The Fantastic Colorful Beach五彩滩（wúcǎi tān）

在中国，几乎所有的河流都流向东海，唯有一条河一直向北奔流，注入北冰洋。这条河就在新疆阿尔泰地区准噶尔盆地北部的额尔齐斯河。号称“新疆最美的雅丹地貌”的五彩滩就在额尔齐斯河岸边。这里又称五彩城或五彩湾，因其五彩缤纷的地貌特征而得名。五彩滩位于一座非常美丽的小城镇——布尔津县境内，是国家4A级景区，以怪异、神秘、壮美而著称。额尔齐斯河穿越五彩滩一直向北流去。河的两岸景色各异：南岸，绿洲、沙漠与蓝色的天际相合，风光尽收眼底；北岸则是千姿百态、扑塑迷离的雅丹地貌。
Nearly all of the rivers in China empty into the East China Sea. The only exception is the Ertix River, which lies to the north of the Dzungarian Basin in the Altai region of Xinjiang. Unlike the other rivers of China, the Ertix riverColorful Beach, best known for its Yadan landscape, can be found along the Ertix River. It is also known as the “Colorful City” and the “Colorful Bay,” for the dazzling array of colors that can be found throughout the landscape. Colorful Beach, in the beautiful town of Burqin, is a 4A-rated national scenic spot, famous for its mysterious and magnificent landforms. The Ertix River runs through this scenic spot on its way north. The landscapes along the opposite riverbanks are dramatically different. On the south bank, oases spring from the expansive desert and the horizon where the sand meets the sky is visible as far as the eye can see. All this beauty stands in a single scene in front of your very eyes. At the north bank, the Yadan landscape awes all who see it, with a variety of complicated and intricate landforms.

五彩滩大约形成于几十万年前。这里沉积了很厚的煤层，后来由于地壳运动，地表凸起，那些煤层也随之露出地表。在雷电和阳光的长期作用下，煤层大面积燃烧，而后堆积成大小山丘，形成了现在这种绚丽的自然景观。
Colorful Beach was shaped hundreds of thousands of years ago. It is mainly composed of sediment from thick coal deposits which burst through the surface of the earth due to the shifting of tectonic plates. Years of thunder and lightning, as well as the sun’s bright rays, have gradually helped form large areas of the coal deposits into hills of different sizes, creating an impressive and imposing landscape.

实际上，五彩城就是当地人说的火烧山，那些美丽的山包不过是一堆堆的灰烬。站在那里你可以想象出遥远的过去一片火海的壮观景象，同时也感受到一种源自历史深处的疼痛。
In actuality, local people call the Colorful City “the burning hill,” because the picturesque hills are no more than huge piles of dusts and ashes. In viewing the landscape, you can imagine the magnificent scene the blazing inferno must have caused long ago, and perhaps you can also feel the deep seated pain inherent in its history.

走进五彩滩就像走进一个梦幻世界，光怪陆离的色彩从四面八方向你涌来。岩层以红、土红、浅黄和浅绿的砂岩、泥岩及砂砾岩组成。岩石色泽各异，五彩缤纷，状如彩色古堡、怪兽、山峰等奇特造型的风蚀地形，是典型的雅丹地貌。
Wandering through Colorful Beach, you may feel as though you were walking in a fantastic dreamland, with a kaleidoscope of blazing colors meeting you from all sides. Rock layers there are mainly composed of red, red-brown, light-yellow or light-green sandstones, mudstones and glutenite. The rocks are multi-colored, and unique to the Yadan landscape. They rise from the rock in an array of fascinating shapes, including ancient castles, gruesome monsters and mountains.

顺着山势举目展望，那些大大小小、错落有致的山岗无不被艳丽的色彩缠裹着，呈现出千姿百态、扑塑迷离的景象。你会猜想，这眼前世界会不会是某个抽象大师所绘的不朽画作。
Up along the hillsides, the mounds are of different sizes, grouped and interspersed in a delicate way, each ablaze with roaring colors; a sparkling yet mysterious beauty. You may wonder whether the world you behold is actually a priceless piece of art painted by a great master .

由于河岸岩层间抗风化能力的强弱程度不一，五彩滩形成了参差不齐的轮廓。这里的岩石颜色多变。在落日时分的阳光照射下，岩石的色彩以红色为主，间以绿、黄、白、黑及过渡色彩，色彩斑斓、娇艳妩媚。据说青色是河流冲刷下来的卵石，白色是石灰石碎裂的块垒，黑色是象征野火的山煤，红色是来自地底的胶泥，黄色是圆润的皂石，所以才被称作“新疆最美的雅丹地貌”。过去，五彩城一直不为人知。人们把那块地方称为死亡之地，传说凡是进去的人没有一个能够生还，由此更增添了它的神秘色彩。
As the weathering resistance of different rock layers varies, Colorful Beach presents itself to the viewer in a diversity of shapes. The colors of the rocks change dramatically from place to place. At sunset, the rocks are all in gorgeous colors, which, besides the dominant red, include green, yellow, white, black, and many shades in between. It is said that the green rock is formed from the pebbles borne by rivers, the white rock is made of the shattered fragments of limestone, the black rock is coal, the red rock is mortar from underground, and the yellow rock is smooth soapstone. It is no wonder that Colorful Beach is considered the most beautiful Yadan landscape in Xinjiang. Though now famous, Colorful Beach remained unknown for many years. People referred to it as “the place of death,” and it was said that no one who entered it could come back alive, making it all the more mysterious.

有意思的是，这里与魔鬼城有很多的相似的地方。据说每当大风刮起的时候，岩石也会发出怪异的声音。沟壑里、岩石下到处都会发出长短不一、高低不同的怪叫声，仿佛魔鬼们在相互呼唤，结伴而行，让人觉得越发神秘和恐怖。
Curiously enough, this place bears much in common with the City of Devils. It is said that when the wind becomes fierce, there are gruesome sounds of wailing that issue forth from the rocks. It sounds as if many devils were sneaking about and calling out to each other, chilling the blood of every human who hears.

但是，还有更令人恐怖的事情，那就是五彩滩的主人——蚊子。天哪！也许是因为它们在那里生存了许多年，并不欢迎造访的旅游者，所以它们无孔不入。不管你穿的什么衣服，它们都能长驱直入。伸手一抓，最起码有三四只。所以在五彩滩，除了欣赏美丽的雅丹地貌之外，满眼尽是包裹得严严实实的人，再有就是吃尽苦头的旅游者了。每个人都在不断地拍打全身，驱赶那些执着的小家伙，尽管如此，人们的身上还是伤痕累累。听说在夏季，当地政府要每天两次飞机灭蚊。蚊子是灭掉了，可是吃蚊子的小鸟们呢？是和蚊子一起被灭掉了？还是失望地飞走了。我不知道。
Even more terrible than all this is the mosquitoes---the wretched hosts of Colorful Beach. They have inhabited the Beach for a long time and remain hostile to tourists. They buzz everywhere, and at every chance bite you no matter what you wear. You can catch at least three or four mosquitoes in a single grab. Tourists must thus wrap themselves up carefully; otherwise they risk being severely bitten by mosquitoes. You can see tourists slap at the pests all over their bodies to drive away the annoyingly persistent mosquitoes. Although these visitors take a brave stand against them, they are still covered with bites. It is said that the local government uses twice-daily pesticide flights to kill the mosquitoes. Unfortunately, if the mosquitoes are killed, what will happen to the birds that rely on the mosquitoes for food? Are they also to be killed in our campaign against mosquitoes? Or, must they simply fly somewhere in a desperate search for food? I myself have no idea.

Keywords:
1准噶尔zhǔn ɡá'r：n, A basin of Xinjiang province in China
2新疆Xīnjiānɡ：n, Xinjiang province in China
3伊犁Yīlí：n, Ili kazak autonomous prefecture
4雅丹yǎdān：n The names of geography in landscape
5额尔齐斯é ěr qí sī：n, The name of a river in xinjiang
6布尔津Bù ěr jīn：n, The name of a county in Xinjiang
7五彩滩wúcǎi tān：n, The Fantastic Colorful Beach