-blackcomb, in canada’s british columbia. lift tickets here are 43 us dollars.

the mountains are just fantastic, wonderful restaurants, wonderful nightlife, and a great family atmosphere as well.

looking for a good deal? try the best bargain getaway -- las vegas.

there’s so many hotels in las vegas right now, vying for your dollars, that they are battling for customers. the way they’re battling is by lowering the prices.

prices like $75 a night at bally’s, luxor for $69 a night, and circus circus for as low as 34 13)bucks a night.

maybe you’re looking for something more family oriented. t&l’s pick for best family getaway is the us virgin islands. whether it’s st. crois, st. thomas or st. john, the virgin islands offer a wide array of great beaches, water sports, hiking and nightlife. prices run the 14)gamut. there’s the ritz-carlton st. thomas for $550 a night; or for a more natural setting, try the concordia eco-tents on st. john for $130 a night.

but if it’s the ultimate you 15)crave, the best fantasy getaway is bora bora in french polynesia.

bora bora is a tall, high green mountain surrounded by a ring of small 16)islets called motus. it is right in the middle of a dark blue 17)lagoon that just is going to be heart-stopping once you see it.

bora bora’s not cheap. the bora bora nooee resort and 18)spa runs $505 per night. but if you crave the ultimate, this is your fantasy island!

whatever your choice for best getaway, travel and leisure’s editors say you should spend lots of time on the internet to get the best air fares and package deals before you spend your money. airlines and travel companies are struggling - bad for them, but good for you.

夏日旅游小贴士

首先，最棒的海滩--毛伊岛，光听名字就让人觉得心旷神怡。

毛伊是夏威夷最受欢迎的岛屿，是传统上人们最爱去的地方之一。喜爱海滩或丛林穿越的人都能心满意足，因为这儿有一片很大的雨林。还有美丽的哈利库拉火山，高达一万英尺，壮丽的景色准让你大饱眼福。

《旅游与休闲》杂志向您推荐几家毛伊酒店：哈纳毛伊酒店一晚的住宿费通常是295美元，卡普鲁拉海湾酒店是每晚360美元。

如果你想打高尔夫球，《旅游与休闲》为您挑选打高尔夫的最好去处：佛罗里达州奥兰多的大塞普里斯。

这里的球场棒极了，有45个洞--全是杰克·尼克拉斯专门设计的，保养得很好。球童殷勤周到，天气天天晴好。

场租是175美元，费用包括一辆带定位系统的球车，他们还代为清洁球棒。

如果你想玩些更刺激的运动，《旅游与休闲》给你介绍绝佳的冒险乐园--新西兰。

新西兰是冒险乐园。我要对你说的是：新西兰人对冒险运动如痴如醉。他们什么都去尝试。事实上，新西兰人常创新冒险运动。

路途遥遥--从美国出发大约要飞行12个小时，不过这里冒险活动的种类丰富却是无以伦比的。尝试直升飞机，10分钟的起价是52美元。

喜欢滑雪的人要留意这个滑雪胜地了--加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省的惠斯勒黑梳山。缆车票价是43美元一张。

奇异雄伟的山景、一流的餐馆、美妙的夜生活，很适合一家大小来玩。

想找些便宜去处？试试最价廉物美的去处--拉斯维加斯吧。

现在拉斯维加斯有很多家旅馆为了争取盈利正在抢夺顾客。他们竞争的方法就是降低房价。

巴利酒店每晚75美元，拉舍酒店每晚69美元，舍科斯·舍科斯酒店甚至低至一晚34美元。

也许你想找个更适合全家出游的地方。《旅游与休闲》杂志为你挑选最适合全家出游的去处是：美属维尔京群岛。无论是圣科罗斯岛、圣托玛斯岛，还是圣约翰岛，维尔京群岛为你提供了大片宽阔的海滩、水上运动、远足，还有丰富的夜生活。酒店什么价位的都有：圣托玛斯岛的丽晶·卡尔顿酒店每晚550美元;要想住在更富有大自然气息的地方，那就试一下圣约翰岛的肯考迪娅伊科田酒店，130美元一晚。

但是如果你想要终极享受，最妙的去处是法属玻利尼西亚的波拉波拉山。

波拉波拉山是一座高耸、挺拔、苍翠的山脉，四周环绕着茅图斯小群岛。它位于深蓝色的泻湖中央，那种美看了让人屏息。

波拉波拉山的消费并不便宜。波拉波拉山的奴伊温泉渡假胜地每晚要505美元。不过如果你渴望终极享受的话，这就是你梦想中的国度！

无论你选择什么地方作为休闲去处，《旅游与休闲》的编辑建议你应该多花时间在因特网上搜寻，找到最便宜的机票及最佳出行旅游路线后再把钱花出去也不晚。航空公司和旅行社的竞争激烈--那对他们来说不好受，但对你却是好事一件。

注释:

1) soothing a. 使人镇定宽心的

2) jungle n. 丛林

3) stunning a. 足以使人晕倒的，极好的

4) getaway n. 逃亡，逃走

5) superb a. 极好的

6) club n. 高尔夫球的球棒

7) appetite n. 爱好

8) kiwi n. （口语）新西兰人

9) roughly adv. 概略地

10) unparalleled adj. 无比的，无双的

11) helicopter n. 直升飞机

12) resort n. 胜地

13) buck n. （美国口语）美元

14) gamut n. 全部，整个范围

15) crave v. 渴望

16) islet n. 小岛

17) lagoon n. 泻湖，礁湖

18) spa n. 温泉

★★《2003年07月号-第41期-disc01-10》★★

diamond

“i love this woman!”----there’s a better way to do it, says the ad: give her a diamond, or a 1)bunch of them, and she’ll love you back. which makes me ask, “why a diamond?” why not a ruby or an 2)emerald, or, what the 3)heck, a 4)toaster or a 5)kitten? why did diamonds get to be the “love and marriage” thing? why, everywhere, do couples, who wish to declare their love, go out and pay big bucks for diamonds? one reason we’re given is that diamonds are so 6)scarce. so, ah, is it true?

donna: no.

marketing professor, donna bergenstock, points out their 7)scarcity is a myth created long ago by debeers, the south african company that’s dug up most of the world’s diamonds.

donna: there are billions of dollars of diamonds sitting in 8)vaults in london, in south africa, that debeers specifically keeps off the market in order to 9)artificially raise the price of diamonds.

the supply’s so vast that if debeers hadn’t controlled the world market for decades, diamonds would be much cheaper.

donna: a diamond really’s just a piece of 10)carbon. it’s a just a rock.

advert: a diamond is forever.

so why is this rock a symbol of love? because debeers told us it was. since 1940, debeers’ brilliant ad campaign’s been convincing americans that diamonds mean love.

garfield: unlike most advertising, people just completely bought it.

bob garfield, of advertising age magazine, says it’s one of the best ad campaigns ever done.

garfield: it created, out of whole cloth, the 11)notion that at your engagement, you must give your 12)intended a diamond.

but years of listening to this 13)propaganda