leeshumei的部落格

轉自蘋果派生活英語
Destination: San Francisco and Alcatraz Island前進美國 舊金山與惡魔島

●閱讀英文
Inmates did not want to be locked up on Alcatraz, which stopped functioning as a federal prison in 1963. However, many visitors still insist on taking a boat out to the island to see what it was all about. Alcatraz is now a huge tourist destination, and the new, nighttime tour of the facilities offers an intense experience. One visitor said the trip made him feel like he was going to prison himself. Nighttime visitors also get to hear scarier stories and listen to recordings of prisoners and guards from the past. It is a scary and sad place, but Alcatraz, just like San Francisco, continues to fascinate people today.

●中譯
1963年開始就不再被當成聯邦監獄使用的惡魔島，是眾多牢友都不想成為籠中之鳥的地方。不過有許多遊客依然堅持乘船到這裡來一窺究竟。如今的惡魔島是一個大型旅遊景點，而新興的監獄夜遊行程則給予遊客們一段刺激萬分的經歷。有一位遊客甚至說這趟旅程讓他覺得他好像要把自己關起來似的。夜遊的旅客同時也得以耳聞那些較為恐怖的故事，還可以聽到以前一些牢友和獄卒的錄音。這是個駭人且悲傷的地方，但如同舊金山一樣，惡魔島至今仍深深令人們為之著迷。

●生活必備字詞
◎lock...up/lock up... 　　把……關起來／鎖起來
Sandy locked up all her cash and jewelry in a safe.
◎facility (n.)（特定用途的）場所，設施
The government is trying to set up more medical facilities in rural communities.
◎fascinate (vt.) 迷住，吸引
The possibility of space travel fascinates Buzz.

●More about Alcatraz
惡魔島最初為美國重要的軍事要塞，爾後轉變為美國把守最森嚴的聯邦監獄。這座島上充滿著恐怖垂死的氣氛，使得每個身陷於此的牢友都想盡辦法逃離這個地方。1962年時有三十六名罪犯計畫集體逃獄，而且據聞最後有三個人成功逃出這裡，聽說他們偷偷做了假的人頭放在床上，並用湯匙挖出隧道開溜，不過之後卻下落不明，傳說這三個越獄者不是被淹死、凍死，就是被鯊魚吃掉。後來這個題材還被拍成電影《The Rock 絕地任務》，由史恩康納萊與尼可拉斯凱吉共同主演，使得當地在全球更為聲名大噪。遊客在島上參觀時可使用語音導覽系統，當中還搭配了背景音效，不時可以聽到鐡牢門開開關關的聲音，以及犯人和軍官的對話，給人相當逼真的恐怖感受。