英男子購"驚險"別墅 距懸崖不足1米
A couple who paid 1.7 million for a spectacular clifftop home are facing life on the edge after their garden crashed into the sea. They bought the property only 18 months ago, aware that it had Already suffered a devastating landslip in 2007.
你會花上170萬英鎊在令人不寒而慄的海岸懸崖峭壁邊安家嗎？但最要命的還是庭院被不斷墜落山崖的巖壁所“吞噬”。2007年，在購買了這幢別墅僅僅是八個月的時間，別墅主人便發現了因崖壁墜落而造成領地面積不斷縮小的困擾。
By yesterday its value had plummeted by an estimated ?600,000 and they face a major bill to stabilise what remains of the cliff following the disappearance of 15ft of garden last week
截止最近一次估價，這幢住宅的市值已經下跌了約60萬英鎊，而這家“倒黴”的住戶還必須支付大筆的住宅以穩固目前僅有的棲息之地，而上個禮拜，花園又往後退了15英尺。
However, they are still hopeful that the house will remain standing … even though its boundary wall is only a yard away from a dizzying drop.
儘管如此承重牆距離新形成的懸崖間僅有一碼的距離，住戶還是希望能夠保住這房子。
In February 2007 it suffered a huge landslip, described as the length of ‘two double-decker buses’sands of tons of earth and several trees disappeared, leaving just a few feet between the end of the property’s tiered garden terrace and the sheer 130ft drop.
在2007年2月，崖壁出現了大面積的塌陷，邊緣推後的長度相當於“兩輛公車收尾相接”。成千上萬噸的土石連帶這樹木植被消失在眼前，而距離花園的露臺僅有幾英尺之遙，也就是說有整整130英尺的地面墜落山崖。
After that collapse, Mr Skilton said he was unconcerned and insisted the house was built on solid rock.
據房屋原來的主人斯基爾頓先生透露，在那次的塌陷之後，他還以爲屋子是結結實實的建在堅固的岩石之上。
He sold the property, which boasts stunning panoramic views of the coast, in 2009. The new owners are believed to have been assured that only the garden was in danger from the erosion caused by the sea breaking against the foot of the cliff.
因爲位置得天獨厚，可以將海天一色的美景輕鬆收入眼底，斯基爾頓先生還是在2009年時成功脫手。而新住戶則認爲以及獲得了對方的承諾，僅僅是畫面部分可能會受到因海浪的拍打而造成的懸崖邊緣退化的危險。
All was well until last Wednesday, when a crack appeared in the soil causing a small amount of rubble to fall. This was followed by another massive landslip. Hundreds of tons of mud, dirt and trees plunged on to the beach as 15ft of the garden disappeared. The property is now thought to be valued at ?1.1million.
而在上週三，地面開始出現裂縫，緊接着的面試大面積的塌陷。成噸的土石樹木滑落，懸崖又向房補逼進了15英尺(距懸崖不足1米)。而這間豪宅目前的售價也跌至了110萬英鎊。
