的全景，這一景觀被譽爲葡萄牙七大自然奇觀之一。

Now I’ve let you in on this well-kept secret, I doubt these serene hideaways will ever be forgotten – least of all by me.
現在我已經將這個常年來無人知曉的祕密告訴了你，我懷疑是否人們真能將這個靜謐的世外桃源遺忘掉——至少我是不會的。