London is an ancient city whose history greets you at every turn. To gain a sense of its continuity, stand on Waterloo Bridge at sunset. To the east, the great globe of St. Paul's Cathedral glows golden in the fading sunlight as it has since the 17th century, still majestic amid the towers of glass and steel that hem it in. To the west stand the mock-medieval ramparts of Westminster, home to the "Mother of Parliaments" which has met here or hereabouts since the 1250s. Past them both snakes the swift, dark Thames, as it flowed past the first Roman settlement here nearly 2,000 years ago.

Today, that sense of modernity is stronger than ever. It is still, as Vanity Fair proclaimed, "the coolest, hottest city in the world". Millennium fever left its trophies -- a panoply of new buildings. The boom economy of the mid-1990's helped the city's art, style, fashion, and dining scenes make headlines around the world. London's chefs have become superstars; its fashion designers have conquered Paris; avant-garde artists have made waves; the city's raging after-hours scene is packed; and the theater continues its tradition of radical, shocking productions.

On the other hand, the bedrock of London's character and tradition remains the same. Deep down, even in the modern metropolis, some things rarely change. The British bobby is alive. The tall, red, double-decker buses still lumber from stop to stop. And teatime is still a hallowed part of the day. Then, of course, there is that greatest living link with the past -- the Royal Family. Don't let the tat "typical tourist" stop you from enjoying the pageantry of the Windsors, one of the greatest free shows in the world. You can line up for the Changing of the Guard and poke into the Royal Mews for a look at the Coronation Coach, which was polished brilliantly for the queen's Golden Jubilee state occasions in 2002. Pomp reaches its zenith in mid-June when the queen celebrates her official birthday with a parade called Trooping the Colour.

伦敦是做古城，处处都能让你感受到它历史悠久。日落时站在滑铁卢桥上，感觉历史就在这里持续着。向东眺望，圣保罗大教堂的巨大圆顶在夕阳的余辉下，金碧辉煌，17世纪以来一直都是如此。在玻璃和钢铁建成的高楼群的包围之中，它巍然耸立。向西眺望，矗立着仿中世纪风格而建造的威斯敏斯特宫，那里是“议会之母”的所在地。自13世纪50年代起，英国议会就一直在那儿及其附近召开会议。湍急深暗的泰晤士河从圣保罗大教堂和威斯敏斯特宫旁蜿蜒而过，大约两千年前，它曾流过了罗马人在这里的第一个定居点。

如今，伦敦的现代气息比以往更加浓厚了。今天伦敦仍是《名利场》中所描述的“世界上最冷酷又最热情的城市”。“千年热”给伦敦留下的纪念品就是气派的新建筑。20世纪90年代中期繁荣的经济使伦敦的艺术、风格、时装以及饮食文化成为世界的头条新闻。伦敦的厨师成了超级明星；伦敦的时装设计师征服了巴黎；前卫的艺术家闻名于世；流行的演出夜场挤满了人群；剧院仍保持传统，上演惊世作品。

另一方面，伦敦的基本特征和传统一如往昔。实际上，即便是在现代化的大都市里，一些传统仍然没有改变。英国警察依然充满活力；高高的红色双层巴士依然隆隆地驶过每个站点；喝茶还是一天中神圣不可侵犯的一部分。当然，能和过去联系在一起的最具有生命力的还是王室。即使你是那种典型的被安排好按照旅游路线参观的游客，也绝不应该错过世界上最大的免费演出，以此感受温莎王朝的奢华。你可以排队等候观看皇家卫队换岗仪式，也可以到皇家马厩去看一看加冕盛典用的皇家马车。2002年，为了举行庆祝女王加冕五十周年的国家大典，这辆马车被擦得光彩照人。每年6月中旬，为庆祝女皇官方生日而举行的皇家军队的阅兵游行，是壮观盛典的最高潮。

continuity n. 连续性

parliament n. 议会

bobby n. 警察

pageantry n. 壮观，华丽

rampart n. 城墙

bedrock n. 基础

hallowed adj. 神圣的

May 来到伦敦的第一天，好朋友Gucci 决定带她出去逛逛，让她对这座城市有一个初步了解。出门前，她们攀谈了起来。

M = May 美 = 阿美 G = Gucci 古 = 古奇

M: Today is a fine day for traveling, isn't it? Where are we going?

G: Firstly, we will go to see London's traditional sights -- Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London. OK? They are the most famous places of London, drawing millions of tourists every year.

M: So great! I have looked forward to visiting them for a long time. What about tomorrow?

G: I think we should go shopping.

M: Shopping? Why?

G: Haven't I told you? People could spend days just shopping in London. It is a retail heaven for any fashion junkie. Whether it's a unique skirt you're looking for, the latest clubbing clobber or something more unusual and quirky, London's numerous shops, department stores and markets offer them all.

M: Really? I like shopping very much. Let's do it today.

美：今天真是个旅游的好天气，是吧？我们去哪儿呢？

古：去看看伦敦的传统景点怎么样？大本钟、威斯敏斯特教堂、白金汉宫、圣保罗大教堂和伦敦塔。它们都是伦敦最著名的地方，每年都吸引着几百万游客前去参观。

美：太好了！我已经期待很久了！那明天呢？

古：我想去购物。

美：购物？为什么？

古：我还没有告诉你吗？光购物就可以让人在伦敦待上好几天。它是任何崇尚潮流的人购买零售物品的天堂。不管是你一直在找寻的设计独特的裙子，还是最新的俱乐部服装，抑或是一些更加不同寻常和更加古怪的东西，都可以在伦敦数量繁多的商店和市场里淘到。

美：真的？我非常喜欢购物。我们今天就去吧！

traditional adj. 传统的

retail n. 零售

clobber n. 服装

numerous adj. 为数众多的，许多的

draw vt. 吸引

junkie n. 有毒瘾者

quirky adj. 古怪的

你的一个外国朋友过来拜访你，正好看到了你去伦敦旅游时拍下的照片，于是想让你介绍一下伦敦和你的旅行经历。试着完成下面的对话。

1. 外国朋友：Did you enjoy your trip?

你：_____________________________________________________

2. 外国朋友：What famous sights have you visited?

你：_____________________________________________________

3. 外国朋友：Did you do something else in London?

你：_____________________________________________________

1. Yes. It's a worthy trip!

2. Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London. They are the most famous places of London.

3. Shopping! I think it's the happiest thing. London is a retail heaven for any fashion junkie.

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