原味人文风情：
London is situated in the southeast of England, inthe Thames Valley. Home to over eight million people,the capital of the UK has been an important financial,educational, and cultural center for hundreds ofyears. Of the many gifts England has given to theworld, none has been greater than her language andliterature. And if ever there's a city that reads like anepic saga, it's London.
伦敦位处英国东南部，泰晤士流域内。超过八百万人的家，这座英国首都数百年来一直是重要的金融、教育以及文化中心。英国带给世人的众多礼物中，没有什么比得过她的语言和文学。如果有哪座城市读起来就像一篇史诗级长篇故事，那无庸置疑是伦敦。
The story of London began in the Bronze Age, but it didn't really get going until the Romanswithdrew in the fifth century. Growing into one of the great medieval trading cities, she trulycame of age in the 11th century, when William the Conqueror built the Tower of London, whichwas to become one of England's grimmest prisons.
伦敦的故事始于青铜时代，不过真正开始是到五世纪时罗马人撤离。逐渐发展成中世纪重要的贸易城市之一，伦敦在十一世纪时真正臻于成熟，那时征服者威廉建造伦敦塔，伦敦塔后来成为英国最阴郁的监牢之一。
London is very easy to navigate around and is compact enough to explore on foot. Thisworld city is filled with iconic symbols. And one of the most easily recognizable is TowerBridge, an impressive reminder of London's rapid expansion during the Industrial Revolution.Just upriver, at the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben's reassuring chimes peal across the cityevery hour, on the hour.
伦敦逛起来很容易，而且面积够小可以用双脚探索。这座世界城市充满代表性标志。其中一个最好认的是伦敦塔桥，一座让人忆起伦敦在工业革命期间快速扩展的杰出建筑。就在上游，国会大厦那，大笨钟抚慰人心的钟声每小时准点响彻伦敦城。
Buckingham Palace, perhaps the most famous palace in the world, is the official residence ofQueen Elizabeth. It's a popular London attraction, offering tours of State Rooms and gardens.Nearby, Kensington Palace is open to the public year-round. The palace and gardens will beremembered as the home of Princess Di and Prince Charles and have recently undergone amultimillion-pound refurbishment. 白金汉宫，或许是全世界最知名的宫殿，是伊丽莎白女王的官邸。它是热门伦敦景点，提供国事厅和花园的导览。不远处，肯辛顿宫全年开放大众参观。肯辛顿宫和花园将被忆为黛安娜王妃与查尔斯王子的家，而且最近刚经历值数百万英镑的翻修。
Another legacy of England's monarchy are the Royal Parks of London. They were oncereserved as private hunting grounds for the royal family, but nowadays, they're open foreveryone to enjoy. There are eight Royal Parks, and many of them are in central London andclose to royal palaces and other historic monuments. Green Park and St. James' Park are rightnext to Buckingham Palace, Admiralty Arch, and The Mall. Hyde Park is perhaps the mostfamous, with its man-made lake, the Serpentine. And on the other side, Kensington Gardens isa beautiful, open expanse that stretches east towards Kensington Palace.
英国君主政体留下的另一个遗产是伦敦皇家公园。它们一度被留作皇室家族的私人狩猎场，但现在，它们开放给所有人共享。有八个皇家公园，其中有许多位在伦敦市中心，邻近皇宫和其它历史纪念馆。绿园和圣詹姆士公园就在白金汉宫、水师提督门和林荫路旁。海德公园可能是最有名的一个，有着人造湖「九曲湖」。另一边，肯辛顿花园是座美丽、开放的广阔园地，向东延伸至肯辛顿宫。