by Melinda Allman
Ghosts and hauntings[萦绕心头的东西]. Mysterious[神秘的] disappearances and murderous[杀人的] daughters. Whether its Halloween or not, most of us enjoy a good, clean scare. What happens, though, if the hauntings are real? Then the fun takes on a whole new meaning; the screams and chills become more than some people can stand. For those who are not faint of heart[心生畏惧的], though, weve compiled[汇编] a list of some of the most frightening places in the world. Are they real? Are they a sham[伪品]? You decide!
鬼影幢幢、神秘的失踪、杀气腾腾的女儿们……无论是否到了万圣节,我们大多数人都喜欢那种正面、干脆的惊吓。但如果那些鬼怪是真的,那又会怎样?那么这种乐趣的意义就全然不同了,那些尖叫和寒战可能会超出某些人能承受的范围。不过我们还是为不至于太胆小的人编了一份清单,罗列了世界上一些最可怕的地方。它们是真的吗?抑或只是骗局?由你来定夺!
地点:美国新墨西哥州罗斯韦尔
In 1947, William “Mac” Brazel found pieces of debris[残骸] from what he claimed (and others came to believe) was a crashed UFO注2. Since then, Roswell, a tiny desert town guarded by the southern Rocky Mountains, has become forever linked with UFOs and mystery[神秘的事物]. The dozens of alien-themed shops and the areas International UFO Museum, located in downtown Roswell, only serve to enhance[增强] the mystery. At the museum, visitors can see exhibits[展品] ranging from pieces and pictures of UFOs to evidence that claims the towns sheriff[郡治安官] and government created a complex scheme[阴谋] to cover-up the incident[事件].
1947年,威廉·“麦克”·布雷泽尔发现了一些碎片,他声称(其他人随后也相信这一说法)这些碎片来自某个坠毁的不明飞行物。自此,罗斯韦尔这个洛矶山南部深处的一个沙漠小镇,就永远和不明飞行物及神秘事件联系在一起。许多外星人主题商店和坐落在罗斯韦尔市中心的国际UFO博物馆令这一神秘事件更加扑朔迷离。游客可以在博物馆看到的展品包括据称是不明飞行物的碎片和照片,以及证明该镇警长和政府合谋炮制一项复杂计划以掩盖此事件的证据。
In 1892, Andrew Borden and his wife, Abby, were brutally[残酷地] murdered. Although ultimately[最后] acquitted[宣告无罪] of the crime, Bordens youngest daughter, Lizzie, never regained her innocence[清白]. Many folks in Fall River (and around the country) remained convinced[使确信] that she got away with[逃脱处罚] murder. Today, the house in which the Bordens lived and died is a city landmark, a museum, and a bed and breakfast. Anyone interested can visit the murder scene; or shop for any number of souvenirs[纪念品], including coffee mugs[杯子], sweatshirts, and even a brick from the Borden chimney. For those who want an extra creepy experience, the B & B owners treat their overnight guests to a replica[复制品] of the Bordens last meal: a breakfast of bananas, johnnycakes[玉米饼], sugar cookies, and coffee.
1892年,安德鲁·伯登和妻子艾比被人残酷地杀害了。虽然伯登最小的女儿丽兹最终被宣判无罪,但她的清白名声一去不返。福尔里弗(及美国各地)的许多人仍然相信,她侥幸逃脱了谋杀罪名。今天,伯登一家曾经居住并在其中身故的房子已经成为该市的地标,一个博物馆和一家酒店。有兴趣的人可以参观凶案现场,或者购买任何数量的纪念品,包括咖啡马克杯、运动衫,甚至是伯登家烟囱的砖块。对于想要额外惊悚体验的人,酒店主人会让在此地过夜的客人享用一顿复制版的“伯登的最后一餐”:由香蕉、玉米饼、糖曲奇和咖啡组成的早餐。
地点:美国马萨诸塞州塞勒姆
During the winter of 1691 and 1692, in the tiny New England village of Salem, two young girls accused[控告] three local women of coming to them in ghostly form and causing the girls to have fits[(病的)发作], cry out in pain, and go mute, among other afflictions[痛苦]. The village elders who heard the girlsstory came to believe that the accused women were witches. This set off a wave of accusations of witchcraft[巫术], and led to the infamous[声名狼藉的] Salem witch trials[审讯]. Ultimately, 14 women and five men were hanged; another suspect[嫌疑犯] was pressed to death under heavy stones when he refused to take part in his trial; four people died in jail awaiting their trials, and nearly 200 other people were arrested. Rumor[传闻] has it that the ghosts of the people who lost their lives still haunt the town, and the Salem Wax Museum and Witch Museum allow visitors to experience the terror that lingered[徘徊] throughout the trials.
1691和1692年冬天,在新英格兰的小村庄塞勒姆,两个女孩指控三个本地妇女化作鬼魂来找她们,致使她们浑身遭受抽搐、疼痛哭喊及哑口失声等痛苦。村里的长者听了女孩的故事后,相信这几名被指控妇女是巫婆,由此掀起了一场针对巫术的指控潮,最终导致臭名昭著的“塞勒姆审巫案”。最后,14名妇女和5名男子被处以绞刑,1名嫌疑人拒绝出席审判而被重石压死,4人在狱中等候审判时死亡,还有近两百人被捕。有传言说,那些丧生者的鬼魂仍在这座小镇游荡。游客可以在塞勒姆蜡像馆和女巫博物馆体验当年审判期间弥漫于此地的恐怖气氛。