小溪上方的萤火虫，冈山县，日本 Fireflies glowing above a stream, Okayama Prefecture, Japan (© tdub303/Getty Images)

流光之诗 The poetry of vanishing light

萤火虫发光在小溪上方，冈山县，日本

在冈山县（Okayama Prefecture），当湿润的空气笼罩在溪流之上，被称为“hotaru”的日本萤火虫便开始发出信号。在温暖无风的夜晚，如果条件理想，它们通常会在日落约两小时后开始发光，发散出一种水边独有的静谧感。

萤火虫并非蝇类，而是甲虫（Beetles），大多数种类栖息在水边，如池塘、溪流、沼泽和河流。白天，它们隐藏在低矮的草丛中；入夜后，它们爬上植被并起飞，通过闪烁光芒来寻找配偶。它们的光源自腹部的化学反应，而特定物种的闪烁频率有助于伴侣识别正确的信号。它们的幼虫生活在更安静且充满饥饿感的阶段：作为肉食性动物，幼虫以蜗牛和蛞蝓等软体动物为食；而成年萤火虫则可能采食昆虫、花蜜或花粉。

在日本，“萤狩”（Hotaru-gari，即观赏萤火虫）有着深厚的文化根基。平安时代（794–1185）的作家如清少纳言（Sei Shōnagon）曾在著作中描写过萤火虫，后世的文学作品和浮世绘（Ukiyo-e，一种传统的木版画和绘画形式）也常借其转瞬即逝的光芒来隐喻生命之无常。

Fireflies glowing above a stream, Okayama Prefecture, Japan

In Okayama Prefecture, when humid air settles over a stream, hotaru—Japan's fireflies—begin signaling. On warm, windless evenings, they often start glowing about two hours after sunset under favorable conditions, inviting silence beside water.

Fireflies aren't flies but beetles, and most species stay near water—ponds, streams, marshes, and rivers. By day they hide low in the grass; after dark they climb vegetation and take flight, flashing to find a mate. Their light comes from a chemical reaction in the abdomen, and species-specific timing helps partners recognize the right signal. Their young live a quieter, hungrier life: larvae are carnivores that feed on soft-bodied prey such as snails and slugs. Adults may eat insects, nectar, or pollen.

In Japan, watching them—hotaru-gari—has deep roots. Heian-era (794–1185) writers like Sei Shōnagon wrote about fireflies, and later literature and ukiyo-e art—a traditional form of woodblock prints and paintings—used their brief light to evoke impermanence.

埃斯纳神庙穹顶天花板, 埃及 Ceiling of the Temple of Esna, Egypt (© Nick Brundle Photography/Getty Images)

走进埃斯纳神圣的世界 Inside Esna's sacred universe

埃斯纳神庙穹顶天花板, 埃及

在埃及卢克索以南的埃斯纳神庙（Temple of Esna），游客将步入一个充满生机的世界，这里供奉着公羊头神——赫努姆（Khnum）；传说他曾用尼罗河的黏土塑造了人类。这座神庙主要建于托勒密王朝和罗马统治时期，其现存的大厅由24根高耸的石柱支撑，每根柱子上都雕刻着精美的浮雕与颂扬诸神的仪式铭文。

在古代，进入该处受到严格管控。祭司在入内之前，必须剃净全身毛发、修剪指甲、反复进行仪式性净身，并仅穿亚麻衣物。此外，在为库努姆（Khnum）主持祭祀与仪式前，他们还需禁食某些食物，以确保身体洁净。

在他们头顶上方，天花板（如图所示）宛如一幅装饰华丽的苍穹画卷，绘满了色彩鲜艳的天文景象、黄道十二宫符号及神圣人物形象。这些雕饰绝非仅仅为了装饰：立柱与天花板交相辉映，引领着信众穿行于一个充满象征意义的宇宙之中——在这里，神圣秩序、仪式实践与宇宙循环彼此交织，密不可分。

Ceiling of the Temple of Esna, Egypt

At the Temple of Esna, south of Luxor, Egypt, visitors enter a vivid world devoted to Khnum, the ram-headed god believed to have molded humanity from Nile clay. Built mainly during the Ptolemaic and Roman eras, the temple's surviving hall is supported by 24 towering columns, each carved with intricate reliefs and ritual texts honoring various deities.

In ancient times, entry was tightly controlled. Priests had to shave their entire bodies, trim their fingernails, undergo repeated ritual purification, and wear only linen garments before passing inside. They also avoided certain foods to ensure cleanliness before conducting offerings and ceremonies for Khnum.

Above them, the ceiling—like the one shown—unfolds into a richly decorated sky, filled with astronomical scenes, zodiacal symbols, and sacred figures painted in vivid colors. These carvings weren't merely decorative: together, the pillars and ceiling guided worshippers through a symbolic universe where divine order, ritual practice, and cosmic cycles were inseparably linked.

地牢省立公园, 纽芬兰和拉布拉多省, 加拿大 Dungeon Provincial Park, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada (© Kaitlyn McLachlan/Getty Images)

大西洋雕琢而成的加拿大 Canada, carved by the Atlantic

地牢省立公园，加拿大

位于纽芬兰岛博纳维斯塔半岛的地牢省立公园，长期受到大西洋海浪的塑造与侵蚀。公园最著名的景观“地牢（Dungeon）”实际上是一处巨大的塌陷海蚀洞，其顶部因持续侵蚀而坍塌，形成直通天空的壮观开口。这一地貌生动展示了海洋作用如何在数千年间不断改造坚硬岩石。

公园周围的悬崖主要由数亿年前形成的沉积岩构成。砂岩与页岩层记录着远古环境演变的痕迹，其形成时间甚至早于现代大西洋的出现。如今，海鸟、滨海植物以及沿岸洋流共同维系着这片充满活力的海岸生态系统，并持续影响着当地自然环境的发展。

地牢省立公园所在海岸位于西北大西洋重要的海鸟迁徙通道上。每年较温暖的季节，游客有机会看到三趾鸥、海鸠以及北方塘鹅等海鸟在悬崖与海面之间翱翔。丰富的海洋营养物质与崎岖的海岸环境共同构成了理想栖息地，使这里成为众多海洋生物的重要庇护所.

Canada Day

On July 1, Canada celebrates its national day, marking the events of 1867, when the British North America Act (now called the Constitution Act, 1867) united three British colonies into one Dominion.

In 1879, July 1 became a federal holiday, originally called Dominion Day before being renamed Canada Day in 1982. Today, people gather across the country for concerts, community events, and fireworks—celebrations that reflect a shared sense of identity and history.

Today's image takes us to Dungeon Provincial Park on the rugged coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, where nature tells a much older story. Atlantic waves carved a sea cave with two openings, gradually widening it until the roof gave way. What remains is a striking collapsed formation known as a 'gloup,' surrounded by steep cliffs and crashing surf. Boardwalks and viewing platforms allow visitors to take in the scene, while nearby trails offer sweeping ocean views. This dramatic coastline highlights the natural forces that are still shaping Canada's landscape today.

波拉波拉岛及其泻湖, 南太平洋, 法属波利尼西亚 Bora Bora and its lagoon, South Pacific, French Polynesia (© Frederick Millett/Shutterstock)

生于烈火，拥于碧水 Born on fire, held by water

国际热带日

“国际热带日”于每年6月29日纪念，旨在聚焦北回归线与南回归线之间那片广阔的区域——在这里，温暖的气候与充沛的降水塑造着人们的日常生活。该区域虽仅占地球表面积的约40%，却承载了全球约80%的生物多样性，对于地球生态健康与人类文化而言至关重要。

在法属波利尼西亚，波拉波拉岛生动地展现了这种复杂性。这座岛屿是一座古老火山经侵蚀后留下的核心部分，其深色的玄武岩山峰——奥特马努山（Mount Otemanu）和帕希亚山（Mount Pahia）——从浅浅的绿松石色海水中拔地而起。随着火山岩体缓慢下沉而珊瑚礁向上生长，环绕岛屿的堡礁围合出一片平静的水域，形成了一处泻湖。该岛在塔希提语中被称为“Pora Pora”（意为“长子”），既见证了漫长的地质演变，也承载着鲜活的文化，体现了语言、海洋生态系统与地貌特征之间紧密的联系。

International Day of the Tropics

Observed each June 29, the International Day of the Tropics spotlights a vast region stretching between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, where warmth and rainfall shape daily life. This zone covers about 40% of Earth's surface area, yet supports around 80% of global biodiversity, making it central to planetary health and culture.

In French Polynesia, Bora Bora offers a clear snapshot of that complexity. The island is the eroded core of an ancient volcano, its dark basalt peaks—Mount Otemanu and Mount Pahia—rising from shallow turquoise waters. Around it, a barrier reef encloses calm water, forming a lagoon as volcanic rock slowly subsides and the reef grows upward. Locally called Pora Pora in Tahitian, meaning 'firstborn,' the island reflects both geological time and living culture, where language, ocean systems, and landforms remain closely linked.

温德盖特山口附近的巨柱仙人掌, 麦克道尔山脉, 亚利桑那州, 美国 (© Eric Mischke/Getty Images)

看起来很精神

巨人柱仙人掌, 温德盖特山口, 麦克道尔山脉, 亚利桑那州

在索诺拉沙漠，作为生存大师的巨人柱仙人掌赋予了“坚守”（stick around）一词新的含义。这种巨型植物伸展着躯干与枝臂，向四面八方昂然挺立，已然成为美国西南部的标志性象征。

巨人柱是美国最高的仙人掌，仅分布于横跨亚利桑那州、加利福尼亚州和墨西哥的索诺兰沙漠。它们的高度可超过40英尺（约12米），重量可达6吨，寿命近200年。然而，它们的生长初期十分缓慢，最初几年仅长高1至1.5英寸（约2.5至3.8厘米）。大多数巨人柱需等待50到75年才会长出分枝（即“手臂”），而有些则终生保持着像“长矛”一样笔直无枝的形态。

巨人柱专为适应严酷环境而生，其褶皱状的树干能储存水分——雨后膨胀，干旱时收缩。它们的根系可向四周延伸长达100英尺，以便汲取短暂降雨带来的水分。幼株常在“护士树”的庇护下生长。植株长到35岁时便会开花；啄木鸟凿出的巢洞，随后会被猫头鹰和鹪鹩利用。巨人柱坚韧、耐性十足且浑身长满尖刺，它有力地证明了：在沙漠中生存绝非易事。

博尼亚德海滩上的漂流木, 亨廷岛, 南卡罗来纳州, 美国 Driftwood on Boneyard Beach, Hunting Island, South Carolina, USA (© Frances/Adobe Stock)

逐渐失去立足之地的树木 The trees that lost ground

博尼亚德海滩上的漂流木, 亨廷岛, 南卡罗来纳州

在美国南卡罗来纳州亨廷岛州立公园内的博尼亚德海滩，最先映入眼帘的是那些树木。紧接着，一个疑问便会浮现：为何一根根被海水漂白的树干和裸露的树根散落在沙滩上，仿佛一幕正在坍塌的景象被按下了暂停键？自20世纪80年代以来，亨廷岛一直面临严重的海滩侵蚀问题，其侵蚀速率位居美国东海岸前列。在部分区域，海岸线每年后退幅度最高可达约30英尺（约9米）。

在岛屿南端的博尼亚德海滩上，这一自然演变过程清晰可见：饱经风霜的浮木，以及活橡树和棕榈树的残骸，沿岸错落分布。这些树木曾是滨海森林的一部分，但随着海岸侵蚀和风暴导致海岸线变迁，它们的生存空间逐渐丧失。如今留下的景象，既像是一堂生动的地质课，又宛如一座露天画廊。这里记录了超过200种鸟类；近海常有宽吻海豚出没，附近的沙滩上也有红海龟筑巢产卵。每逢退潮，最宽阔的滩涂便显露出来，供人探索；每一次造访，这里的景致都各不相同，独具风貌。

Driftwood on Boneyard Beach, Hunting Island, South Carolina

At Boneyard Beach within Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina, the first thing you notice is the trees. Then comes the question: why are bleached trunks and exposed roots scattered across the sand like a scene paused midway through collapse? Since the 1980s, Hunting Island has experienced major beach erosion, with some of the highest rates along the US East Coast—reaching up to 30 feet per year in certain areas.

On the island's southern end, Boneyard Beach shows this process clearly: weathered driftwood and the remains of live oaks and palmettos line the shore. Once part of a maritime forest, these trees gradually lost ground as coastal erosion and storms shifted the shoreline. What remains is part geology lesson, part outdoor gallery. More than 200 bird species have been recorded here; bottlenose dolphins are often seen offshore, and loggerhead sea turtles nest on nearby beaches. At low tide, the widest stretch opens to explore, and no two visits look exactly the same.

泰晤士河, 伦敦, 英格兰 The River Thames, London, England (© Daniel Lange/Getty Images)

时事 Current affairs

泰晤士河, 伦敦, 英格兰

议会大厦、钟楼和巨型摩天轮有什么共同之处？它们都矗立在泰晤士河畔，仿佛伦敦为了营造戏剧性效果而精心布局了这些标志性建筑。

右侧矗立着作为英国政府所在地的威斯敏斯特宫，它在1834年的一场大火后以哥特式风格重建。大本钟——即伊丽莎白塔内那口大钟——自1859年起便开始报时，其钟声悠扬，传遍城外。河对岸，郡政厅沿岸延伸；而伦敦眼则在缓慢的旋转中，为人们提供了独特的观景视角。

从水面上望去，眼前的景象仿佛经过了精妙绝伦的布局与选角，宛如天成。然而，这份功劳主要应归于泰晤士河。公元43年之后不久，罗马人在此建立了伦底纽姆（Londinium）；之所以选址于此，是因为这条河既极具利用价值，又难以被彻底掌控。自那时起，它便承载着贸易往来、流言蜚语、权势更迭以及种种世界观。商人依它为生，君王沿它航行，艺术家为它赋予浪漫色彩。至于伦敦这座城市——它历经数世纪，向高空、向四方不断延展，但始终紧依着这条河流而生。

The River Thames, London, England

What does a parliament, a clock tower, and a giant wheel have in common? They all stand beside the River Thames as if London had carefully staged its icons for dramatic effect.

On the right, the Palace of Westminster rises as the seat of British government, rebuilt in Gothic style after the fire of 1834. Big Ben—the bell inside the Elizabeth Tower—has kept time since 1859, its chimes carrying far beyond the city. Across the river, County Hall stretches along the bank, while the London Eye offers perspective, one slow rotation at a time.

From the water, today's scene feels improbably well cast. But the Thames deserves most of the credit. Shortly after AD 43, the Romans founded Londinium here because the river was useful yet difficult to dominate. Since then, it has borne trade, rumors, power, and entire worldviews. Merchants depended on it, kings navigated it, artists romanticized it. London? It grew upward, outward, and across centuries—but always beside it.

布鲁塞尔大广场上的建筑群, 比利时 Buildings on Grand-Place Square in Brussels, Belgium (© Vladislav Zolotov/Getty Images Plus)

在广场中感受历史 Square up to history

布鲁塞尔大广场上的建筑群, 比利时

在比利时，很少有哪个广场能像大广场那样承载如此丰富的历史。广场周围的建筑，正如照片所示，最初都是行会会所，每座会所都由特定的行业出资兴建。酿酒师、面包师、商人和工匠们将建筑视为一种语言，通过浮雕、纹章和大量的金箔，将工作、地位和竞争关系凝结于石头之上。各种建筑风格在此交融碰撞，毫不拘束。哥特式的垂直线条与巴洛克式的曲线并肩而立，而市政厅——这座比周围建筑更古老、造型大胆不对称的建筑——则将整个建筑群和谐地连接起来。

然而，这种团结是在压力下铸就的。如今屹立的大部分建筑都建于1695年之后，当时法国的炮火摧毁了中世纪的中心城区。这座城市迅速而大胆地重建，将毁灭转化为精心编排的城市复兴。生活很快恢复：集市、公共庆典、皇家仪式、节日以及著名的花毯都曾在此上演。几个世纪过去了，广场依然充满活力。联合国教科文组织将其列为世界遗产。布鲁塞尔称其为家园——也是这座城市最自信的自我写照。

Buildings on Grand-Place Square in Brussels, Belgium

Few squares in Belgium wear history as well as the Grand Place. The surrounding buildings, seen here, began as guild houses, each funded by a specific trade. Brewers, bakers, merchants, and craftsmen treated architecture as language, translating work, status, and rivalry into stone through reliefs, coats of arms, and generous gold leaf. Styles meet without caution. Gothic verticals rise beside Baroque curves, while the Town Hall, older than its neighbors and unapologetically asymmetrical, holds the composition together.

That unity, however, was forged under pressure. Most of the structures standing today rose from the ashes after 1695, when a French bombardment erased the medieval center. The city responded by rebuilding quickly and boldly, turning destruction into a tightly choreographed urban reply. Life returned quickly: markets, public spectacles, royal ceremonies, festivals, and the famous flower carpet have all taken their turn here. Centuries later, the square keeps its civic pulse. UNESCO calls it heritage. Brussels calls it home—and its most confident self portrait.

本州岛上的富士山, 日本 Mount Fuji on Honshu Island, Japan (© phutthiseth thongtae/Getty Images)

天际线上的印记 Signature on the horizon

本州岛上的富士山, 日本

富士山是日本最高峰，海拔12,389英尺（约3700米），耸立于本州岛，位于东京西南约60英里（约97公里）处。这座近乎完美的锥形山峰是一座火山——自1707年12月最后一次喷发后便一直处于休眠状态，但仍被归类为活火山。那次大规模喷发被称为宝荣喷发，火山灰和其他火山碎屑喷涌而出，席卷日本东部，甚至远至江户（今东京）。除了地质学意义之外，富士山长期以来被视为神圣的景观和朝圣登山的目的地，这体现了日本自然、宗教和日常生活的交融。这种经久不衰的文化魅力也是它于2013年被联合国教科文组织列为世界遗产的原因之一，被誉为“神圣之地和艺术灵感的源泉”。众所周知，在晴朗的日子里，富士山从远处就能清晰可见，但这并非必然——云层可能在几分钟内将其遮蔽。无论您是徒步攀登，还是只是从火车车窗瞥见它，它依然是日本地平线上的标志性景观。

Mount Fuji on Honshu Island, Japan

Mount Fuji, Japan's highest mountain, rises to 12,389 feet on Honshu Island, about 60 miles southwest of Tokyo. Its near-perfect cone is a volcano—dormant since its last eruption in December 1707 yet still classed as active. That last major event is known as the Hōei eruption. It blasted ash and other tephra across eastern Japan, reaching Edo (today's Tokyo). Beyond geology, Fuji has long been treated as a sacred landscape and a destination for pilgrimage climbs, reflecting how nature, religion, and daily life overlap in Japan. That enduring cultural appeal is one reason it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013 as 'a sacred place and source of artistic inspiration.' Fuji is famously visible from far away on clear days but never guaranteed—clouds can hide it in minutes. Whether you hike it or just catch a glimpse from a train window, it still feels like Japan's signature on the horizon.

奎诺尔特雨林, 奥林匹克国家公园, 华盛顿州, 美国 Quinault rainforest, Olympic National Park, Washington state, USA (© Chris Moore/Tandem Stills + Motion)

一个郁郁葱葱的王国 A lush kingdom

世界雨林日

6月22日是世界雨林日，这是一个全球性的日子，也是全年呼吁人们保护世界剩余雨林的行动。这些生态系统并非地图上的点点星罗棋布。它们遍布热带地区及其他地区，却仅覆盖地球表面约6%的面积。想想南美洲的亚马逊雨林、非洲的刚果盆地以及东南亚的森林吧。

位于华盛顿州奥林匹克国家公园的奎诺特雨林是一片原始的温带雨林。雨水和雾气滋养着它，使每一根树枝都成为鲜活的生命之源。仔细观察，你会发现这里郁郁葱葱，湿润丰饶：西加云杉和西部铁杉，披着苔藓和蕨类的大叶枫，以及倒下的参天大树上萌发新芽的“保育原木”。森林地面是真菌、昆虫和两栖动物的柔软实验室。如果你要来这里游览，可以从奎诺特雨林护林站出发，沿着枫树林步道走一小段，就能与森林平视相望。6月22日提醒我们行动起来。让我们每天都为森林挺身而出，守护那些依然屹立的生机。

World Rainforest Day

June 22 is World Rainforest Day, a global moment and a year-round call to protect the world's remaining rainforests. These ecosystems aren't just dots on the map. They thrive across the tropics and beyond yet cover only about 6% of Earth's surface. Think of the Amazon in South America, the Congo Basin in Africa, and the forests of Southeast Asia.

Quinault, in Olympic National Park in Washington, is a primeval temperate rainforest. Rain and fog keep it growing, turning every branch into a living surface. Look closer and you'll see lush, damp abundance: Sitka spruce and western hemlock, bigleaf maples dressed in mosses and ferns, and 'nurse logs' where new trees germinate on fallen giants. The forest floor is a soft laboratory of fungi, insects, and amphibians. If you're visiting, start at the Quinault Rain Forest Ranger Station and take the short Maple Glade Trail to meet the forest at eye level. June 22 is a reminder to act. Let's show up for forests every day and protect what's still standing.