游记 （一）- “水城”威尼斯 Travelogue (1) - Venice

威尼斯堪稱世界最美麗的城市之一， 别名有「亞得里亞海的女王」、「水都」、「橋之城」及「光之城」。威尼斯共有177条水道、117个小岛和455座桥梁，是世界上唯一不通汽车的城市，船是唯一的交通工具。 Venice, one of the most beautiful city in the world. It is also known as the "La Dominante", "Serenissima", "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Masks", "City of Bridges" and "City of Canals". There are a total of 117 islands formed by 177 canals in a shallow lagoon. The islands on which the city is built are connected by 455 bridges. It is the only city that do not have cars or buses, boats, gondolas and ferries are the main forms of water transport.

贡多拉， 是意大利威尼斯特有的和最具代表性的传统划船，船身全漆黑色，由一船夫站在船尾划动。几世纪以来，贡多拉是威尼斯境内主要的交通工具。也是人们的谋生方法之一。图中的贡多拉是比较朴实的，还有一些贡多拉装饰的美轮美奂。 The Gondola, is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian Lagoon. For centuries gondolas were once the chief means of transportation and most common watercraft within Venice. 旅途中最喜欢是看海鸥飞翔。人们羡慕海鸥的自由自在，但现实生活里，海鸥还相当的烦人的。它们能从高空中觅食，看到一些人们手中的食物还会掠食。偶尔又发出些尖叫声，真的不是那么温驯的小鸟儿。 I love watching the seagulls. People loves birds and envy their freedom but in reality, especially the seagulls, they are a rather notorious type of birds, they are able to hunt for food from a long distant and height and often snatche food off the tourist. They also give out loud, screeching noise occassionally, which can be rather annoying. 冬季的威尼斯阳光是强烈的，但吹来的风却是冷飕飕的。这种错中复杂的气候让人不知所措。不过看着因为阳光照射，人们长长的身影，心中还是有莫名的安慰。至少在这闹市里，心可以孤独，但周围的气氛能让人释然。 Towards the end of winter, the weather in Venice becomes very unpredictable, the sun can be strong but the wind can be cold. It is rather difficult to predict what is going to happen during the day while you are out. Despite the unpredictable weather, City of Venice is still a pleasant place to be in.  深绿色的大运河面上。在阳光的照射下泛起点点星光，非常的美丽，我在提岸边站了好一会，就呆呆的望着水面上的星光，其实只要心情平和，一切放开了，就能看到美丽的事物。大运河上的星光真美丽。拉尔夫·沃尔多·爱默生（美国的思想家、文學家）曾说“当天很黑很黑时，就能看到星星”他一定还没来过这里。大白天的大运河可以看到更多的星星。（答苏敬妹妹：姐姐也有放得开的时候） Ralph Waldo Emerson said "When it's dark enough, you can see the stars". Well in Venice, when the sun ray reflects on the surface of the grand Canal, the reflection turns into little sparkles that shine just like stars.  你看你的我睡我的。在没有车辆，没有时间的国度里，随意的生活。如此的阳光，如此的风，任烦闹的都市再喧哗，我还是我行我素。在日常生活里寻求小幸福，不外也就是这样，不管人们的目光，隋心出发，这就是生活的奢侈。（答周小飞：能偶尔的奢侈，也可算是小幸福） Part of life enjoyment is neglecting everything around you and nap away. Little happiness in life is to live the way you like and ignore the world around you. 皮制面具，这是威尼斯的特产手工艺。形形色色的面具，从简朴的人皮面具到奢华的舞台面具，色彩缤纷，手工细腻，不愧是美术之都。在威尼斯到处可见这些手工面具，因为是手工又是皮制所以价格不菲。以欧元的兑换率来算，我只能看，买不下。可惜可惜！ Venetian masks are a centuries-old tradition of Venice. The masks are typically worn during the (Carnival of Venice), but have been used on many other occasions in the past, usually as a device for hiding the wearer's identity and social status. Venetian masks are characterised by their ornate design, featuring bright colours such as gold or silver and the use of complex decorations in the baroque style. Many designs of Venetian masks stem from Commedia dell'arte. They can be full-face masks (e.g. the bauta) or eye masks (e.g. the Columbina). 威尼斯的玻璃工艺也是扬名中外的。尤其是Murano玻璃与其工艺更是著名。 Murano glass has been a famous product of the Venetian island of Muran  for centuries. 威尼斯一个令人欣慰的国家，很多的河，很多的桥，很多有趣的事物。我非常喜欢威尼斯，喜欢有机会重游此地。