2015-06-06

【Aiden in English】

        Discovered in 1872, Crystal Cave in the borough of Kutztown, PA was a natural phenomenon that captured tourists hundreds of miles around. Smack dab in the middle of nowhere, what used to be an empty section of the map now contains a vast cave system underground that puts it on the map.

        The middle of nowhere can contain some very wonderful scenes. So when I say “I wish I could go again”, there actually is a reason behind that statement. The drive had many natural treasures itself. Planting fields spread out into the distance as far as the eye could see. Neat, tidy, orderly rows upon rows of plants decorated the scenic view, acting as the paint on the canvas. I wouldn’t be surprised if in the future I was called upon to write a poem about nature that I would relate back to this view. The isolation of the people out here is also another case. Like I said, this was the middle of nowhere, imagine driving an hour to get ice cream.

        Crystal Cave is a cave reaching down 155 feet/47 meters below the earth’s surface, keeping the temperature mostly at 54^oF/12^oC all year round. I guess there is something called a free AC installation. The cave was filled with stalagmites and stalactites including onyx, agate, and jasper, flowing-like stones and columns forming pictures. The process of getting a result like Crystal Cave is a tiny chance, considering a stalagmite takes 500 years to grow one, small centimeter. Boy, I though watching grass grow was boring. This just created an entirely different level. 

        The rock formations created interesting shapes as well. The images depended or the person’s own interest and imagination. For example, I could see the face of Jack Frost keeping the temperature cool in a rock, puffing his cheeks as if he was blowing on icy gale. Luckily for me I had a high-tech, heat preserving Nike sweatshirt that prevented any chances of hypothermia or frost bite. The cave showed wonder upon wonder. Rocks that seemed to flow down the side of the cave looked like actual water. In addition, the temperature varied every few feet, and the differences could be subtle or enormous. 

        Wonders of the earth are, well, wonderful. The events that occur are slim to one, but when the conditions are right, beautiful scenes like Crystal Cave appear.

【紅霞譯文】

        1872年在庫茨敦城外發現的水晶洞堪稱賓州遐邇聞名的自然奇觀，它地處荒山野嶺，一度人跡罕至，直到龐大的地下溶洞系統問世才變得家喻戶曉。

        沿用蠻荒之地來襯托水晶洞地宮之神妙並非言過其實，當我道出“後會有期”，無法掩飾話語中隱藏於內心難以忘卻的記憶。行駛在通往水晶洞的道路上，淳樸濃郁的鄉村氣息迎面撲來，蔥蔥田野漭盪無垠，莽莽林海清俊挺拔，活脫脫勾勒出一幅生機盎然的動人畫卷。假如有朝一日我要寫首詩歌頌揚自然風情，眼前的美輪美奐說不定會悄然躍於紙上，那些置身世外的當地民眾權且另當別論。正如我前面所說的那樣，水晶洞的確前不巴村後不着店，欲想吃口冰激凌非得驅車趕赴個把鐘頭開外的地方。

        水晶洞距離地面有155英尺／47米之深，終年保持華氏54度／攝氏12度恆溫，因此空調設施在這裡完全成了多餘的東西。溶洞由石筍和鐘乳石組成，經過漫長的地質變遷，瑪瑙、玉髓、碧玉千姿百態逐個展現在世人面前，就拿石筍來說，每長出一厘米需要耗費五百年之久。天哇，眼巴巴地望着草地一天天長起來就夠讓人心急火燎的，更何況規模雄偉的溶洞。

        岩層的形狀固然多種多樣，但有些還得靠觀眾自己去想象，譬如：我仿佛看到冰霜傑克那張能叫岩石保持清涼的臉龐，其腮幫子鼓得圓圓的，好像正使勁吹起凜冽的狂風，幸虧我身穿高科技研製的耐克仿寒運動服，才使自己免遭低溫症的折磨或躲避掉凍傷的摧殘。水晶洞讓人類見證無數奇蹟，下垂的鐘乳石看上去跟倒掛的流水一模一樣；溫度隨地勢落差的不同而發生變化，要麼小的無法察覺，要麼大的驚心動魄。

        由衷感慨大自然鬼斧神工，讓不起眼的東西發展成不得了的奇蹟，只要時機成熟，像水晶洞這樣的撼世傑作脫手而出。