这周的国家公园之旅，我们探寻了靠近密歇根州与加拿大边境的一个偏远岛屿。它位于一个巨大的淡水湖中，这是美国访客最少的国家公园之一。
Welcome to Isle Royale National Park!
欢迎光临皇家岛国家公园。
Isle Royale is surrounded by the deep blue waters of Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake on Earth by area. The park's quiet forests and rocky shores offer a kind of solitude and peace not found in some of the more popular national parks.
皇家岛被苏必利尔湖的深蓝色湖水所包围，该湖是世界上面积最大的淡水湖。公园的宁静森林和岩岸提供了一些热门国家公园找不到的孤寂及静谧。
No cars or other wheeled vehicles are permitted on Isle Royale.
皇家岛上不允许使用汽车等轮式车辆。
There are no real roads on the island. The only way to get to the park is by boat or sea plane. The National Park Service operates shuttle boats that take visitors to Isle Royale. The boats leave from two Michigan ports. A boat trip to Isle Royale takes three to five hours. Waters are often extremely rough.
岛上没有真正的道路。去公园的唯一方式是乘船或水上飞机。国家公园管理处经营着带游客上岛的渡轮。这些船从密歇根两个港口出发，乘船到皇家岛需要3到5小时，湖面上往往波涛汹涌。
Isle Royale is the largest of the islands within the national park. It is 72 kilometers long.
皇家岛是该国家公园中最大的岛屿，它长达72公里。
The entire national park protects a total area of 230,000 hectares, including some 450 islands that surround Isle Royale. Fifty-two-thousand hectares is land. The rest is water.
整个国家公园保护着包括环绕皇家岛的450个岛屿在内的总计23万公顷土地，其中5.2万公顷是土地，其余面积都是水域。
Isle Royale became a national park in 1940. In 1980, officials named it an International Biosphere Reserve because of its unique ecosystem.
皇家岛于1940年成为一处国家公园。1980年官员们因为该公园独特的生态系统认定它为国际生物圈保护区。
Its remote location is part of what makes it among the least-visited national parks. But, once they arrive, most visitors stay a while. The average stay for visitors to Isle Royale National Park is 3.5 days. The average stay for visitors to most other national parks is just four hours.
位置偏远是它成为访客最少的国家公园之一的部分原因。但是，一旦游客抵达，他们大多数都会呆上一段时间。皇家岛国家公园游客的平均停留时间为3.5天，其它大多数国家公园游客的平均停留时间只有4个小时。
Isle Royale offers hiking, camping, boating, and even scuba diving. The extremely cold waters of Lake Superior help keep shipwrecks in excellent condition. The National Park Service protects 11 sunken boats for divers to explore. They are reminders of Lake Superior's commercial shipping history.
皇家岛提供登山、露营、划船以及潜水。苏必利尔湖非常寒冷的湖水帮助沉船维持良好状况。国家公园管理局保护了11处沉船供潜水员探索。它们是苏必利尔湖商业航运史的遗物。
The sunken wooden ship called The America is one of the most popular dive sites. The America carried passengers, mail, and supplies to many towns along the shores of Lake Superior. It first launched in 1898, and was used until 1928, when it was damaged. It sank to the bottom of the lake soon after.
美国号木质沉船是最受欢迎的潜水地点之一。美国号搭乘着旅客、邮件，以及提供给苏必利尔湖沿岸众多城镇的补给物资。该船于1898年首航，一直运营到1928年被损坏。之后不久它就沉到了湖底。
Today, divers can swim through the ship's ballroom, bedrooms and engine room. Painted on the ship's engine is an American flag. Many divers take pictures of this sight.
如今，潜水员可以游过船上的宴会厅、卧舱和机舱。船上的引擎上画着一面美国国旗，很多潜水员都拍下了这幅景象。
The Rock Harbor lighthouse is another reminder of the former shipping industry. Workers built the lighthouse in the 1850s to help guide ships safely to the island's copper mines.
岩石港灯塔是另一个昔日航运业的遗物。工人们在上世纪50年代修建了该灯塔帮助引导船只安全抵达岛上的铜矿。
The mining industry was short-lived, however. The lighthouse itself lit the way for ships for just 24 years. But, it still stands today. Inside, exhibits and information help visitors understand Isle Royale's maritime history. A short hiking trail leads visitors to the lighthouse.
然而采矿业非常短暂。灯塔为船舶指路只有24年，但是今天它仍然屹立不倒。在灯塔内部，展品和资料帮助游客了解皇家岛的航运历史。一条很短的登山步道将游客引向该灯塔。
Visitors to Isle Royale share the trails with a well-studied population of moose and wolves. Both species migrated to the island sometime in the early to mid-1900s. Scientists believe that moose swam to the island. They think wolves walked there during a freeze of the lake sometime in the 1940s.
皇家岛游客同一群得到充分研究的驼鹿和狼走着同一条小路。这两种物种都于上世纪初期到中期的某个时间移居到该岛上。科学家认为，驼鹿是游到了岛上，而狼是在上世纪40年代一次湖面结冰期间走上了岛。
Scientists have closely studied the relationship between Isle Royale's wolves and moose since the late 1950s. It is one of the best-studied predatory-prey relationships in the world. Researchers closely record their population numbers.
科学家仔细研究了上世纪50年代末期以来皇家岛上的狼和驼鹿之间的关系。这是世界上一种被研究最为充分的捕猎-被猎关系。研究人员仔细记录了它们的种群数量。
Much of the research takes place during the winter, when the trees are bare. The researchers fly over the island to observe the animals from above.
大多数研究是在冬季进行，这时候树木都是光秃秃的。研究人员飞过该岛，从空中观察这些动物。
In early 2016, researchers from Michigan Tech University observed just two remaining wolves on Isle Royale.
2016年初，来自密西根理工大学的研究人员观察到皇家岛上只剩两只狼。
The moose population, however, is growing. Scientists observed about 1,300 moose on the island this winter.
但是驼鹿种族正在增长。这个冬天科学家在该岛上观察到了大约1300头驼鹿。
Animal research is the only winter activity going on at Isle Royale. The national park is closed each year beginning in late October because of the harsh weather conditions. It reopens in spring time the next year.
动物研究是皇家岛冬季进行的唯一活动。由于天气状况恶劣，该国家公园每年10月末开始关闭，并于来年春天重新开放。
But for the other months of the year, Isle Royale offers refreshing lake breezes, green forests, and clear blue waters. Its stunning scenery and unusual solitude keep visitors returning year after year.
但是对于一年中的其它月份，皇家岛提供了清爽的湖面风，绿色的森林以及清澈湛蓝的湖水。其迷人风景和异常孤寂让游客年复一年地重新回来。
I'm Ashley Thompson.
我是阿什利·汤普森。
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