书城外语英语PARTY——不列颠之狮·英格兰
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第10章 城市导航City Guide(8)

The Lord Mayor,s position has most recently been laid down by the Local Government Act 1972. This requires that; they shall be elected annually by the Council from among the Councillors, their term of office is for one year commencing at the Annual Meeting of Council, on the third Wednesday in May, during their term of office they shall continue to be a member of the Council, the Lord Mayor shall have precedence in all places in the district but not so as to prejudicially affect Her Majesty,s Royal prerogative, and the Council may pay to the Lord Mayor for the purpose of enabling him to meet the expenses of his office such allowanceallowance n.津贴, 补助, 宽容, 允许 vt.定量供应 as they think reasonable.

Sport

Sheffield has a long sporting heritage. In 1855, a collectivecollective adj.集体的 n.集体 of cricketers joined with pupils from Collingswood School to form the world,s first ever official football club, Sheffield F.C., and by 1860 there were 15 football clubs in Sheffield. There are now two local clubs in the Football League: Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday.

Sheffield also has close ties with snookersnooker n.(=snooker pool)彩色台球, 桌球 vt.阻挠, due to the fact that the city,s Crucible Theatre is the venue for the World Snooker Championships. It also boasts the Sheffield Eagles rugby league, Sheffield Sharks basketball and Sheffield Steelers ice hockey teams.

The Sheffield Ski Village is the largest artificial ski resort in Europe. The city also has two indoor climbing centres and is the home of climber Joe Simpson.

Many of Sheffield,s extensive sporting facilities were built for the World Student Games which the city hosted in 1991. They include the Don Valley International Athletics Stadium, Sheffield Arena, and Ponds Forge international diving and swimming complex, where Olympic medallist Leon Taylor trains. There are also facilities for golf, climbing and bowling, as well as a newly inaugurated (2003) iceskating arenaarena n.竞技场, 舞台.

In 2004 Sheffield hosted the Eighth World Firefighter Games.

Sheffield is one of the UK,s National Cities of Sport and is now home to the English Institute of Sport (EIS).

Oxford

不朽之城--牛津

提起牛津,人们首先想到的恐怕会是闻名于天下的牛津大学,的确,牛津城无论什么地方都散发着文化的气息。

牛津,这座不朽之城,它既有都会的气味,又有大城的格局。站在High街上,所见的尽是巨石奔云的浑厚建筑,又风光,又有气魄,可与伦敦最美的街道媲美。牛津的中古性格已受到20世纪最新工业技术的洗礼。汽车工业带来了财富,带来了就业的机会,但也冲走了古典宁静的气氛。可是,牛津的古典精神毕竟对现代技术文明有强劲的抗拒力量。就在牛津城的大道通衢上,竖立着一座座庞大的牛津的学院,如麦特兰学院,皇后学院,大学学院,贝里奥学院,三一学院,基督学院……每个学院都有峥嵘宏伟的高门危墙。在门墙外,车水马龙,确是20世纪;在门墙内,鸦雀无声,仍似中古世纪。

牛津大学有世界最古老的图书馆,藏书430多万册的包德利图书馆(Bodlieian Library),大部分的书籍珍藏有宽街(Broad Street)的地下,排列在洞穴般的书架上,其中包括5万册世上最珍贵的手稿。书香、学术气息散发缕缕幽香。牛津大学的Clarendon行政大厦,Ashmolean博物馆,Sheldonian剧场,固然是巨柱擎天,龙蟠虎踞的大建筑;而基督学院庞然巨物的汤姆塔及大教堂亦巍峨壮观,不可一世;耸立在爱西斯(Lsis)河畔的麦特兰学院的15世纪的巨方钟楼,更是孤傲不群,让人想到巴黎圣母院的钟楼。

当然,到牛津的人不能不为圣玛利亚教堂及相邻的万灵学院的大小峻拔的塔尖所吸引。牛津19世纪的大诗人马修·安诺德(Matthew Arnold)在赞美他的母校时就画龙点睛地唱出:“那座甜蜜的都城,她的无数的梦样的塔尖。” 塔尖一排排,一行行,像石笋般挺秀地布满了牛城的天际,远远向上望去,每支石笋都似挺立云端的神像,使牛津直似一座万神聚合的天城!

牛津也有清雅的一面,湖塞斯德学院的小湖水漂云流,麦特兰学院的鹿园宁静祥和,而沿着爱西斯河麦特兰小径,更是幽雅绝尘。

Oxford is renowned the world over, as the home of one of the oldest and most highly revered Universities in Europe. The city lies at the confluence of the Rivers Cherwell and Thames, or “Isis”, as it is locally known, giving the opportunity for boating, punting and many pleasant riversideriverside n.河岸, 河畔 walks.

Oxford is a compactcompact adj.紧凑的, 紧密的, 简洁的 n.契约, 合同, 小粉盒 city; its main streets radiate fromradiate from v.自……发出 Carfax Tower in the centre, with most of the colleges and University buildings all within easy walking distance.

It was Mathew Arnold whose description lingers in the mind, and best sums up Oxford: “And that sweet City with her dreaming spires, she needs not June for beauty,s heightening”.

Just outside the City on Boar,s Hill is the best place to see an overall view of the “dreaming spires”, a hauntingly beautiful and unforgettable sight.

The University Church of St. Mary the Virgin - First mentioned in the Domesday Book, one of the best views of Oxford is from the magnificentmagnificent adj.华丽的, 高尚的, 宏伟的 tower, which was built in the 13th century, the nave dates from the 15th and 16th centuries.

The Ashmolean Museum - Britain,s oldest public museum, housing the University,s collections of paintings, glass, silver, ceramicsceramics n.制陶术, 制陶业 and artefactsartefact n.人工品, 赝象 from the ancient world.

Other Museums in Oxford - Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Oxford, Museum of the History of Science, Oxford University Museum of Natural History, the Bate Collection and the Pitt Rivers Museum.

The Radcliffe Camera (closed to the public) a rotunda, whose domedome n.圆屋顶 is a landmark in Oxford,s centre, was designed by James Gibb (1737~1749). Inspired by the Tower of the Winds in Athens, it is regarded as one of Europe,s most beautiful buildings. It originally housed the Radcliffe Library, today the 16 sided room on the ground floor is a reading room for the Bodleian Library.

The Bodleian Library - 15th century Divinity School, 17th century Old Schools Quadrangle and Exhibition Room.

Carfax Tower - 16th century church tower and viewpoint.

Curioxity - Hands on science exhibits for all ages.

The Oxford Story - Ride through exhibition interpreting the fascinating 800 year history of Oxford University.

Sheldonian Theatre - The ceremonial hall of the University designed by Sir Christopher Wren.

University of Oxford Botanic Gardens - Opposite Magdalen College in Rose Lane is the oldest Botanic Gardens in Britain. Laid out in 1621 on the instructions of Henry, Earl of Danby, as a Physic Garden. Entrance is through the beautiful ItalianateItalianate adj.意大利风格的, 意大利化的 v.有意大利风格 Gateway designed by Nicholas Stone, beautiful flowerbedsflowerbed n.花床, 花圃, trees and greenhouses filled with rare plants, collected over the centuries from around the world. The gardens are in a beautiful and peaceful setting, bounded on one side by the curve of the River Cherwell.

Nearby at Magdalen Bridge punts are availableavailable adj.可用到的, 可利用的, 有用的, 有空的, 接受探访的 for hire on the Cherwell and the Thames, other boat houses are located at Bardwell Road and Folly Bridge, St. Aldates.