五成土壤來自屍體
Poveglia Island, a small island that sits between Venice and Lido in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy, is known as the “Island of Ghosts” because of its dark history.
波維利亞島是位於義大利北部的威尼斯環礁湖內威尼斯與利多之間的一座小島，這座小島因為有段黑暗歷史，因而有「猛鬼島」之稱。
be known as...以某身分或稱號聞名
In 1348, an outbreak of bubonic plague swept through Europe, killing millions of people.
1348年，歐洲爆發鼠疫，奪走上百萬人的性命。
outbreak(n.)(戰爭;暴動;疫情的)爆發bubonic plague鼠疫sweep through橫掃;迅速蔓延
In an attempt to control the spread of the disease, many Venetians who developed symptoms of the plague were sent away to Poveglia Island and kept in quarantine.
為了控制住疫情，許多有症狀的威尼斯人被流放至波維利亞島上隔離，
in an attempt to RV=為了...spread(n.)擴散;蔓延symptom(n.)症狀keep (put) sb. in quarantine=隔離某人
In fact, it was nothing less than a death sentence.
實際上等於對他們判處死刑。
nothing less than簡直;等於death sentence=death penalty=死刑
Countless bodies were cremated somewhere on the island.
無數具屍體在島上的某處被火化。
countless(adj.)無數的cremate(v.)火化cremation(n.)火葬
Unfortunately, another cremation was carried out when the Black Death, the deadliest pandemic in human history, arrived in 1630.
很不幸地，當人類史上最致命的流行病——黑死病在1630年降臨時，又有人在波維利亞島上被火化。
carry out=進行;執行deadly(adj.)致死的;致命的=fatal
For centuries, Poveglia Island was Venice’s solution to the plague: an isolated quarantine site where few victims of the plague ever left the island again.
好幾個世紀以來，波維利亞島成了威尼斯解決瘟疫的辦法：波維利亞島是座孤島，幾乎沒有患者活著離開。
a solution to sth.~的解決方案isolated(adj.)孤立的
It is said that human ashes from the cremation make up more than half of the island’s soil.
據說這座島有超過五成的土壤是由屍體的灰燼組成的。
it is said that...據說ash(n.)灰燼make up組成
Poveglia Island remained an important quarantine site until 1814 before Venetians built a mental hospital there in 1922.
波維利亞島一直到1814年都是疫情隔離區，後來人們於1922年在島上建了一所精神病院。
remain(v.)保留;維持mental hospital=精神病院
It was rumored that a doctor who did experiments on his patients died after falling from a bell tower on the island.
謠傳一位拿病患做實驗的醫生從島上的鐘樓墜落身亡。
it is rumored that...=rumor has it that...謠傳;有謠言說...experiment(n.)實驗patient(n.)病患
The hospital closed down in 1968, leaving Poveglia Island abandoned.
這座醫院在1968年關閉，波維利亞島從此成為無人島。
close down=關閉abandon(v.)遺棄;拋棄
Stories of plague victims’ deaths and abused mental patients have been haunting Poveglia Island, and that is why Venetians call it the “Island of Ghosts.”
此後波維利亞島不斷傳出瘟疫受難者與精神病患遭虐待的相關靈異事件，於是威尼斯人把這座島稱作「猛鬼島」。
death(n.)死亡abused(adj.)受虐的haunt(v.)對~產生陰影或困擾;鬧鬼haunted house鬼屋