Paris intrigues, astonishes, provokes, overwhelms ... and gets under your skin. The City of Light is the apex of architectural beauty, artistic expression, and culinary delight. As drop-dead arrogant as the Arc de Triomphe, as disarmingly quaint as a lac-curtain bistro, it seduces newcomers with a Latin-lover style and its subtle siren song invites unhurried exploration of its picture-perfect streets.

Paris is a city of vast, noble perspectives and intimate, ramshackle streets, of formal espaces vertes (green open spaces) and of quiet squares. This combination of the pompous and the private is one of the secrets of its perennial pull. Another is its size. Paris is relatively small as capitals go, with distances between many of its major sights and museums invariably walkable.

A visit to Paris will never be quite as simple as a quick look at Notre-Dame, the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower. You'll discover that around every corner, down every ruelle (little street) lies a resonance-in-wait. You can stand on the rue du Faubourg St. Honore at the very spot Edmond Rostand set Ragueneau's pastry shop in Cyrano de Bergerac. You can read the letters of Madame de Sevigne in her actual hotel particulier, or private mansion, now the Musee Carnavalet. You can breathe in the fumes of hubris before the extravagant onyx tomb Napoleon designed for himself. You can gaze through the gates at the school where Voltaire honed his wit and lay a garland on Oscar Wilde's poignant grave at pere Lachaise.

巴黎既令人着迷，又让人惊叹。它引人入胜，令人无法抗拒，难以忘怀。建筑之美、艺术之语和烹饪之乐都在这座“灯火之城”里达到了顶峰。像凯旋门一样引人注目的高傲，像饰有蕾丝窗帘的小酒吧一样令人放松的优雅，巴黎以其“拉丁恋人”般的情调吸引着新来的游客，它深奥动人的歌声召唤着人们慢慢欣赏它如画的街景。

巴黎既有宏伟高贵的景观，也有让人倍感亲切的破旧老街；既有规整开阔的绿地，也有幽静的广场。这种恢弘与静谧的融合是巴黎能永远吸引世人的奥秘之一。另外一点是它的面积。作为首都，巴黎相对来说面积不大。许多主要景点和博物馆之间都相距不远，步行即至。

巴黎之星绝不只是到巴黎圣母院、卢浮宫和艾菲尔铁塔这些地方走马观花般地看看那么简单。几乎在每一个角落附近，每一条小路上，你都能体会到那等待已久了的身心的共鸣。你可以驻足于福布.圣奥诺雷街上的拉格诺点心店，它曾是埃德蒙.罗斯丹的戏剧《西哈诺.德.贝热拉克〉中的主要场景；你可以在塞维尼夫人的故居中阅读她的书信，如今这里已是卡纳瓦莱博物馆；你可以在拿破仑为自己设计的奢华的缟玛瑙墓前感受他的盛气凌人；你可以在路过伏尔泰曾经埋头苦读的学校时，从大门向里张望；你还可以到拉雪兹神父公墓，在令人唏嘘的奥斯卡.王尔德的墓前献上一个花环。

overwhelm vt. 征服

ramshackle adj. 摇摇欲坠的

gaze vi. 凝视

intimate adj. 亲密的

perennial adj. 持久的

poignant adj. 悲伤的

Terry 在网上遇到了朋友 Benjamin, 两人聊天时谈起了世界上的旅游胜地，Terry 极力推荐Benjamin 到巴黎去游玩一趟。

B = Benjamin 本 = 本杰明 T = Terry 泰 = 泰瑞

B: Why do you advise me to go Paris?

T: It's really a beautiful city. I went there last year. For centuries this city has attracted the admiration of the world. The allure and charm of Paris captivate all who visit there.

B: So magical? What is the best time if I go there?

T: Paris is at its best during the temperate spring months (March to May), with autumn coming in a close second. In winter, there are all sorts of cultural events to tempt the visitor, but school holidays can clog the streets with the little folk. August is usually hot and sticky, and it's also when many Parisians take their yearly vacations, so businesses are likely to be closed.

B: How can you know so much about it? Which place do you like best in Paris?

T: I had read some books about it before I visited there. The sight impressed me most was the Musee du Louvre. It is the palace of art and ten thousand treasures well-known all over the world. Once people enter this artistic ocean, they always firstly see the most famous "three treasures": "Mona Lisa", "Venus de Milo" and "Winged Victory".

B: Oh, Mona Lisa is my favorite painting. I even want to go now.

T: Go to Paris. You won't feel disappointed.

本：你为什么建议我去巴黎呢？

泰：那真是一座美丽的城市。我去年到过那儿。几世纪以来，巴黎为整个世界所瞩目。它的诱惑与魅力吸引了所有到那游玩的人。

本：有这么大的魔力？那我什么时候去那儿最好呢？

泰：巴黎最美的时节是气候温和的春季（三月到五月），其次就是秋季。冬季有各种各样的吸引游人的文化活动，但学校放假街道变得很拥挤。八月总是潮湿闷热，加上这个时候很多巴黎人都去度年假了，因此商店可能都关门了。

本：你怎么知道的这么多啊？你最喜欢巴黎哪个地方？

泰：在我去那旅游之前，我读了一些关于巴黎的书。给我印象最深的是卢浮宫，它是举世瞩目的艺术殿堂和万宝之宫。人们一涉足这艺术的海洋，总是先睹其中最著名的“镇宫三宝”，即“蒙娜丽莎”、“米罗的维纳斯”和“胜利女神”。

本：噢，蒙娜丽莎是我最喜欢的画，我现在都想去看看了。

泰：去巴黎吧。你不会觉得失望的。

allure n. 诱惑

temperate adj. 温和的

sticky adj. 粘的

captivate vt. 迷住，迷惑

tempt vt. 诱惑

treasure n. 宝物，财富

假设你正在巴黎旅游，在我们国内的一位外国朋友给你打电话，让你介绍一下你对巴黎的了解和感受，你该如何表达呢？试着完成下面的对话。

1. 外国朋友：Is Paris a beautiful city attracting many people?

你：__________________________________________

2. 外国朋友：When is the best time to visit there? Summer?

你：__________________________________________

3. 外国朋友：What is the most famous treasure in the musee du Louvre?

你：__________________________________________

1. Yes, of course. For centuries this city has attracted the admiration of the world. The allure and charm of Paris captivate all who visit there.

2. No. Summer is hot and sticky. Paris is at its best during the temperate spring months.

3. There are three: Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory.

转载请注明 来自:英语早世界www.EnglishMorning.com

<<上一课 | 下载课程全文pdf | 下载课程录音mp3 | 下一课>>