Cyonglin village is located at the center of Kinmen. Being at the narrowest place in Kinmen, the village is strategically(1) important. The reason for building the tunnels was mainly war-preparedness as well as to strengthen civil defense(2) and security. The tunnels were dug in 1976 by a self-defense team organized by the residents of Cyonglin village. Leading to every corner of the village and linking together,(3) the tunnels are several kilometers in length. The administration office of the village used to be the command post, and is now the ticket office and entrance into the tunnels. Once you enter the tunnels, it takes about 10 minutes to walk to one of the exits in the northern suburbs,(4) where a statue of the Wind Lion God stands right at the village entrance. The Wind Lion God is considered a legendary(5) protector and evil-expeller(6) of the village.
瓊林村位於金門島中心，也是金門最狹窄的地點所在，其戰略重要性可見一斑。在這裡建築坑道，主要是因應戰備需要，另一方面也可藉此增加百姓的自衛能力和安全性。坑道是在民國六十五年（西元1976年）由瓊林村百姓組成的民防自衛隊親自打造，在村中各處挖掘四通八達的坑道，總長數公里，並且以坑道相連。村公所的辦公室曾經作為戰爭指揮所，目前可由村辦公室購票進入坑道內，出口至北方村郊，約十分鐘行程。村口則有一尊金門的守護神風獅爺，用以鎮風驅邪。

Tourist: From where does the name "Underground Kinmen" come?
遊客：「地下金門」名號的由來是什麼？

Tour Guide: The underground world in Kinmen is just un-imaginable. During wartime, the military took precautions against calamities(7) and dug numerous tunnels under the ground in preparation for battle. Some of the tunnels are waterway and walkway combinations, but most of them are walkways.

導遊：金門擁有的地下世界，是外人無法想像的。金門處於戰地期間，軍方防患未然及為了戰備之用，大量開挖不同類型的坑道，有的坑道是水道和陸道兩部份合成的，也有極多的坑道只有陸道而已。

Tourist: Were all of them dug by the soldiers?
遊客：這些坑道全都是阿兵哥挖的嗎？

Tour Guide: Not really. Some tunnels were dug by the self-defense team formed by the residents, and the "Cyonglin Tunnels" are among them.
導遊：不完全是。部份坑道是由村民組成的民防自衛隊挖的。例如，「瓊林戰鬥村坑道」是由當地居民合力挖掘。

Tourist: What is the main function of the tunnels?
遊客：它的主要作用呢？

Tour Guide: The tunnels have about 12 exits. They interweave(8) not only underground, but also to every corner of the village. In case a battle occurs, they can provide the best place of refuge(9) and defense for the civilians.

導遊：這個坑道約有十二處出入口，它不但連接村莊各處，也和四面八方相通。發生戰爭時，可提供給百姓作為避難和防禦的最佳場所。

Tourist: Could we say that now the tunnels are the best place for us to experience the same feelings as the local people in Kinmen did during the wartime.

遊客：那現在坑道不就成為體驗戰爭時，金門百姓戰地生活的最佳去處嗎？

Guide: Yes. Walking through the tunnels, you can imagine the haunting(10) sounds of war and feel peace in the air.
導遊：是的。走在坑道之中，「戰爭」和「和平」會隱隱的發聲。

Tourist: I must experience this for myself.
遊客：那我必須要用心去體驗和感受。（九）

■1. strategically-(adv) 戰略上；戰略性地。
■2. defense-(n)防衛、保護。此處指民間的自我防衛，亦即civil defense，且以strengthen為動詞，指「加強」。
■3. linking together-指地下坑道彼此相互連結。link是連接、連結之意。本句以leading與linking為分詞構句，用以形容the tunnel。
■4. suburb-(n)郊區；邊緣、外圍。
■5. legendary-(adj)傳說的、傳奇的、著名的。
■6. evil-expeller-(n)驅邪者。expeller由動詞expel變化而來，指驅趕～者，並加上字首evil-，表示風獅爺是驅趕邪惡的守護神。
■7. calamity-(n) 大災難、大禍、苦難。 take precautions against～，指採取防範措施，以預防～發生。
■8. interweave-(vt)使交織、使混雜。指地下坑道彼此相互交織。
■9. refuge-(n)避難、庇護、躲避。也指避難所、藏身處。
■10. haunting-(adj)給人強烈感受、縈繞心頭、不易忘懷的。源自於動詞haunt，原意指鬼經常出沒，或思想、回憶縈繞心頭。
原書作者陳建民、漢貴恩（資料來源：金門縣政府提供）