昨日西峰底下，走過帝王花開。今日忽然興起，亟欲橫跨開普山脈，駕車遂向東去，朝「卡魯植物園」（Karoo Botanical Garden）出發。最後一瞥，海濱從後視鏡消失，一個鐘頭的快意馳騁，終於在胡格諾隧道之前，捨捷徑繞遠路，只為開普風光。迂迴向上，山脈橫斷天際，群峰競比峻峭，心無眷戀的藍天，白雲起滅蒼穹；翠綠落下，山坡遍佈莊園，醉飲美酒的大地，金黃翻滾田野。這一見的風情，封城以來，值得等待。
Yesterday, beneath the West Peak, I strolled among blooming proteas. Today, a sudden urge took hold, compelling me to cross the Cape Fold Mountains. I set off eastward, heading for the Karoo Botanical Garden. A final glance showed the coastline disappearing in the rear-view mirror. After an hour of exhilarating driving, I reached the Huguenot Tunnel. Yet, I abandoned the shortcut, opting for the longer route to savour the Cape’s scenery. The winding ascent revealed mountains slicing across the horizon, peaks competing in rugged majesty. Above, the sky was an unencumbered blue, where clouds formed and dissolved in vast emptiness. Below, green gave way to vineyards cascading down the slopes, the golden fields rolling like waves on a land intoxicated by wine. This fleeting encounter with the landscape, after the long confinement of lockdowns, was well worth the wait.
寒冬啊，尚未逝去，花兒卻隨國道一路奔放，親臨彷彿春天。抵達園區，春色更深了，奔放到此的花兒一朵朵，昂首屹立於天地之間。卡魯荒地氣候乾燥，降雨量低日夜溫差大，所以孕育的花兒都是帶勁的花兒。線條大膽而層次鮮明，真實自我而率性創造；昂首向天際，花兒儘管微小，不畏荒漠險惡，力量就是微笑。午後陽光格外溫暖，走在微笑花間，感染奔放活力的是賞花人，孩子這般好奇探視，欣賞其堅韌中柔軟的風姿，讚嘆色彩盛大，美麗獨自體會。
Winter has yet to fully depart, but the flowers lining the national road bloom as if spring had already arrived. Reaching the garden, spring’s colours deepened, with vibrant flowers standing tall against the sky. The arid climate of the Karoo, with its sparse rainfall and dramatic temperature swings, produces blooms of extraordinary resilience. Bold and vivid in their lines, authentic and uninhibited in their creation, these flowers, though small, defy the harsh desert and radiate strength through their smiles. The warm afternoon sun bathed the paths, and walking among these smiling flowers infused the observer with their boundless vitality. Children peered at them with wonder, marvelling at their graceful blend of resilience and tenderness. Each blossom seemed to sing a celebration of its own beauty, its splendour quietly overwhelming.
深入園區，不曾見過的植物類別，底下標誌多有「蘆薈」（ALOE）字眼，奇形怪狀且顏色特異，引人遐思。一個出神，立即穿越宇宙洪荒，億萬年這個模樣；一個回神，彈指回歸現代文明，剎那間如此渺茫。
Venturing deeper into the garden, I encountered unfamiliar plants, many marked with the name “Aloe.” Their bizarre shapes and striking colours invited endless imagination. One moment of rapture transported me to the dawn of the universe, seeing this form unchanged for millions of years. In another instant, I returned to the modern world, feeling the vastness of time reduce my presence to insignificance.
緩緩前行，踏上健行步道，按入口解說，只消三十分，即能登高望遠。荒地亦有野花遍布，不受人工束縛。這一見的風情，別有風景。奇岩怪石遍滿荊棘，塵世彷彿遠離，今夕不知何夕。武陵人是否？興許是吧，興許是朵荒漠的花，默默綻放靜靜凋零，將美麗歸還天地。
I continued slowly, stepping onto a hiking trail. According to the map at the entrance, it would take only thirty minutes to ascend and take in the view. Even here, the arid land was adorned with wildflowers, thriving without human interference. This encounter held its own unique charm, offering a landscape unlike any other. Jagged rocks and thorny plants stretched across the terrain, leaving the world behind. Time seemed to dissolve—was it today or another era? Was I a wandering Wuling villager, stumbling upon a hidden utopia? Perhaps, or perhaps I was a lone desert flower, blooming quietly and fading silently, returning all its beauty to the earth.
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