Rarely encountered by visitors， Sicily，s fauna is often ignored even by Sicilians. The Sicilian deer is long extinctextinct adj.熄灭的， 灭绝的， 耗尽的 vt.(古)使熄灭. The Sardinian deer in the delightful Parco d，Orleans， across from the Norman Palace in Palermo， are similar to the Sicilian deer. There are more foxes than wolves in Sicily， the latter are nearly extinct. There are few hare， but rabbits abound. A few wild cats thrive in the national park on the slopes of Mount Etna and also in remote parts of the Madonie Mountains and several smaller reserves； these regalregal adj.帝王的， 适于帝王的 hunters are similar to the wild cats found in Scotland and in the Pyrenees. The cats survive in Sicily because they live in wooded areas on rugged slopes where few people venture. One still sees the rare beaver or squirrel (one variety of the latter being remarkably similar to the North American chipmunk) in the woods of the Madonie or Nebrodi. The wild boar that has been reintroduced into Sicily is actually a Sardinian variety， but a local species of toad whose body grows to a length of almost 20 centimeters (8 inches) sometimes ventures out into the rains， several varieties of frog inhabit the streams， and several varieties of gecko lizard are ubiquitous. The hedgehoghedgehog n.猬 and porcupineporcupine n.［动］豪猪， 箭猪 (distinct species which appear somewhat similar from a distance) still live in Sicily， though they are only rarely seen. Until the latter decades of the nineteenth century， several species of freshwater fish were found in the island，s rivers； most are now extinct but eels are fished in the same streams every Spring. Eagles and falcons， though rare， can sometimes be seen soaring in the thermal currents above the mountains in search of prey， and local varieties of grouse， quail and woodcock live in the fields of the interior. Migratorymigratory adj.迁移的， 流浪的 birds are sometimes seen along the coasts. The best places to see some of this wildlife are the Woods of Ficuzza， which has an animal hospital open to the public， and the national park at Mount Etna.
To discover these treasures one must first seek them. In the province of Messina you，ll find extensive forests. Elsewhere， throughout much of the provinces of Agrigento， Enna， Caltanissetta and Trapani， a great deal of the land is under cultivation， and the precious woodlands are protected by wire fences. In winter， the occasional snowfall in the highlands paints the fields， olive groves and palmpalm n.手掌， 棕榈， (象征胜利的)棕榈叶 vt.与……握手， 藏……于掌中， 蒙混 trees a surreal white， but outside the Etna and Madonie (Nebrodi) regions this magical effect usually vanishes in a matter of days.
Sardinia
迷失撒丁岛
坐落于地中海的撒丁岛是意大利第二大岛，该岛之所以闻名于世不仅因为它有迷人的旅游胜地——白色海滩，而且还因为那里的居民普遍长寿，岛上的许多老人都活过了百岁。
无论是风景方面还是文化方面，在撒丁岛上都找不到类似西西里岛的精彩景点。这里的主要迷人之处就是一条精彩独特的海岸线，斯梅拉尔达海岸与其他不大出名的旅游胜地是吸引那些寻找金色沙滩和翠绿色大海的游客的一块天然磁石——提供无与伦比的潜水、航行以及其他水上运动的良机。除西西里岛之外，侵略者也在撒丁岛上留下纪念物，但没有西西里岛的那么壮观，主要是因为岛上的内地天然美景比较荒凉、不宜居住。今天当你冒险进入内陆——最好的要数真纳真图山区，就会发现几个世纪以来始终不变的传统和生活方式。
撒丁岛这个美丽的岛屿有无数的海滩，各有各的特点。其中有两个独具特色。
一个并不出名，却魅力无穷。那里的海浪出奇的大，海水又比较浅，所以即使不会游泳也可以体会弄潮的快乐。一人多高的海浪打来，马上屏住呼吸迎浪而上，然后随着浪花不停的起伏，想像自己是一条自由自在游泳的鱼，实在是乐趣无穷。
另一个地方就是Chia，她以银色沙滩而闻名。那里的海水呈现出一种妩媚的蓝色，和银白色的沙滩堪称绝配，甚至让人觉得美的几乎不真实。那里的水是极清的，站在齐胸的水中还可以清楚地看到自己的脚趾。Chia的海滩很长，分成两个部分，这两个部分有着完全不同的情调，给人以不同的感受。澄蓝的天空，碧蓝的海水，银白的沙滩还有悠闲游泳的人们。
Small enough to be classified as an island but big enough to be a universe unto itself， Sardinia lies about 120 miles west of the Italian peninsula. Its coastline is probably Europe，s most spectacularspectacular adj.引人入胜的， 壮观的. Its waters teem with fish and shellfishshellfish n.贝， 甲壳类动物. Its broad valleys turn into golden oceans of wheat in summer. Its rugged mountains， pocked with caves， are home to large flocks of sheep that feed on pungentpungent adj.(指气味、味道)刺激性的， 辛辣的， 尖锐的， 苦痛的， 严厉的 wild herbs and produce a cheese your palate will never forget. Nestled into its silent olive groves are some of the continent，s oldest archeological remains， dating back to 1700 BC. Its people speak a language incomprehensible to all other Italians， celebrate more saints， days than anyone else in the nation， and love to dress up in elaborate costumes at the drop of a finelyembroidered hat.
But Sardinia is not for the fainthearted. In summer， the heat can be blisteringblistering adj.酷热的. Winter winds are some of the most vicious in the Mediterranean. Hotels and restaurants can be either outrageously expensive or dismally primitiveprimitive adj.原始的， 远古的， 粗糙的， 简单的. Public transportation is unreliable and moves at a snail，s pace. Even getting to the island can be arduous， especially in summer when ferries and planes are packed. Sardinia is for adventurers， for those of us who like to feel we，ve accomplished something when we travel， those who want to push just a little bit farther than the crowd， those who are intrigued， not frightened， by civilizations that initially may seem inexplicable.
The island overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea to the East and the Sardinian Sea to the West， while to the North it is separated from Corsica by an arm of sea， which is only 12 Km long and is called Bocche di Bonifacio.
What Is the Territory Like
67% of the territory of the island is hilly， 13% is mountainous (the mountains extend above all in the eastern part， the Gallura， while the mountainous territory in the western part is more heterogeneousheterogeneous adj.不同种类的 异类的) and 18% is flat (with the Campidano plain， situated between the Gulf of Cagliari and the Gulf of Oristano).
The proper mountain chains are those of the Gennargentu， situated in the eastern part of the island， of Mounts Limbara in the North and of Mounts Iglesiente and Sulcis in the South.
The Sardinian coast， from Punta Falcone to Capo Comino， is very indented and rich in inlets and small bays. The widest and most important gulf is the Gulf of Oristano.
Around Sardinia there are also some small but wonderfulwonderful adj.令人惊奇的， 奇妙的， 极好的， 令人愉快的 islands： Asinara， Maddalena， Caprera， Molara and Tavolara in the North， while in the South there are two other islands： San Pietro and Sant，Antioco， which is connected to the main island by a short stretch of land.