英语美文：浪漫之都·巴黎

 ah, beautiful paris. for centuries this city has attracted the admiration¹ of the world. the allure² and charm of paris captivate all who visit there.  

啊，美丽的巴黎！几世纪来，这个城市吸引了整个世界的崇拜。巴黎的诱惑与魅力吸引了所有到此游玩的人。  where can you discover the charm of paris for yourself? is it in the legacy³ of all the french rulers who worked to beautify their beloved city? is it in the famous castles, palaces, statues and monuments, such as the eiffel tower? can you find it in the world-class museums, such as the louvre? perhaps paris' allure lies in the zest⁴ and style of the parisians.   

你在哪里可以找到巴黎对你自己的吸引力呢？是否是在历任的法国统治者们在美化他所钟爱的城市所留下來的遗产里？还是在那些有名的城堡、皇宫雕像和纪念碑例如艾菲尔铁塔之中？你能否在世界一流的博物馆，倒如卢浮宫中找着呢？或许巴黎的诱惑力在于巴黎人的特殊品味和风格。   

when you visit paris, you don't have to spend all of your time visiting museums and monuments. they are certainly worthy⁵ of your time, but ignore them for a day. first take some time to look around and experience life in paris. you'll find it charming.   

当你到巴黎游玩时，別把时间全都花在看博物馆和纪念碑上面。它们当然很值得你花时间，但今天先忘掉它们。首先来四处看看，并体验一下巴黎的生活。你会发现它的迷人之处。   

take a stroll along the seine river. browse⁶ through the art vendors⁷, colorful paintings. peek⁸ through delicate iron gates at the well-kept gardens. watch closely for the french attention to detail that has made france synonymous with good taste. you will see it in the design of a doorway⁹ or arch and in the little fountains and quaint¹⁰ balconies. no matter where you look, you will find everyday objects transformed into works by art.   

沿著塞纳河漫步。浏览艺术家们丰富色彩的绘画，透过那些精致的铁门，向內偷窺那些精心照看的花园。仔细留心法国人对于细节的留心。这使得法国成为“好品味”同义字。你可以在门廊或拱门以及小喷泉和古怪有趣的走廊的设计上看见。不管你往哪里看，你都可以发现日常物品已经变成了艺术品。   

spend some time in a quiet park relaxing on an old bench. lie on your back on the green grass. when you need refreshment¹¹, try coffee and pastries¹² at a sidewalk cafe. strike up a conversation with a parisian. this isn't always easy, though. with such a large international population living in paris, true natives are hard to find these days.  

花些时间，在一个安静的公园里面的旧板凳上轻松地休息。躺在青草地上。想吃点心的时候，尝尝路边咖啡店的咖啡及点心。找一个巴黎人展开一段会话，但这也不太容易。有这么大的国际人口居住在此地。在这个年头要找到一个真正当地的巴黎人是很难的。   

as evening comes to paris, enchantment¹³ rises with the mist over the riverfront. you may hear music from an outdoor concert nearby: classical, jazz, opera or chansons, those french folk songs. parisians love their music. the starry¹⁴ sky is their auditorium¹⁵. you can also hear concerts in the chateaux and cathedrals. in paris the music never ends.   

巴黎到了傍晚时分，随着码头上的雾气升起，巴黎的诱惑力也随之而起。你也会听到附近室外音乐会所演奏的乐曲。古典、爵士、歌剧或是香颂、即法国的民歌。巴黎人热爱自己的音乐，繁星点缀的天空，就是他们演奏的大礼堂。你也可以在皇宫或教堂里聆听音乐会。在巴黎，音乐是不会停止的。   

don't miss the highlight of paris evening: eating out. parisians are proud of their cuisine¹⁶. and rightly so; it's world famous. gourmet¹⁷ dining is one of the indispensable joys of living. you need a special guidebook to help you choose one of the hundreds of excellent restaurants. the capital of france boasts every regional specialty¹⁸, cheese and wine the country has to offer. if you don't know what to order, ask for the suggested menu. the chef likes to showcase his best dishes there. remember, you haven't tasted the true flavor of france until you've dined at a french restaurant in paris.  

1 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

2 allure   

n.诱惑力，魅力；vt.诱惑，引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• The window displays allure customers to buy goods.橱窗陈列品吸引顾客购买货物。
• The book has a certain allure for which it is hard to find a reason.这本书有一种难以解释的魅力。

3 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

4 zest   

n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣

参考例句：

• He dived into his new job with great zest.他充满热情地投入了新的工作。
• He wrote his novel about his trip to Asia with zest.他兴趣浓厚的写了一本关于他亚洲之行的小说。

5 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

6 browse   

vi.随意翻阅，浏览；(牛、羊等)吃草

参考例句：

• I had a browse through the books on her shelf.我浏览了一下她书架上的书。
• It is a good idea to browse through it first.最好先通篇浏览一遍。

7 vendors   

n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方

参考例句：

• The vendors were gazundered at the last minute. 卖主在最后一刻被要求降低房价。
• At the same time, interface standards also benefIt'software vendors. 同时，界面标准也有利于软件开发商。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

8 peek   

vi.偷看，窥视；n.偷偷的一看，一瞥

参考例句：

• Larry takes a peek out of the window.赖瑞往窗外偷看了一下。
• Cover your eyes and don't peek.捂上眼睛，别偷看。

9 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

10 quaint   

adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的

参考例句：

• There were many small lanes in the quaint village.在这古香古色的村庄里，有很多小巷。
• They still keep some quaint old customs.他们仍然保留着一些稀奇古怪的旧风俗。

11 refreshment   

n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点

参考例句：

• He needs to stop fairly often for refreshment.他须时不时地停下来喘口气。
• A hot bath is a great refreshment after a day's work.在一天工作之后洗个热水澡真是舒畅。

12 pastries   

n.面粉制的糕点

参考例句：

• He gave a dry laugh, then sat down and started on the pastries. 杜新箨说着干笑一声，坐下去就吃点心。 来自子夜部分
• Mike: So many! I like Xijiang raisins, beef jerky, and local pastries. 麦克：太多了。我最喜欢吃新疆葡萄干、牛肉干和风味点心。

13 enchantment   

n.迷惑，妖术，魅力

参考例句：

• The beauty of the scene filled us with enchantment.风景的秀丽令我们陶醉。
• The countryside lay as under some dread enchantment.乡村好像躺在某种可怖的魔法之下。

14 starry   

adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的

参考例句：

• He looked at the starry heavens.他瞧着布满星星的天空。
• I like the starry winter sky.我喜欢这满天星斗的冬夜。

15 auditorium   

n.观众席，听众席；会堂，礼堂

参考例句：

• The teacher gathered all the pupils in the auditorium.老师把全体同学集合在礼堂内。
• The stage is thrust forward into the auditorium.舞台向前突出，伸入观众席。

16 cuisine   

n.烹调，烹饪法

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• This restaurant is renowned for its cuisine.这家餐馆以其精美的饭菜而闻名。

17 gourmet   

n.食物品尝家；adj.出于美食家之手的

参考例句：

• What does a gourmet writer do? 美食评论家做什么？
• A gourmet like him always eats in expensive restaurants.像他这样的美食家总是到豪华的餐馆用餐。

18 specialty   

n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长

参考例句：

• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
• His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。