缝隙中的梦幻涟漪

图／侯贺良 文／王雪芃



缝隙中的梦幻涟漪

图／侯贺良 文／王雪芃

THE DREAMLJKE ANTELOPE CANYON

○ 阳光自顶部倾泻而下，反复折射进入谷底。Sunshine pours down from the top and enters into the bottom of the canyon after repeated refl ections.

○ 除了光线的变化，峡谷内舒缓的线条与奇异的岩石形态也同样让人惊诧。Except for the change of the rays of light, the soothing lines and strange rock forms are also amazing.

风拂过水面会留下层层涟漪，曾以为那份流动的美感只属于柔软的流体，但在美国亚利桑那州，水和坚硬的岩石交融在一起，织就了极富动态美的地下深谷——羚羊峡谷。岩石经过阳光的涂抹，造就了一个美轮美奂的光影梦境，成为以红色砂岩著称的科罗拉多高原的经典景观。

早听闻羚羊峡谷是世界十大地质奇迹之一，也是摄影爱好者必去的拍摄圣地。在驱车前往的路上，好奇与期待随着科罗拉多高原起伏的地势奔走呼号，越过科罗拉多大峡谷、鲍威尔湖和锡安国家公园等著名景区，停留在了一个叫佩吉的安静小镇。虽然佩吉是通向科罗拉多高原各地的交通枢纽，被各种举世闻名的国家公园包围，但这座小镇却普通得让人辨识不出。除了宽敞的公路和街道、普普通通的酒店和饭馆之外，唯一醒目的只有城外发电厂伫立的3个高大烟囱。据长期来往于此地的向导说，每天都有各色豪华旅游大巴，载着到美国西部走马看花的游客穿过这个平凡的小镇，但却很少有人注意这里。人们无意在车窗外这个不起眼的市镇逗留，却也常常无意间错过一个近在咫尺的惊艳美景。

自小镇向东深入纳瓦霍印第安保护区，荒漠将羚羊峡谷分为上下两段，藏匿在那片常年干涸的河道之中。站在山坡高处瞭望这一望无际的荒原，很容易让人对来此的目的产生怀疑：这植被稀疏的丘陵地带哪有什么峡谷？只有稍低的洼地让这片荒原看上去有些起伏，凹陷部分的两侧有不到一米高的土岗，上面的波纹有点像连绵的土灵芝，纹路连接着不深不浅的地缝在向远处延伸，算是这一大片让人疲惫的红土地上比较醒目的地方。而带路的印第安人似乎已经习惯了游客质疑的表情，笑而不语地指引人们走向其中一条地缝。

顺着这条不到1米宽的岩石缝向地下深入，不过几步便豁然开朗。感觉就像穿过了时空缝隙来到了异世界，它如同一个光怪陆离的艺术宫殿，用惊艳都不足以形容眼前的奇异景观。谷内幽深宁静，谷底十分平坦，两侧光溜溜的砂岩壁上呈现出各种曲线的三维组合，水平的波纹和纵向的波浪形曲面相交，凹凸有致，曲径通幽。峡谷顶部的阳光从头顶上的天缝里倾泻下来，经过岩石纹理的反复折射进入谷底后产生了梦幻般不规则的色彩变化，线条清晰形态各异的岩石也伴随着这些变化的光线而变幻无穷。各色光束像舞台上的追光灯，缓缓地扫过地缝。红色的砂岩在光影里呈现出柔和的各种暖色色阶，从橙黄到赤紫，像火焰在舞蹈，像飘动的丝绸，也像荡漾的涟漪。

○ 光与影共舞，交织出一个色彩斑斓的地下奇观。Light dancing with shade creates the gorgeous underground wonder.

而此时的印第安向导则带着满意的笑向我们介绍这片奇观。构成羚羊峡谷的红色岩石被称为纳瓦霍砂岩，在当地语言中，这里被形容为“螺旋岩石拱门”。纳瓦霍砂岩之所以呈现出鲜艳的红色或橘红色，是因为铁元素以氧化物的形式同沙子一同沉淀下来，这些氧化物如赤铁矿、褐铁矿等就充当了红色的染色剂。在百万年的历史长河中，柔软的砂岩被各种侵蚀，水与风都在此留下痕迹。狭小的缝隙中山洪尤为湍急，雨季形成的暴洪更是凶猛粗暴地涌入，夹带着砂石在狭窄的峡谷中反复冲击。随着时间的推移，通道内表层的砂岩被蚕食殆尽，于是更深层次岩石上便留下变化莫测的“流动”印记，仿佛这里的岩石以非常优雅的方式将水流的印记永久得留了下来。

也许美丽的岩石纹路本不足以惊叹人们的眼睛，但斑斓的色彩犹如为光滑的肌理穿上了彩色的绸缎。峡谷内部的斑斓色彩并没有人工照明，完全仰仗自然光的折射。光线清晰流畅，色彩绚丽和谐。岩壁上的线条随着光柱流动，变幻莫测，这一瞬间仿佛真能感受到来自天堂的光芒，神圣而炫目，虔诚而静谧，给人以非常强烈的视觉冲击力和无限的想象空间。恍惚间，似有身着绚丽舞裙的舞者走进了光的舞台，在清晨与黄昏之间交错，旋转的裙摆摇曳着一场光的变奏曲，流动与凝固共存，光影与色彩共舞，每一个时刻，每一个角度都能点亮观者的眼眸。让人在这片狭小的缝隙中，惊觉自然的匠心妙手。

The mysterious and haunting beauty of Antelope Canyon (also known as “Corkscrew Canyon”, one of the few slot canyons in the area) awaits the adventurous traveler who seeks to discover one of the most spectacular -- yet little known attractions of the Lake Powell area. A tour to this awe-inspiring sculpture set in stone is a must for amateur and professional photographers alike. Come see nature’s surprising masterpiece of color.

Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic ‘lowing’ shapes in the rock.

Upper Antelope Canyon is called Tsé bighánílíní, “the place where water runs through rocks” by the Navajo. It is the most frequently visited by tourists for two reasons. First, its entrance and entire length are at ground level, requiring no climbing. Second, beams (shafts of direct sunlight radiating down from openings in the top of the canyon) are much more common in Upper than in Lower. Beams occur most often in the summer months, as they require the sun to be high in the sky. Winter colors are a little more muted like the photo displayed here. Summer months provide two types of lighting. Light beams start to peek into the canyon March 20 and disappear October 7 each year.

○ 仿佛经缝隙沉入了一个迷幻的梦境。As if you were sinking into a psychedelic dreamland through a crack.

○ 峡谷中的迷幻色彩。Fantastic color in the canyon.