1. Alberta is located in the western part of Canada and is the westernmost among the Prairie Provinces. To its west is British Columbia while to its east is Saskatchewan. Its south borders on the U.S. state of Montana while its north borders on the Northwest Territories. Alberta is a most popular place for people to go to on their vacations because of its beautiful scenery. The Canadian Rockies running through it have earned for it the proud name of "Fifty Switzerland in One."
1、阿尔伯达省位于加拿大的西部，也是草原诸省中最西部的一个省份。它的西边是不列颠哥伦比亚省，东部是萨斯喀彻温省，它的南部与美国的蒙大拿州接壤，而北部则与西北地区相连。由于阿尔伯达省风景优美，人们都很喜欢去那里度假。纵贯全境的加拿大落矶山脉为它赢得了“集50个瑞士于一省”的美名。
2. With an area of approximately 255,212 square miles,equivalent to 661,000 square kilometers,it is the fourth largest province in Canada. Although it has a population of only 3.26 million,about one fifth of the population of Shanghai,it ranks also 4th in population among Canadian provinces. The province was named after Princess Louis Caroline Alberta,a daughter of Queen Victoria of England. It became a province of Canada in 1905.
2、该省面积约为255212平方英里，相当于661000平方公里，是加拿大第四大省。虽然它的人口只有326万，仅及上海人口的约五分之一，但在加拿大诸省中它的人口数也居第四位。阿尔伯达省是以英国维多利亚女皇的一个女儿路易斯•卡洛琳•阿尔伯达公主的名字命名的。它于1905年成为加拿大的一个省份。
3. The people of Alberta originally came from many different countries. More than half of the Albertans came from Britain. Others came from Austria,Russia and the Scandinavian countries. As only a small number were French Canadians,who migrated to Alberta from the eastern part of Canada,the major language spoken in the province is English,with the exception of a few bilingual towns north of Edmonton. Although there are only a limited number of Indians living on reservations now,two hundred years ago they were the only inhabitants in what is now called Alberta.
3、阿尔伯达省的人民最初来自很多不同的国家。其中一半以上来自英国，另一些人来自奥地利、俄国和斯堪地那维亚国家。由于只有少数从加拿大东部迁宋的法裔加拿大人，因此除了在埃德蒙顿北部有几个双语种小镇之外，该省所使用的主要语言是英语。现在，虽然只有人数有限的印第安人居住在保留地上，但是在两百多年前，他们是居住于现在称之为阿尔伯达省的居民。
4. The first settlers of Alberta were cattle ranchers. Even now,raising cattle is still one of the leading branches of economy. But at present many more Albertans are farmers,who raise millions of tons of wheat,oats and barley,the also plant sugar beets and potatoes in the southern part of the province. In the northern part,like the Indians who lived there before them,the hunters trap such fur-bearing animals as squirrels,beavers and foxes. Alberta is also rich in forest resources,coal and oil. It is one of the main timber producing provinces in Canada. Owing to its rich deposit in oil,petroleum industry has become one of the most important industries of the province,with many oil fields and refineries. Alberta also produces more coal than any other province.
4、阿尔伯达省的首批移民是牧场经营者。即使时至今日，畜牧业仍然是经济的主要部门之一。但现在阿尔伯达人中更多的是农民，他们生产成百万吨的小麦、燕麦和大麦。在该省的南部他们还种植甜菜和土豆。在北部，猎人们象生活在他们之前的印第安人一样捕捉毛皮兽，诸如松鼠、河狸和狐狸等。阿尔伯达还有丰富的森林资源、煤矿和石油。它是加拿大木材的主要生产省份之一。由于该省石油蕴藏量丰富，石油工业已成为该省最重要的工业主一，油田和炼油厂比比皆是。阿尔伯达出产的煤也多于其他任何省份。
5. The provincial capital Edmonton,with a population of about 1,016,000,is the second largest city in the province. The largest city is Calgary. In 1967,it had a population of about 330,000. But after a lapse of 40 years,it now has more than 1,060,000 inhabitants. The third largest city is Lethbridge,having a population of about 67,000 persons. People in those cities work in meat-packing plants,flour mills,dairies and refineries. Some work in canneries and beet-sugar factories.
5、省会埃德蒙顿人口约为101.6万，是该省第二大城市。第一大城市是卡尔加里，1967年的人口是33万，但时隔40年之后，它的居民总数已超过106万。第三大城市是莱斯桥，约有人口6、7万。这些城市的居民大多在肉类加工厂、面粉厂、乳制品厂和炼油厂工作。有的则在罐头食品厂和甜菜制糖厂工作。
6. The climate in Alberta is pleasant,particularly in summer,when the average temperature is about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. In winter,it is much colder and in the north,the temperature can drop to 20 degrees below zero. Although the best season for traveling is the summer months of June,July and August,many tourists are attracted to the first rate skiing ground at the resorts of Banff and Jasper.
6、阿尔伯达气候宜人，特别是夏天，平均气温为华氏60度左右。冬天的气候则要冷得多，北部的气温有时可降到零下20度。虽说旅游的季节是6、7、8月的夏季，但是旅游胜地班夫和嘉思帕的第一流的滑雪场地也吸引了很多游客。
7. Alberta is located in the Mountain Standard Time Zone. 12 o'clock at Noon in Edmonton is 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
7、阿尔伯达位于山地标准时时区。埃德蒙顿中午12点即东部标准时间下午2点。
