2014-10-13

【Aiden in English】

        Leaves on trees go through a cycle. In spring, buds sprout as birds sing. In summer, the leaves flourish making the world green as a lime. And winter strips the trees of leaves, leaving them bare. During the transition between summer and winter, the leaves turn into a variety of colors like red, yellow, orange, green, sometimes violet and brown. At this time of year, the Pocono Mountains in PA have a crazy splash of color. But today, I wasn't just going for the foliages. Dad and I were gonna to Bushkill Falls nicknamed Niagara Falls of Pennsylvania where we're taking the hardest trail about 2 miles/3.2 km long. Yep, it was 2 miles/3.2 km of pure nature. So, we left without any hesitation.

        You remember what I said about the leaves, right? Well, it turns out that Dad and I came here still a little too early and leaves hadn't exactly changed all the way yet. Nevertheless, panoramic views of the whole Pocono looked spectacular. The air was nice, cool, and fresh. 8 awesome waterfalls nestled deep inside the Pocono Mountains in front of our own eyes.

        The main falls or Bushkill Falls basically comprised a big shower of water cascading over 100 feet/30 meters. The water gushed out of a ledge, which sounded like thunder from a storm. The waterfall that really blew me away was the Bridesmaid Falls above the Bushkill Falls. It derived from the headwaters of the Bushkill Creek and descended the Pocono along with down to the Delaware River.

        Once the main falls were over, the water slow down and a fissure opened in the ground. The Lower Gorge Falls were created. There was a crack between waterfalls and the water was sucked into it like a vortex, consuming every object in its way. I was blown away as a kid who had seen the world. This was an amazing compliment.

        The Laurel Glen Falls caught my attention. A stream trickled down into flowing water current. Though the waterfalls were small, it had a beautiful scene with a primeval rock wall. The Bridal Veil Falls just looked as if the water was able to dig a hole in the ground, and then formed Pond Run Creek by itself.

        Nature is complicated with no artificial paths. So don't think the waterfalls would just walk away. Well, it kind of was, just that it was a long walk, and in the trail's case, a hike through rough terrain. The path was winding like a snake, and stopped in random places. Dad and I went up and down. Over logs and around trees, my brain compass was all messed up. If it weren't for the map, red markers on the trees, and sign once in a while, I would probably be stuck in that same forest for the rest of my years. That's the bad part of having no artificial paths. The flip side was that everything was the way it’s supposed to be. It seemed like a part of the modern world back 100 years ago when humans didn't start destroying nature. Sometimes, the wildness is the best and I want to keep it that way.

【红霞译文】

        树叶一年四季枯荣交替。春季莺歌燕舞，“野芳发而幽香”；盛夏翠叶满枝，“佳木秀而繁阴”；冬日岁暮天寒，到处枯树朽株；夏冬之交，节气更变，重见百花笑春风，世间万物纷纷竞相争艳，青山绿水白草红叶黄花，间或伴有富丽的紫色以及优雅的棕色，大自然浑然天成。每年秋高气爽时节，宾州波科诺山脉秋妆浓抹，把自己装点得份外娇娆。不过今天，我并非专程跑来观赏秋叶，而是与爸爸共同前往素有“宾州尼亚加拉瀑布”美誉之称的布什基尔瀑布，徒步跋涉两英里／三千二百米山路。哇塞，两英里／三千二百米世外桃源，我们二话不说，朝目的地方向直奔而去。

        你还记得我提及的树叶吗？我们来得为时过早，叶子尚未完全蜕变，但尽管如此，波科诺山景致依然蔚为壮观，这里的空气既舒适又凉爽还清新。放眼远眺，八个秀美的瀑布交相掩映在波科诺深山老林之中。

        主瀑布即布什基尔瀑布从天而降，上下落差超过一百英尺／三十米，水流湍急，径直从出口狂飙跌落，不时传出雷鸣般的轰隆声。令我惊叹不已的要算布什基尔瀑布上方的伴娘瀑布，它地处林溪源头，沿波科诺顺势而下，最后再与特拉华河汇聚。

        主瀑布之后，水速减慢，石崩地裂，低峡谷瀑布应运而生。瀑布之间有一道大口子，水被强力吸入形成旋涡，卷走所有残留之物，可谓气势磅礴，能得到像我这样一位走南闯北见过世面的孩童赞许，实在了不起。

        我的视线停落在桂冠峡谷瀑布上，溪流潺潺流淌，其瀑布虽然不大，但却以原始岩壁为背景，好看别致。新娘面纱瀑布掷地有声，好端端把地面砸个大坑，并独自拓展出一条塘溪小河。

        大自然鬼斧神工，简直太神奇了，所以千万不要误以为瀑布一走了之。没错，它看似来去匆匆，可要沿着瀑布周围高低不平的山路走上一圈，并非容易的事。石径九曲十八弯，经常无路可走，我们爬上爬下，越过攀枝错节的障碍，绕出一眼望不着边的森林，我的脑袋越来越懵，搞不清东南西北，要不是地图在身，沿途每隔一段距离树上有红色路标当道，恐怕我这辈子肯定得呆在这片林子里了结余生，这即是所谓毫无人工印迹的缺陷。话又说了回来，世外桃源本该如此，当今社会如果回到一百年前人类尚未开始破坏自然界时也会一样。有时候还是原始生态最好，我挺喜欢保持这种方式。