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來到冰岛就仿佛置身于人间仙境，让人飘飘欲仙、流连忘返。在那里，你似乎可以放下所有的烦恼，体验许多之前从未感受过的美好。怎么样，开始想和作者一起来场奇妙的冰岛之旅了吗？
Iceland？ Who goes to Iceland on vacation？ It turns out the answer is growing numbers of culture and adventure lovers looking for something a bit different， something they’ve never seen before， experiences as unique as they come.
Having recently visited the country for a short time， I have seen the light. （Of course， 1）given the fact that the summer sun’s up 23.5 hours every day， that light is hard to miss.）
It certainly helped starting off the journey in Icelandair’s 2）Saga （business） Class. I was properly greeted， 3）cossetted in a comfortable seat， 4）sated with 5）salmon， and delivered safely to Keflavik， a manageable little jewel of an airport with an6）extensive dutyfree shopping 7）arcade. From JFK注1， the flight took less than five hours.
For the first 20 minutes en route from Keflavik to Reykjavik by cab， the land looks 8）barren but the 9）Nordic sky is 10）luminous. There are no trees， just 11）lava fields covered with 12）velvety green moss. Soon enough I make out a 13）pale blue body of water—the Atlantic， of course—then scattered houses and mountains. As we drive closer to the city， I notice the mountaintops are dotted with snow.
Snow caps the mountains of Reykjavik， even in summer
It’s mid-summer…New York is 14）sweltering…and I’m seeing snow！（Later I learn that one of many Icelandic legends has to do with this summer snow. They say that if it all 15）evaporates by August， something 16）dire will occur. It happened in 1996…and there was a 17）volcanic eruption outside the city.）
Anyway， there’s snow up there in July， and the weather’s a comfortable 55 degrees Fahrenheit. I’m willing to pack a lot into the days， since it stays light for all but half an hour. The first place I visit is a community swimming pool heated entirely by underwater 18）geothermal springs. Icelanders frequent these facilities every day of the year， meeting friends， debating politics， and simply luxuriating in the pool and 19）adjacent Jacuzzis注2. No wonder they look so healthy and enjoy such longevity.
After the swim I got to experience two outdoor sculpture gardens accompanied by a learned guide. First was Asmundur Sveinsson’s， whose creations call upon Nordic sagas for inspiration. Historic and heartfelt， his work provides a window into the Icelandic soul. Ainar Jonsson， a contemporary， may have been the more masterful technician， but his work lacks Sveinsson’s warm emotion. Contemplating and comparing the displays with my enlightening guide is an 20）aesthetic delight. Touring outside the city is 21）imperative， though. There’s everything from 22）geysers to glaciers， to hold one as 23）spellbound as a mid-season sale at Saks注3. Up north， adventurers can go snowmobiling， dogsledding， and experience other chilly adventures in an Arctic Jeep. Elsewhere you can river raft， sea 24）kayak， fish， and whale watch.
Thingvellir National Park， closer to Reykjavik， is where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet and stretch apart. One side holds grassy 25）meadows and 26）placid lakes; the other rough lava terrain. A place of great significance to the Icelandic people， the park is also where Europe’s first parliament 27）convened in 930 A.D. Today， it’s a magnificent place to picnic.
Walls of waterfalls， volcanic cpaters， lava flows flocked with moss
Hot springs hissing with steaming water， hillsides planted with 28）blue lupine， and 29）puffin perches are among the sights in nature’s 30）repertoire. And one of the best ways to experience them is on horseback. The sturdy little Icelandic horses are so gentle， anyone but a 31）tenderfoot like me would feel at ease 32）cantering across these magical landscapes.
The Blue Lagoon turns out to be my kind of place， not a spa as Americans know it. In fact， they sell ice cream here， lots of it. The draw is the lagoon’s 33）therapeutic waters， surrounded by black lava fields. The 34）opaque blue-green reservoir of mineral-rich water is heated to about 100 degrees. Since the air’s only about 60 degrees， steam continually rises from the milky water.
I paddle around， 35）peering through the fog at the old folks and kids， the lovers and the lonely， all bobbing in this 36）ethereal human soup. Stress just melts away.
I start to think that perhaps heaven isn’t composed of clouds but of Iceland’s naturally warm， 37）buoyant， healing waters. It’s a real possibility. But you ought to visit and decide for yourself.
冰島？谁会去冰岛度假？答案是越来越多的文化和探险爱好者们，他们在寻找与众不同、从未见过的东西，期待来到这里获得独一无二的非凡经历。
我最近在这个国家待过一小段时间，看到了极昼。（由于夏天太阳每天都挂在天上23.5个小时，所以自然很难错过它。）
搭乘冰岛航空商务舱开始这趟旅程显然是有好处的。我受到了周到的款待，坐在舒适的座位上，心满意足地享受着三文鱼，并安全抵达凯夫拉维克机场。机场就像一颗小巧玲珑的宝石，旁边就是宽敞的免税商场。从肯尼迪国际机场飞到这里，只用了不到五个小时。
乘出租车从凯夫拉维克到雷克雅未克途中，前面20分钟的路程满眼都是荒凉的旷野，但这片北欧的天空依然明亮。没有树，只有覆盖着天鹅绒般绿色苔藓的熔岩原。很快，我就看到一片淡蓝色的海水—那当然是大西洋—接着还有山和零星分布的房屋。在去市区的路上，我看到山顶点缀着积雪。
夏天也覆盖着白雪的雷克雅未克山区
时值盛夏，纽约正是闷热的时候，我却看到了雪！（后来我听说，这里夏天的积雪还与一个冰岛传说有关。据说，如果这些雪在八月之前全部蒸发殆尽，就会有可怕的事情发生。1996年，这个传说成为现实，那一年城外就有火山爆发。） 总之，这里七月有雪，而气候也是舒适的55华氏度（约13摄氏度）。我愿意把白天的行程排得满满的，因为这里几乎一整天都是白天，而夜晚只有半个小时。我游览的第一个地方是一个完全由地下温泉供热的社区游泳池。冰岛人一年到头频繁光顾这里，在这儿会見朋友、探讨政治或者纯粹享受一下游泳池和它旁边的按摩浴缸。难怪他们看起来都很健康且长寿。
游完泳，我又跟着博学多闻的导游去参观了两个室外雕塑公园。第一个是奥斯门德·斯文松雕塑公园。奥斯门德·斯文松的作品以北欧传奇为灵感来源，其历史性和诚意为游客提供了一扇去了解冰岛灵魂的窗户。另一个是艾纳·琼森雕塑公园。作为当代人的艾纳·琼森也许技艺是更为娴熟，但他的作品缺乏斯文松的温暖情感。和我那循循善诱的导游一起思索并对比着这些展品，很有审美乐趣。
到城外看看也是必不可少的节目。从间歇泉到冰川等各种景观，就像美国萨克斯百货的季中促销那样，足以令人如着魔般流连忘返。冒险家们可以到城北玩雪地摩托和狗拉雪橇，坐着极地吉普车体验其他刺激的探险活动。除此之外，你还可以去玩河道漂流、海上皮划艇、钓鱼和观鲸。
距离雷克雅未克不远的辛格维尔国家公园位于北美和欧亚板块接壤与拉伸分裂的边界处。一边是如茵草地和平静湖泊，另一边是粗犷的熔岩地貌。这个公园对冰岛人意义重大，公元930年的首次欧洲议会就是在这里召开的。今天，这里是一个野餐的好地方。
瀑布墙、火山口以及覆满青苔的岩浆
嘶嘶冒着蒸汽的温泉、长满蓝花羽扇豆的山坡和海鹦栖息地都是这里的自然景观。体验它们的最佳方式之一就是骑马。健壮的冰岛小马是如此温顺，除了像我这样的生手，任何人都能安心地骑着它们在这梦幻般的风景里悠然驰骋。
蓝湖是我钟爱的那种地方，它和美国人所知的水疗中心不同。事实上，这里有冰淇淋卖，大把大把的冰淇淋。这里吸引人的地方在于那被黑色熔岩包围着的、有治疗效果的湖水。富含矿物质、呈不透明蓝绿色的湖水被加热到约100华氏度（约38摄氏度）。由于空气的温度只有约60华氏度（约16摄氏度），所以不断有蒸汽从不透明的湖水中升起。
我四处游动，透过雾气，看着这些男女老少、成双成对或形单影只的人们沉浸在这人间仙境般缥缈的湖水中，压力一下子烟消云散。
我开始觉得，也许天堂不是用云做的，而是用冰岛那自然温暖、生机勃勃而又有治愈性的泉水做的。确实有这种可能。但你应该试着身临其境、自己判断了。
词汇积累
（1） given
Iceland？ Who goes to Iceland on vacation？ It turns out the answer is growing numbers of culture and adventure lovers looking for something a bit different， something they’ve never seen before， experiences as unique as they come.
Having recently visited the country for a short time， I have seen the light. （Of course， 1）given the fact that the summer sun’s up 23.5 hours every day， that light is hard to miss.）
It certainly helped starting off the journey in Icelandair’s 2）Saga （business） Class. I was properly greeted， 3）cossetted in a comfortable seat， 4）sated with 5）salmon， and delivered safely to Keflavik， a manageable little jewel of an airport with an6）extensive dutyfree shopping 7）arcade. From JFK注1， the flight took less than five hours.
For the first 20 minutes en route from Keflavik to Reykjavik by cab， the land looks 8）barren but the 9）Nordic sky is 10）luminous. There are no trees， just 11）lava fields covered with 12）velvety green moss. Soon enough I make out a 13）pale blue body of water—the Atlantic， of course—then scattered houses and mountains. As we drive closer to the city， I notice the mountaintops are dotted with snow.
Snow caps the mountains of Reykjavik， even in summer
It’s mid-summer…New York is 14）sweltering…and I’m seeing snow！（Later I learn that one of many Icelandic legends has to do with this summer snow. They say that if it all 15）evaporates by August， something 16）dire will occur. It happened in 1996…and there was a 17）volcanic eruption outside the city.）
Anyway， there’s snow up there in July， and the weather’s a comfortable 55 degrees Fahrenheit. I’m willing to pack a lot into the days， since it stays light for all but half an hour. The first place I visit is a community swimming pool heated entirely by underwater 18）geothermal springs. Icelanders frequent these facilities every day of the year， meeting friends， debating politics， and simply luxuriating in the pool and 19）adjacent Jacuzzis注2. No wonder they look so healthy and enjoy such longevity.
After the swim I got to experience two outdoor sculpture gardens accompanied by a learned guide. First was Asmundur Sveinsson’s， whose creations call upon Nordic sagas for inspiration. Historic and heartfelt， his work provides a window into the Icelandic soul. Ainar Jonsson， a contemporary， may have been the more masterful technician， but his work lacks Sveinsson’s warm emotion. Contemplating and comparing the displays with my enlightening guide is an 20）aesthetic delight. Touring outside the city is 21）imperative， though. There’s everything from 22）geysers to glaciers， to hold one as 23）spellbound as a mid-season sale at Saks注3. Up north， adventurers can go snowmobiling， dogsledding， and experience other chilly adventures in an Arctic Jeep. Elsewhere you can river raft， sea 24）kayak， fish， and whale watch.
Thingvellir National Park， closer to Reykjavik， is where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet and stretch apart. One side holds grassy 25）meadows and 26）placid lakes; the other rough lava terrain. A place of great significance to the Icelandic people， the park is also where Europe’s first parliament 27）convened in 930 A.D. Today， it’s a magnificent place to picnic.
Walls of waterfalls， volcanic cpaters， lava flows flocked with moss
Hot springs hissing with steaming water， hillsides planted with 28）blue lupine， and 29）puffin perches are among the sights in nature’s 30）repertoire. And one of the best ways to experience them is on horseback. The sturdy little Icelandic horses are so gentle， anyone but a 31）tenderfoot like me would feel at ease 32）cantering across these magical landscapes.
The Blue Lagoon turns out to be my kind of place， not a spa as Americans know it. In fact， they sell ice cream here， lots of it. The draw is the lagoon’s 33）therapeutic waters， surrounded by black lava fields. The 34）opaque blue-green reservoir of mineral-rich water is heated to about 100 degrees. Since the air’s only about 60 degrees， steam continually rises from the milky water.
I paddle around， 35）peering through the fog at the old folks and kids， the lovers and the lonely， all bobbing in this 36）ethereal human soup. Stress just melts away.
I start to think that perhaps heaven isn’t composed of clouds but of Iceland’s naturally warm， 37）buoyant， healing waters. It’s a real possibility. But you ought to visit and decide for yourself.
冰島？谁会去冰岛度假？答案是越来越多的文化和探险爱好者们，他们在寻找与众不同、从未见过的东西，期待来到这里获得独一无二的非凡经历。
我最近在这个国家待过一小段时间，看到了极昼。（由于夏天太阳每天都挂在天上23.5个小时，所以自然很难错过它。）
搭乘冰岛航空商务舱开始这趟旅程显然是有好处的。我受到了周到的款待，坐在舒适的座位上，心满意足地享受着三文鱼，并安全抵达凯夫拉维克机场。机场就像一颗小巧玲珑的宝石，旁边就是宽敞的免税商场。从肯尼迪国际机场飞到这里，只用了不到五个小时。
乘出租车从凯夫拉维克到雷克雅未克途中，前面20分钟的路程满眼都是荒凉的旷野，但这片北欧的天空依然明亮。没有树，只有覆盖着天鹅绒般绿色苔藓的熔岩原。很快，我就看到一片淡蓝色的海水—那当然是大西洋—接着还有山和零星分布的房屋。在去市区的路上，我看到山顶点缀着积雪。
夏天也覆盖着白雪的雷克雅未克山区
时值盛夏，纽约正是闷热的时候，我却看到了雪！（后来我听说，这里夏天的积雪还与一个冰岛传说有关。据说，如果这些雪在八月之前全部蒸发殆尽，就会有可怕的事情发生。1996年，这个传说成为现实，那一年城外就有火山爆发。） 总之，这里七月有雪，而气候也是舒适的55华氏度（约13摄氏度）。我愿意把白天的行程排得满满的，因为这里几乎一整天都是白天，而夜晚只有半个小时。我游览的第一个地方是一个完全由地下温泉供热的社区游泳池。冰岛人一年到头频繁光顾这里，在这儿会見朋友、探讨政治或者纯粹享受一下游泳池和它旁边的按摩浴缸。难怪他们看起来都很健康且长寿。
游完泳，我又跟着博学多闻的导游去参观了两个室外雕塑公园。第一个是奥斯门德·斯文松雕塑公园。奥斯门德·斯文松的作品以北欧传奇为灵感来源，其历史性和诚意为游客提供了一扇去了解冰岛灵魂的窗户。另一个是艾纳·琼森雕塑公园。作为当代人的艾纳·琼森也许技艺是更为娴熟，但他的作品缺乏斯文松的温暖情感。和我那循循善诱的导游一起思索并对比着这些展品，很有审美乐趣。
到城外看看也是必不可少的节目。从间歇泉到冰川等各种景观，就像美国萨克斯百货的季中促销那样，足以令人如着魔般流连忘返。冒险家们可以到城北玩雪地摩托和狗拉雪橇，坐着极地吉普车体验其他刺激的探险活动。除此之外，你还可以去玩河道漂流、海上皮划艇、钓鱼和观鲸。
距离雷克雅未克不远的辛格维尔国家公园位于北美和欧亚板块接壤与拉伸分裂的边界处。一边是如茵草地和平静湖泊，另一边是粗犷的熔岩地貌。这个公园对冰岛人意义重大，公元930年的首次欧洲议会就是在这里召开的。今天，这里是一个野餐的好地方。
瀑布墙、火山口以及覆满青苔的岩浆
嘶嘶冒着蒸汽的温泉、长满蓝花羽扇豆的山坡和海鹦栖息地都是这里的自然景观。体验它们的最佳方式之一就是骑马。健壮的冰岛小马是如此温顺，除了像我这样的生手，任何人都能安心地骑着它们在这梦幻般的风景里悠然驰骋。
蓝湖是我钟爱的那种地方，它和美国人所知的水疗中心不同。事实上，这里有冰淇淋卖，大把大把的冰淇淋。这里吸引人的地方在于那被黑色熔岩包围着的、有治疗效果的湖水。富含矿物质、呈不透明蓝绿色的湖水被加热到约100华氏度（约38摄氏度）。由于空气的温度只有约60华氏度（约16摄氏度），所以不断有蒸汽从不透明的湖水中升起。
我四处游动，透过雾气，看着这些男女老少、成双成对或形单影只的人们沉浸在这人间仙境般缥缈的湖水中，压力一下子烟消云散。
我开始觉得，也许天堂不是用云做的，而是用冰岛那自然温暖、生机勃勃而又有治愈性的泉水做的。确实有这种可能。但你应该试着身临其境、自己判断了。
词汇积累
（1） given