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希利爾湖：澳洲的粉紅色湖泊 Lake Hillier, the Pink Lake in Australia

精英翻譯社轉自: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0054/342721/web/

There is a lake on an island in Western Australia. It's about 600 meters in length and 250 meters wide. It is called Lake Hillier, and it would be like any other lake if not for the fact that this lake is pink.

西澳大利亞州的一個島上有座湖泊，長約600 公尺，寬250 公尺，叫做「希利爾湖」，它和一般湖泊沒兩樣，唯獨湖水呈現粉紅色。

Lake Hillier is famous for its bright pink water. The first written record of Lake Hillier was made in 1802. That's when a British explorer named Matthew Flinders stumbled across the lake on his way to Sydney. Can you imagine how shocked he must have been to discover a giant body of water the color of bubble gum?

希利爾湖以明亮的粉紅色湖水聞名於世，最早關於希利爾湖的記載是在1802 年，當時英國的探險家馬修．弗林德斯在前往雪梨的路上，意外發現了這座湖泊。你能想像當他發現一大片泡泡糖顏色的湖水時，有多麼震驚嗎？

Going for a dip in Lake Hillier won't do you any harm, though the water might taste a bit gross. If you were to open your eyes while underwater, you'd see nothing but a thick veil of pink. It would almost be like swimming in a massive tub of stomach medicine. Another amazing thing about the water in Lake Hillier is that it maintains its pink color no matter where it goes. You can fill a container with it, and when you get home, it will be just as pink as when you found it.

泡在希利爾湖水裡並不會對人體有害，只是水的味道可能有點噁。如果你在水裡張開眼睛，也只能看到厚厚一片粉紅色，那種感覺就好像泡在一大缸胃藥裡面一樣。希利爾湖的湖水還有一樣奇妙之處，就是不管到哪裡都能維持粉紅色，如果你裝一點湖水回家，它還是一樣的粉紅色。

Scientists haven't decided on what causes Lake Hillier's trademark color. Some believe that it's the result of a combination of low concentrations of certain nutrients, bacteria, and algae in the water. Others believe that it's caused by a reaction between sea salt and red halophilic bacteria on the lake's shores. Perhaps we will never know for sure what gives Lake Hillier its peculiar color, and maybe it's better that way. Maybe Lake Hillier should remain an unsolved mystery for future generations to puzzle over.

科學家對於什麼原因造成希利爾湖的招牌粉紅色未有定論，有的認為它是綜合了微量的某種養分、細菌和水藻的結果；有的認為這是海鹽和岸邊的紅色嗜鹽菌作用後所造成的。或許我們永遠不得而知希利爾湖特殊呈色的原因，也或許不知道最好，讓希利爾湖繼續蒙著神秘面紗，留待後世去解密。
 

If you want to see Lake Hillier for yourself without flying all the way to Australia, try looking for it on Google Maps or other satellite mapping software. It's hard to miss!
如果你不想飛去澳洲，又想一睹希利爾湖的廬山真面目，可以試著用谷歌地圖或其他衛星繪圖軟體查詢，要找不到很難！