2016-07-18

【Aiden in English】

    Finally, we're going into a brand-new country. Not to offend any Englishmen, but you're getting old. Therefore, out with the old and in with the latest. 

    Paris is the face of modern Europe. Although the UK runs every atom of the continent, France still has its symbol hammered into each century of the Common Era. Sure, the English had the popular idea of dramatic wars and conquering other countries, but unfortunately, Napoleon was French. Nowadays, he lies dead, of course, in a museum in Paris. He was quite a guy and a favorite of mine—just not the death in exile part. People often say the English beat the French in many wars, including the battle for North America. Then again, the colonialists allied with the French and beat the English. The unique architecture is continually a win for France, particularly Paris. 

    Sorry, England, but Paris has pretty much left London behind in terms of architecture. Try matching the Tower of London with Notre Dame or the Big Ben with the Eiffel Tower. Big Ben wasn't even the architect's name! It was his middle name, as it was either that or Big Richard, which I suppose you can see why that didn't come to fruition. I'm thankful for this selection. While the Tower of London may be just as famous, I find it quite... dull. There is no color, and even if the Crown Jewels of previous successors are on display, the overall view remains unchanged. Upon examining the interior of Notre Dame, with its stained-glass windows and colorful decorations, it all appears grand. And finally, to bundle it all together with a red velvet tie, the Gothic dome was raised high, giving a sense of grandeur. It might just have been the rain of that day in the London Tower that made my perspective so negative. 

    Speaking of the weather, I must comment on the beauty of this day in Paris. Probably the most significant difference between France and Britain is the color 'yellow.' The 'yellow' I'm describing is the kind that comes on television on the weather channel. You know, the yellow circle with the yellow rings around it. Yeah, the UK doesn't seem to grasp that concept well. France treated us nicely on the one day we were there, with an eighty-degree day and scattered, fluffy clouds that weren't selfish, but shared the sun. Looking out from the bridges over the Seine was terrific, and the beautiful yellow made the waters turquoise. The yellow became a golden blaze in the afternoon, rebounding off roads, walls, and windows. Of course, the city was quite golden even before the sun bathed it in its brightness. The Eiffel Tower, with its spider web design, although dulled from the years, stood firm in the spotlight. Thanks, Paris, for lighting up our English Isles cruise. That comes in more ways than one.

【紅霞譯文】

    最後，我們好不容易要出遊另外一個國家，這裡絲毫無意得罪英國佬，不過你們確實快成了古董，現在正是吐故納新的時候。

    巴黎反映現代歐洲風貌，儘管原則上大英帝國無處不在，但進入公元紀年，每個世紀人們都能感受到法蘭西的影響。沒錯，英國佬氣盛好戰，擅長統治它國，可半路殺出個程咬金，拿破崙竟是法國鬼，如今儘管他早已魂歸故里，不過其身後打造的巴黎如同博物館一般燦爛輝煌，我承認拿破崙功不可沒，除被放逐外，我對他佩服得五體投地。有人常談英國多次打敗法國，即使遠在北美領土同樣如此，話又說了回來，在殖民者名單上，法國可比英國遙遙領先，別出心裁的建築不斷讓它獨放異彩，巴黎更是首當其衝。

    對不起英國，在建築上巴黎把倫敦甩得遠遠的，不信就拿象徵北方權勢的倫敦塔與充滿愛意的巴黎聖母院對比，或者讓大本鐘與埃菲爾鐵塔對決，實際上大本鐘並非源於建築師的真姓大名！充其量夠得上中間名字，當初若不叫大本鐘興許就叫大鬥士，由此可見它甘拜下風。我很樂意選擇這兩個建築物進行比較，倫敦塔可能與埃菲爾鐵塔齊名，其實我倒覺得相當……一般，它沒有什麼色彩，即使展出以往各代帝王將相皇冠上所配戴的珍稀寶石仍然無法為它增輝添艷；縱觀巴黎聖母院內景，富麗堂皇的彩色玻璃窗與五顏六色的裝飾圖案，將莊重肅穆的天主教堂點綴得盡善盡美；最後還有通向天國的哥特式圓頂氣勢雄偉，巧妙地把整個聖殿推向極致。也許因為參觀倫敦塔的當天正趕上下雨，總之我對它印象不佳。

    提起天氣，我必須對巴黎美言幾句。英法兩地之間的最大差異可能在於“黃色”，這裡所謂的“黃色” 指的是電視氣象台慣用的顏色。如你所知，屏幕上假如陽光普照就會塗滿一道一道黃圈，呃，英國似乎沒法享受這種福分。別看我們只在法國逗留一天，可巴黎卻讓我們感到賓至如歸，80^oF／27^oC風和日麗，閒舒飄逸的雲朵毫無唯我獨尊之意，在這裡慷慨地與太陽共享歡樂；穿過塞納“拖網”河上座座小橋，映入眼帘的是風景如畫的都市風情，金燦燦的火焰照耀在河面，河水泛起蘭綠色餘光。過了晌午，黃色揮灑到馬路牆壁窗沿之後再被折射成金色，整個巴黎宛如披上華麗的盛裝；蜘蛛網狀結構的埃菲爾鐵塔雖然先前並不受人待見，如今早已成為遊客必經之地。感謝巴黎將此次英倫諸島之行籠罩在我們頭頂上的烏雲一掃而光，讓我們的生活變得豐富多彩。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2016: Seine Estuary, France(法國塞納“拖網”河口)

2016: Le Havre, the Rebuilt City of France(法國避風港市·重建之城)

2016: The Seine in Paris, France(法國巴黎·塞納“拖網”河畔)

2016: Paris, Public Arts in France(法國巴黎·公共藝術)

2016: Paris, the City of Lights in France(法國巴黎·光明之城)

2014: GHCS Camp—Chinese Chess(光華營中國像棋)

Arc de Triomphe (凱旋門)

Arc de Triomphe from Avenue Foch

(面朝福煦大街的凱旋門)

Base of Eiffel Tower Viewed from Pont d'Iéna

(從小鳥橋近觀埃菲爾鐵塔底座)

Eiffel Tower (埃菲爾鐵塔 07-18-2016)

Museum du Louvre (盧浮宮 06-13-1996)

Notre Dame de Paris Seen from the Southern Facade from the Seine 

(巴黎聖母院·塞納河南側)

Western Facade of Notre-Dame de Paris

(巴黎聖母院·西側 07-18-2016)

Portal of St-Anne, Notre-Dame de Paris (巴黎聖母院·高雅門)

Portal of the Virgin, Notre-Dame de Paris

(巴黎聖母院·聖母門)

Portal of the Virgin—Emperor Constantine & Saint-Denis Holding His Head, Flanked by Angels 

(天使護駕的聖母門—君士坦丁大帝和手拿之家頭顱的酒神)

Tympanum of the Last Judgment

(龕楣《最後的審判》 07-18-2016)

Notre-Dame's Facade Showing the Portal of the Virgin, Portal of the Last Judgment & Portal of St-Anne, Gallery of Kings 

(巴黎聖母院正門展示了聖母門、最後審判門和高雅門以及國王畫廊)

Nave, Notre-Dame de Paris (巴黎聖母院·中殿)

Rayonnant Rose Window, Notre-Dame de Paris

(巴黎聖母院· 輻射狀玫瑰花窗)

Rayonnant Rose Window, Notre-Dame de Paris

(巴黎聖母院· 輻射狀玫瑰花窗)

Organ, Notre-Dame de Paris (巴黎聖母院·管風琴)

The Life of Jesus from Childhood to Agony

(耶穌由童年走向痛苦的一生)

Altar of the Virgin of Guadalupe Chapel, Notre-Dame de Paris 

(巴黎聖母院·聖母祭壇 07-18-2016)

Chai D'adrien (水神酒館 07-18-2016)

Chez Jenny Brasserie Alsacienne 

(公平人的外域啤酒餐廳 07-18-2016)

Signpost (路標)

One More Day in Paradise (還有一天在天堂的時光)

Street Artist (街頭藝人)

Crosslinks(相關博文):

2015: Bucharest—Balkan Paris, Romania(羅馬尼亞布加勒斯特—巴爾幹的巴黎)

2013: Buenos Aires—S. American Paris, ARG(阿根廷首都—南美洲巴黎)

France(出遊法國)

Europe(歐洲掠影)

7th Grade(初中二年級)