Unit 55 Hawaii, the Paradise 人间天堂夏威夷

Part 1 A Brief Introduction to Hawaii 夏威夷群岛简介

    The Hawaiian island chain began around 10 billion years ago with the formation of Kauai and Niihau. The islands are a result of the movement of the Pacific Plate, one of Earth's tectonic plates, over a hot spot. A hot spot is a place where molten rock escapes through the crust, like a volcano.

    Eventually, the build-up of magma from the ocean floor will reach sea level to create an island. Over time, the hot spot will die down as the Pacific Plate continues to move. This movement offers a new place to create another island if the hot spot returns to activity.

    Over thousands of years, the hard lava rock deteriorates, allowing for plants to thrive and animals to survive.

    The natives of the Hawaiian Islands came from clusters of people referred to presently as Polynesians. Polynesians originated from Southeast Asia, but their history cannot be completely traced. They were great navigators and settled numerous islands in the Pacific Ocean, from New Zealand to Easter Island and Hawaii, the most northern and last to be settled. This expansive area of islands is called the Polynesian Triangle.

    The Hawaiian Islands were again discovered by Captain James Cook of England in 1778. About a year later in 1779, Cook returned to Hawaii only to create a series of misfortunate incidents - events, which led to his untimely death at the hand of natives. The warring state of the islands at the time of Cook's arrival did not help the circumstance. Hawaii was more or less divided into three kingdoms at Cook's advent. King Kamehameha, who was present at Cook's visits, worked hard to unite all the islands of Hawaii under one rule by 1810.

    King Kamehameha's death marked the decline of the kapu system and many other traditional values. These values were manipulated by Christian missionaries, who sought to save what they considered the heathen souls of the natives. The first boat of missionaries arrived in 1820 and by 1823 the first mission was founded in Lahaina. It wasn't long before many natives converted to Christianity. The greatest threat to the missionary effort was not locals, but the whale and merchant ships. These ships brought drunken and lustful men. Lahaina was the busiest port of the area during this time. It would be Hawaii's present capitol, but Kamehameha III ultimately moved it to Honolulu.

    Landownership was a foreign concept to native Hawaiians. Efforts were attempted by Kamehameha III to divide the land and make it possible to formally acquire it. This system and the natives' inexperience were abused by whites. Since that decree, Hawaiian lands have swiftly fallen to foreigners. Many Europeans set up plantations on their newly stifled land to grow sugar cane and pineapple. However, there was not enough local labor due to disease brought by outsiders. By the 1850s, the native population was reduced to one fifth.

    The last of the Hawaiian monarchs was Lydia Liliuokalani, who was of royal blood but not of Kamehameha lineage. Her reign began in 1891 and was short lived. It ended in 1893 as a result of a coup supported by sugar growers and undoubtedly the U.S. government. A new provisional government was put into place. Most natives were prevented from voting and were powerless against the U.S.' ultimate goal of annexation in 1898.

    The military became as significant to Hawaii as Hawaii was central to the military. The military took over the economy providing money and jobs. As a result of the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, more mainlanders considered Hawaii perpetually bound to the U.S. More locals also considered themselves American and created a greater movement for statehood. It took several years for Hawaii to become the 50th state in 1959.

    The 1960s brought about the era of the tourists through the revolution of the passenger airplane. Today, more than 6 million visitors per year come to Hawaii to bask in the aloha spirit of the islands.

    夏威夷群岛的天然环境非常迷人，属于火山岛，地形崎岖不平；拥有美丽的海滩，从白色的沙滩一直到黑色土质的沙滩都有。地形与地质的变化也非常大，不论从低地沙漠一直到高耸的山顶，或是从贫瘠的火山岩到热带雨林区，在夏威夷群岛上，通通都看得到。

    夏威夷群岛也是全世界位置最孤立的岛群，距离最近的大陆地也有2500英哩远。正因为这样的孤立，也为夏威夷带来保持生态完整的好处，在这里的上千种动植物种类，有90%以上，在地球上其它地方，已经看不到了。

    这里的地质结构也是独一无二的，这里有全世界最活跃的活火山，也有最大的死火山哈力卡拉(Haleakala)；同时也有最高的摩纳其山(Mauna Kea)和悬崖。这里的观光旅游业非常发达，旅馆如雨后春笋越来越多，海滩上总是挤满了人，这不过只是夏威夷的面貌之一；你还是可以找到非观光热门地区，也有人少偏僻的海滩可以探险，住宿的选择也有内陆的小屋或孤立偏远的住处。

    在岛上健行或在野外地区逍遥自在的旅行，是完全不用付费的。夏威夷群岛有世界顶尖的冲浪、玩风浪板地点，像瓦胡岛就是全世界最棒的冲浪地；当然，游泳、潜水也是这里最热门的水上运动。

    在到夏威夷旅游度假的人们心中，最有吸引力的莫过于海滨浴场。其中最热闹、最闻名的是怀基基海滩，远处碧海蓝天，白云悠悠，近处椰林婆娑，金黄的沙滩，滔滔的白浪，令人感到无限的心旷神怡。

    怀基基海滩以巨浪闻名，相传当年土著国王和酋长们常在此举行冲浪比赛，冲浪运动由此发端走向世界。

    在气候上，因为整年都有凉流吹过，所以夏威夷一年四季都非常宜人舒适；通常大白天的阵雨来得急也去得快，紧接着马上就雨过天晴，天空中还会出现绚丽的彩虹。瓦胡岛(Oahu)是群岛里人口最密、发展最多的岛，光是欧胡岛上的旅馆数，就占了全夏威夷旅馆数的一半。

    在檀香山 Honolulu，可以体会得到都市生活的好处与坏处，这里有很棒的博物馆、活跃的夜生活，还有好吃不贵的各种美食，但也一样免不了都市的通病－塞车。毛伊岛(Maui)是仅次于瓦胡岛，发展第二的岛，也是赏座头鲸的好地方。至于大岛(Big Island)，则有雪跟活火山，两样在夏威夷其它岛上所没有的地理特色；考爱岛(Kauai)拥有全夏威夷最青绿茂密的植物景色。

    夏威夷原是一个王国，1898年被美国吞并，1959年夏威夷归入美国版图，成为星条旗上的第50颗星。

    夏威夷群岛的人民约80%是黑头发、黄皮肤的东方人，以致给来岛的游客第一个印象，仿佛是已到了东方。

    第二个给人深刻印象的便是遐迩闻名的夏威夷衫，那色调鲜艳而浓郁的衬衫正配合着夏威夷亮丽热烈的南海风光。而当地妇女套穿的拖地长裙，既无曲线，又无纽扣，但却格外显得舒适和潇洒，而更具风情。

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