Chile’s Atacama Desert is one of the driest places on the planet. But recently, it’s turned into something totally unexpected: an oasis of pink flowers.

　　智利的阿塔卡马沙漠是地球上最干燥的地方之一，但最近却也出人意料地变为一片粉色的花海。

　　After almost 7 years of having no rain throughout the region, massive downpours in March caused pink mallow flowers and 200 other plant species to bloom. The phenomenon, in which dormant seeds come to life after rainfall events, is called ‘desierto florido’ or translated as ‘flowering desert’.

　　这一地区将近七年没有雨水，三月的瓢泼大雨开出了一片锦葵花海，还有其它200百多种花卉一同绽放。雨水过后，沉睡的种子焕发生机，这一现象被称为“沙漠之花”，亦译作“开花的沙漠”。

　　The vast fields of flowers are expected to bring in about 20,000 tourists until they start wilting in November. It’s a sight so rare, only two other places have deserts that can transform into lushlandscapes: the US and Australia.

　　这一片片广袤的花海预计会引来2万游客，直到11月花朵开始凋谢。这一鲜见的景象，世界仅其它两处沙漠之所可以变为如此花木繁盛的景观，分别在美国与澳大利亚。

　　‘The intensity of blooms this year has no precedent’, said Daniel Diaz, National Tourism Service director in Atacama. ’And the fact that it has happened twice in the same year has never been recorded in the country’s history. We are surprised’.

　　“鲜花如此竞相开放，其密度之高前所未有”，阿塔卡马全国旅游服务总监丹尼尔·狄亚兹如是道。“一年间，鲜花已这般盛开两次，在本国也是史无前例，我们都颇感意外。”

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（编辑：何莹莹）