提要

每逢假日清晨，往象山方向的台北捷運信義線，一批批揹著背包，戴著帽子的人潮湧入車廂，年紀參差不齊，也有全家出動，登象山健行去！捷運信義線開通試乘第一天，就有大批登山客湧入，他們可能早已熟悉象山的登山路線，搭捷運為的是方便。其實，象山並非登山客唯一的選擇，台北近郊共有二十條適合親子健行的登山步道、十條鍛鍊腿力的登山路線，以及五條較有難度的登山路徑，堪稱是登山健行者的天堂。

Last February, the website BuzzFeed published the article "26 Remarkable Places for Solo Travel," placing Taipei at the top, ahead of cities like Toronto and Bangkok. The reason Taipei fared so well, besides its night-market food and numerous amazing sights, is its access to mountain wilderness. It’s easy to find secluded forests and valleys where you can escape the commotion of the workaday world.

Hiking is really easy in Taipei, because the city sits in a basin surrounded by mountains on three sides. These mountains include five major ranges—the Datun, Qixing, Wuzhi, Nangang, and Erge ranges. Taipei is one of the few cities in the world with such a rich natural environment. These ranges contain around 130 well-maintained trails (totaling over 100 kilometers), each one a popular hiking route.

In terms of convenience, 13 mountain trails lie within easy access of MRT stations. The Guandu, Mt. Zhongyi, Guizikeng, Mt. Zhong zheng, Jun jian yan, and Mt. Jiantan trails can be reached by the Beitou Line; the Mt. Bailusi, Mt. Mingju, Mt. Kangle, Zhinan Temple–Mao kong, Xian jiyan and Zhinan Tea Pickers’ trails by the Wenhu Line; the Lishan Bridge trail by the Ban nan Line; and the Tiger Mountain and Elephant Mountain trails by the Xinyi Line.

As for difficulty, Mt. Nangang offers five climbing trails that are among Taipei’s most thrilling hiking routes, drawing numerous hikers wishing to test their courage. The Nan gang District Hiking Trail is not difficult to walk on, being paved with granite steps. But there are shortcuts to the ridge on several extremely steep precipices where people have fastened ropes; here you can test your mettle. These cliff ropes linking the trails are numbered one through five by hikers, and at four to five stories high on an almost vertical incline, No. 2 is the hardest of all, requiring plenty of effort to scale. No. 4, however, is only 60 degrees steep, making for an easier climb, suitable for budding mountaineers wishing to use their hands and feet.

Known as Taipei’s backyard, Yang ming shan offers copious hiking trails: Mt. Qixing Trail, Tianmu Old Trail, and the trails of Qing tian gang are prime examples. If you want, it’s a pleasure to hike just a small section of these.

Of these numerous trails, Jin baoli Trail stands out. Also known as the northern section of the Yulu Historic Trail, it was once a main route linking Jin shan and Shi lin. Back then, not only was it a path for conveying seafood, tealeaves, sulfur and cattle; if a Shi lin resident wished to marry someone from Jin shan, they would also have to traverse this road.

Rich with cultural and historical relics, the Jin baoli Trail is built with natural stone blocks. The landscape along the way is rich and varied, with terraced grasslands, Earth God shrines, houses and bridges of stone, streams, waterfalls, and ruins of cowsheds, city gates and homesteads. You’ll feel as if you've gone back in time.

The old trail isn’t long. If you want, you can keep heading to the Tiao liu Historic Trail, an old sulfur porters’ route. This is part of Mt. Da huang zui, a peculiar area with fumaroles, outcrops, and a yellow-tinged sulfurous geological landscape. Not far from here is Da you keng, a well-known Yang ming shan landform enshrouded in coiling white mists, inducing fanciful thoughts. Many people come in the autumn, when the silvergrass is tinged red by the sulfurous fumes. There’s something special about walking among the red silvergrass.

Taiwan is 70% mountainous, with over 200 peaks over 3,000 meters high, making it an ideal hiking paradise. And beyond the easily accessible mountains that encircle the Taipei Basin, there are over 160 trails rich with natural landscapes in neighboring New Taipei City that are well worth exploring. If Taipei’s 130 trails aren’t enough, you can try the trails of New Taipei City and enjoy more hiking delights!

翻 譯

美國「BuzzFeed Travel」網站，去年二月評選出全世界二十六個「最適合獨自旅遊」的地點，台北獲評首選，打敗多倫多、曼谷等城市。台北獲勝原因除了夜市美食之外，還有許多令人驚艷的景點，特別是親山性絕佳，讓人輕易就能尋訪山谷幽林，逃避塵世的喧囂。

在台北，登山真的很容易，因為台北為盆地地形，三面環山，坐擁大屯山、七星山、南港山、五指山、二格山等五大山系，是世界少數具有自然生態的特色城市。各山系共有約一百三十條（總長超過一百公里）完善的步道，每條都是熱門的登山路線。

以便捷的角度來說，有十三條親山步道鄰近捷運站，分別是捷運北投線的「關渡、忠義山、貴子坑、中正山、軍艦岩、劍潭山」親山步道，捷運文湖線的「白鷺鷥山、明舉山、康樂山」親山步道、「仙跡岩、指南宮貓空、指南茶路」；捷運板南線的「麗山橋口」以及捷運信義線的「虎山、象山」等，讓喜歡登山健行的民眾隨時可輕鬆從家裡出發，搭乘大眾運輸系統即可到深山林間。

從難易度上來說，南港山有五條攀岩步道，是台北最刺激的一條登山路線，常吸引很多登山客來此練膽識。其實南港山步道鋪設花崗石板階梯，並不難走，但山友在幾處坡度極陡的峭壁結上繩索，做為登頂捷徑，也可藉此鍛練體力。這些連結步道的峭壁繩索，被山友以一到五號繩索命名，其中二號繩索的難度最高，高約四、五層樓，有一段幾近九十度垂直，攀登向上需耗費極大的體力；四號繩索的峭壁僅六十度，攀爬較容易，適合想試試手腳並用攀登山岳的初登者。特別的是，這五條攀岩步道，可一次挑戰完畢，也可分次挑戰，增添許多登山的樂趣。

有台北後花園之稱的陽明山，風景秀麗，地景豐富多變，還有七星山步道、天母古道、擎天崗等周邊步道環伺，隨意走上一小段，欣賞山嵐風景即是一大享受。

在眾多步道中，較特別的「金包里大路」又稱「魚路古道北段」，早期是連絡金山與士林的主要道路，在當時，不但肩負魚貨、茶葉、硫磺、牛隻等運送任務，也是兩地往來迎娶必經之地。

蘊藏豐富人文史蹟的金包里大路，步道由天然石塊鋪設而成，沿途的景觀豐富多樣，從階梯狀的草原，到土地公廟、石屋及石橋，還有溪流與瀑布，特別是牛舍、大城門、厝地等遺址，讓人有穿越時空之感，想起小時候南部鄉下阿祖家的祖厝景色。

古道並不長，若意猶未盡，可以繼續前往「挑硫古道」。這裡屬達磺嘴山，有多處噴泉露頭，附近呈現黃色硫磺地質景觀，極富特色。而著名的大油坑口距此不遠，是陽明山知名的地景，四周盡是繚繞的白色煙霧，引人遐思。許多人還會刻意在秋天來到步道，行走在整片受硫氣薰陶而呈現紅色的芒草原間，感受很特別。

台灣70%為高山地形，三千公尺以上的高峰多達二百座以上，而且高山上沒有雪崩的危機，是山友理想的登山樂園。而不僅台北盆地三面環山，登山容易，緊鄰的新北市也有多達一百六十條以上的登山步道及豐富的步道生態景觀，很值得一探究竟。

文／楊齡媛 圖／莊坤儒

摘錄轉載自103年12月《台灣光華雜誌》

全文請參考http://www.taiwan-panorama.com/



WOW! 原來如此

fare

「fare」是（交通工具的）票價、車（船）費。

例如：「They didn't have enough money for the bus fare. 」（他們沒有足夠的錢搭公車。）

「The taxi-driver stopped to pick up a fare. 」（計程車司機停下車載客。）「載客（pick up a fare）」也就是賺車資。

「fare」也可用來表示「進展」，例如：「Jack fared better in the second test. 」（傑克第二次考試頗有進步。）

basin

「basin」是「盆」，擴大範圍敘述，就是凹地或水池。文中敘述：「.....the city sits in a basin surrounded by mountains.....」（……台北盆地三面環山……）「basin」也可以泛指（河川的）流域，例如：「The Amazon Basin is very large.」 （亞馬遜河流域幅員遼闊。）

steep precipices

「steep」是陡峭的，例如：「The bus labored up the steep hill. 」（那輛公車吃力地向陡峭的山上開去。）

「陡峭」也就是地形「急劇升降」，也可以形容抽象的「大起大落」，例如：「People were discontented with the steep rise in prices. 」（人們對物價飆漲感到不滿。）文中所說，非常「steep」的「precipice」（絕壁），就是「陡峭絕壁」。

例如：「He nearly fell off the precipice. 」（差一點，他就從懸崖上掉下去了。）



對 話

Riding the Bus

Alice：How much is the fare for this bus.

Bus Driver：It costs $1.25 to ride the bus.

Alice：So, how long have you been driving buses.

Bus Driver：I've been driving this bus for only a few months.

Alice：Do you enjoy being a bus driver.

Bus Driver：Not really.

Alice：I would never dream of driving a bus.

Bus Driver：I didn't neither, but a paycheck's a paycheck.

Alice：It was nice talking to you.

Bus Driver：Nice talking to you too.Alice：Have a nice day.

Bus Driver：That will be hard to do while driving the bus in this traffic.

搭公車

愛 麗 絲：車費多少錢？

公車司機：需要一塊兩毛五美元乘坐一趟。

愛 麗 絲：那麼，你駕駛巴士多久了？

公車司機：我開這輛車只不過幾個月。

愛 麗 絲：你喜歡當公車司機嗎？

公車司機：不怎麼喜歡。

愛 麗 絲：我從沒想過駕駛公車是什麼感覺。

公車司機：我從前也沒有，但總是一份薪水。

愛 麗 絲：很高興跟你聊天。

公車司機：我也很高興跟妳聊天。

愛 麗 絲：祝你有美好的一天。

公車司機：在這種交通狀況，有點難。