书城外语英语PARTY——浪漫之都·法国
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第6章 城市导航Cityscapes(4)

The architecture of Nice can be astonishing with the wild exaggerationsexaggeration n.夸张,夸大之词 of the Belle Epoque style or the Baroque influenced houses and marisions on the hills of Mont Boron.

Fabulous creations have been realized in the floral gardens and parks of the hills of the Chateau,the Chambrun park or the Espace Masséna.

The only way to get to know the real Nice is by strolling through the ochre colored streets listening to the “Niois” speaking their own language (Nissart) and by tasting their savory cooking,One musn,t miss the onion,anchovyanchovy n.凤尾鱼 and olive tarts called Pissaladières,the vegetable and tuna sandwiches known as Pan Bagnat,the Salade Nioise or the famous Ratatouille (tomatoes eggplant and zucchini squash stew). The main cooking ingredientingredient n.成分,因素 is olive oil ot course,and many of the dishes are garnished with the succulent little black Nice olives called Caillettes.

Nice is also a city of art and culture and after Paris,has the most museums in France. The city is animatedanimate adj.活生生的,活泼的,动的,愉快的 at night as well as in the day especially in the summer with the Nice Jazz Festival held in the arena,the gardens of Cimiez,and the flower “war” on the Promenade des Anglais in which participate the prettiest women on the Cte d,Azur (French Riviera). Each day on the Cours Soleya there is the great flower market where one can also find fruit and vegetables in the mornings. Each quarter in Nice is alive with markets,boutiques and restaurants making the whole city a lively place to visit.

Nice,itself,is characterised by narrow winding alleys,labyrinthslabyrinth n.迷路,迷宫,难解的事物 and secret little squares,monuments,traditional restaurants,cafe terraces,and of course the magnificent Promenade des Anglais,the road which runs along the stunningstunning adj.足以使人晕倒的,极好的 sea front.

Art lovers are spoilt for choice here (more so than many other areas in the country) and every taste is catered for with the Asian Arts Museum,the Museum of Art and History,the Museum of Contemporary and Modern Art and the Matisse Museum being located here.

Nice is a city of parks and gardens. The oldest,Le Jardin Albert 1er is an oasis of greenery stretching over 2km from the seafront towards the hills and is a “must see” on any visitors list,especially those visiting with children.

Tours Overview

河畔城市——图尔

图尔位于卢瓦尔河畔,距巴黎220公里,乘高速火车只需70分钟。人口只有13万,但却是卢瓦尔河谷的一大经济中心,市内建筑很有特色。随着巴黎工业的扩散,图尔已拥有机械、化工、制药等多种工业,且特别重视发展第三产业,尤其是旅游业和会议业。从古到今,图尔孕育了众多名扬海外的学者文人,真可谓人文荟萃,群星灿烂,其中最耀眼的几颗星座要数16世纪法国着名的小说家巴尔扎克、拉伯雷、数学家和哲学家笛卡尔。艺术大师达·芬奇曾在此度过晚年。

图尔还是一个大学城,平均每五个市民中就有一个是大学生。图尔大学是一所公立的综合性大学,创建于1841年。创建初期仅为一所医学院,后来陆续成立了法学院、文学院及理工学院等,成为一所综合性大学。专业设置齐全,教学质量上乘。图尔大学共有50多个系,专业设置齐全,既提供传统的学历教育,也提供职业技能培训。现有教职工近1200人,在校生24 000人左右。

Tours is the historical capital of TouraineTouraine n.都兰[法国西部一地区] and it is the perfect base from which to explore the many castles and wine cellars that dot the region. The city itself is attractive with cafélined boulevards and a thrivingthrive v.兴旺,繁荣,茁壮成长,旺盛 university within its midst.

The center of Tours has a population of 137,000. Tours is called “Au Jardin de la France” (The garden of France). There is a large park in the city center,and a cedar tree near the Cathedral. Tours is on the Loire river,which splits just to the west of the city,and so Tours has a river on both its northern and southern sides. The buildings of Tours are white with black slate roofs which is common in the north,whilest in the south the buildings have terra cotta roofs.

Tours is famous for its old part of the city called Le Vieux Tours with its Tudor style houses in halftimbering and La Place Plumereau,a square with only pubs and restaurants full of people who dine and drink ouside at tables filling the center of the square. Boulevard Beranger crosses rue Nationale,and is the location of weekly markets and fairs.

Tours is a good choice for a visit in this country. If you are a newcomer to the area or haven,t visited for a while,the information provided on this and related pages will prove invaluable in assisting you to make your holiday or business venture here,as simple as a stroll down your local street back home.

Picturesque,quaintquaint adj.离奇有趣的,奇怪的,做得很精巧的 and charming Tours is an excellent location to use as a base when exploring the nearby Loire Valley,it,s vineyards,and castles. Home to hundreds of university students it has a lively lighthearted youthful feel to it.

A miniature Paris,it has wide 18th century avenues,wonderful parks and gardens,cafélined boulevards and some interesting shopping experiences. It is said that the French spoken here is the purest in all of France,so if you are keen on the language,this is the obvious place in which to learn it.

Twice in its history,the city hosted (if somewhat briefly) the French Government. This was in 1870 during the FrancoPrussian war and again in 1940. Since then,it has become better known for its wines.

There are a number of museums in the city worth seeing as well as a cathedral and numerous chateau style buildings that beg discovery. Day trips from the city are extensive and due to this,when compiling the guides,many sightseeing options listed are not only within the city boundaries,but slightly further afield as well.

The Loire Valley in which the city lies,is the former playground of French monarchsmonarch n.君主,whose traces and grand palaces attract visitors today. The “centre” of France from Chartres to Chateauroux and from Tours to Bourges includes the départements of EureetLoir,Loiret,LoiretCher,Indre,IndreetLoire and Cher.

The Central Loire includes the famous Chateaux country. Through it flows a part of the Loire River,the longest river in France and considered to be its most capricious,often reducing to a mere trickle of water in a bed of sand. It has been called a “useless” great river,because it drives no turbinesturbine n.涡轮 or mill wheels and offers few navigable waterways. However it is very picturesquepicturesque adj.独特的 and water or no water,it,s worth seeing.