Prague：The Beautiful Old Homeland of Literature ...
8.Prague：The Beautiful Old Homeland of Literature 布拉格——古老美丽的文学家园
Prague is the capital of the Republic of Czech and the largest city. Prague buildings are the most changeful on the top, and the colors are very gorgeous.So it enjoys the reputation of being a"City of the Thousand Towers"，"Golden City"，known as one of Europe's most beautiful cities.
布拉格是捷克共和国的首都和最大的城市，布拉格建筑顶部变化特别丰富，并且色彩极为绚丽夺目，因而拥有“千塔之城”、“金色城市”等美称，号称欧洲最美丽的城市之一。
●Thousand Years of History of the Historic City 历史名城的千年历史
There is a legend about the origin of the name of Prague：When the architect started to build the city, he came here for reconnaissance. He met an old man sawing a wood for a threshold.The old man was so serious and careful that the architect got deeply moved by him.When the city was built up, the architect named it Prague, meaning"threshold"in German.
Prague is a city with a long history, as early as 1000 years ago, it was the political center of the kingdom of Czech. It has been for more than 700 years of history since it became the first city of the Czech Dynasty in the 13th century.It was the important economic, political and cultural center in Europe from the 13th to 15th century.In Charlie IV's reign, from 1345 to 1378，Prague became the capital of the holy empire of Rome and the kingdom of Bohemia, reached its peak period, and constructed the first university in the central, northern and eastern Europe—Charles University.From the industrial revolution to the Second World War, Prague had been one of the developed industrial city in Europe and played a decisive role to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.At that time, Prague was also a patchwork city.But after the two world wars, Prague had basically become a single city of Czech nation.During the cold war, something shocking the world had happened in Prague for a few times：the 1948 Communist Revolution, the Prague Spring in 1968 and the 1989 Velvet Revolution.On January 1，1993，Czech and Slovakia separated independently and Prague became the capital of Czech.
关于布拉格名字的由来，有这样一个传说：古时开始建设城市时，建筑师来到这里勘察，他遇见一个老人，老人正在锯木做门槛，做得异常认真、仔细，建筑师深受感动，城市建成之后，便命名为布拉格——德语“门槛”的意思。
布拉格是一座历史悠久的城市，早在1000多年前，这里就是捷克王国的政治中心，从公元13世纪成为捷克王朝的第一座王城算起，已有700多年的历史。从13世纪到15世纪是中欧重要的经济、政治和文化中心。1345～1378年，在查理四世统治时期，布拉格成为神圣罗马帝国兼波希米亚王国的京城，而达到鼎盛时期，并兴建了中欧、北欧和东欧第一所大学——查理大学。工业革命以后到第二次世界大战以前，布拉格曾属于欧洲工业较发达的城市之一，在奥匈帝国拥有举足轻重的地位。当时布拉格也曾是一个多民族混居的城市，不过经过两次世界大战之后，布拉格已经基本上成为单一捷克民族的城市。在冷战时期，布拉格又发生过数次震动世界的事件：1948年共产党执政、1968年的布拉格之春和1989年的天鹅绒革命。1993年1月1日，捷克和斯洛伐克各自独立，布拉格为捷克首都。
●The Ruins and the Art Pilgrimages of the Cultural Center 文化重镇的遗迹与艺术巡礼
Prague is the center of European culture. There emerged many outstanding people in music, literature and many other fields in the history.The composers are Mozart, Smetana, Dvorak.The writers are Franz Kafka, Javier, Milan Kundera and others.They engaged in the activities for the city.Today, the city still maintains a strong cultural atmosphere, with numerous cultural institutions such as operas, music halls, Museums, art galleries, libraries and theaters, as well as a plethora of annual cultural events.
Prague People's love and talent of music is obvious to all. The streets and alleyways are full of concert posters, showing the frequent performanceshere.The most performed track is Mozart's opera Don Juan.Mozart completed this masterpiece just in Prague, and directed the premiere personally.So Don Juan became the pride of Prague.
Prague never lacks of its own masters. The suffering of the history and the inspiration of art created a lot of litterateurs, artists and masters of architecture.They use music, architecture and poetry to express anxiety and tough spirit world.Prague holds many of the most beautiful things in the world, such as architecture, sculpture, painting, music, poetry and so on.With these, Prague has really caught hold of a soul.
布拉格是欧洲的文化重镇之一，历史上曾有音乐、文学等诸多领域众多杰出人物，如作曲家莫扎特、斯美塔那、德沃夏克，作家弗兰兹·卡夫卡、哈维尔、米兰·昆德拉等人在该城进行创作活动，今天该市仍保持了浓郁的文化气氛，拥有众多的歌剧院、音乐厅、博物馆、美术馆、图书馆、电影院等文化机构，以及层出不穷的年度文化活动。
布拉格人对音乐的热爱和才华有目共睹。布满大街小巷的音乐会海报，说明这里的音乐演出有多频繁。演出最多的曲目是莫扎特的歌剧《唐璜》。莫扎特当初正是在布拉格完成了这部杰作，并亲自指挥了首场演出。《唐璜》因此成为布拉格人的骄傲。
布拉格也不缺乏自己的大师，历史的苦难与艺术的灵感造就了一大批文学家、艺术家，以及建筑大师。他们用音乐、建筑、诗歌来表达焦虑而坚韧的精神世界。布拉格有许多人类最美好的东西，建筑、雕塑、绘画、音乐、诗歌等等。有了这些，布拉格才真正有了灵魂。
●The Historical Sights with Beautiful Surroundings 依山傍水的历史景点
Prague is a famous tourist city. The whole city of Prague is full of historical rudiments with beautiful surroundings and many historical sites.There are a lot of architectures of every historical period and of various styles.
布拉格是一座著名的旅游城市，整个布拉格依山傍水，古迹众多，到处都写满了历史的痕迹，市内拥有为数众多的各个历史时期、各种风格的建筑。
Old Town Square（Prague） 布拉格老城广场
Old Town Square is a historic square in the Old Town quarter of Prague in the Czech Republic. Located between Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge, Prague's Old Town Square is often bursting at the seams with tourists in the summer.Featuring various architectural styles including the gothic Tyn Church and baroque St.Nicholas Church, the square is an oasis for travelers wearied by Prague's narrow streets.Among many churches, tourists may find the Astronomical Clock on this square, while the tower at the Old Town Hall offers a panoramic view of Old Town shop.
The square's center is home to a statue of religious reformer Jan Hus, who for his beliefs was burned at the stake in Constance. The statue known as the Jan Hus Memorial was erected on July 6，1915 to mark the 500th anniversary of his death.
老城广场是布拉格老城区的一个历史性的广场。老城广场位于瓦茨拉夫广场和查理大桥之间，在夏季经常挤满游客。周边建筑的风格多种多样，包括哥德式建筑泰恩教堂、巴洛克风格的圣尼古拉教堂。这个广场也是被布拉格狭窄的街道所困扰的游客们的一个绿洲。游客们可以在广场上的许多教堂中，发现老市政厅外墙上著名的天文钟，而旧市政厅的塔楼则可供用来观看老城全景。
广场中央立有宗教改革先驱扬·胡斯雕像，他因自己的信仰而在康斯坦茨被火刑处死。雕像立于1915年7月6日，正值扬·胡斯逝世500周年之际。
Wenceslas Square瓦茨拉夫广场
Wenceslas Square is one of the main city squares and the center of the business and cultural communities in the New Town of Prague, Czech Republic. Many historical events occurred there, and it is a traditional setting for demonstrations, celebrations, and other public gatherings.The square is named after Saint Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia.Formerly known as Horse Market, for its periodic accommodation of horse markets during the Middle Ages, it was renamed Saint Wenceslas square in1848 on the proposal of Karel Havlicek Borovsky.
Less a square than a boulevard, Wenceslas Square has the shape of a very long rectangle, in a northwest-southeast direction. The street slopes upward to the southeast side.At that end, the street is dominated by the grand neoclassical Czech National Museum.The northwest end runs up against the border between the New Town and the Old Town.
瓦茨拉夫广场是布拉格的主要广场之一，布拉格新城的商业和文化生活的中心。在此曾经发生过许多历史事件，这也是示威、庆典和其他公共集会的传统地点。这个广场得名于波希米亚的主保圣人圣瓦茨拉夫。瓦茨拉夫广场原名马市广场，在中世纪，此处曾是马匹市场，1848年由于卡雷尔·波罗弗斯基的提议而更名为圣瓦茨拉夫广场。
瓦茨拉夫广场不太像一个广场，而是更像一条大道，其形状是一个极为狭长的长方形，呈西北-东南走向。广场的东南方地势较高，末端是雄伟的新古典主义建筑，捷克国家博物馆。其西北端则延伸到新城与旧城的边界。
The Charles Bridge 查理大桥
The Charles Bridge is a famous historic bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of the 15th century.As the only means of crossing the river Vltava until 1841，the Charles Bridge was the most important connection between Prague Castle and the city's Old Town and adjacent areas.This"solid-land"connection made Prague important as a trade route between Eastern and Western Europe.The bridge was originally called the Stone Bridge or the Prague Bridge but has been the"Charles Bridge"since 1870.
The bridge is 621 meters long and nearly 10 meters wide, resting on 16 arches shielded by ice guards. It is protected by three bridge towers, two of them on the Lesser Quarter side and the third one on the Old Town side.The Old Town bridge tower is often considered to be one of the mostastonishing civil gothic-style buildings in the world.The bridge is decorated by a continuous alley of 30 statues and statuaries, most of them baroque-style, originally erected around 1700 but now all replaced by replicas.At night Charles Bridge is a quiet place, but during the day it changes its face into a very busy venue with painters, owners of kiosks, and vendors alongside numerous tourists crossing the bridge.
查理大桥是一座跨越伏尔塔瓦河的著名的历史桥梁。它由查理四世始建于1357年，完成于15世纪初。直到1841年，作为跨越伏尔塔瓦河的唯一桥梁，查理大桥成为连接老城与布拉格城堡及邻近地区最重要的通道，也使布拉格成为东西欧之间重要的贸易通道。该桥最初称为“石桥”或“布拉格桥”，直到1870年才命名为“查理大桥”。
查理大桥长621米，宽约10米，16个桥拱，两端有3座桥塔，其中两座位于布拉格小城一侧，第三座位于布拉格老城一侧。老城桥塔经常被认为是世界上最令人惊讶的世俗哥特式建筑之一。该桥上安放有30座雕塑，其中多数为巴洛克风格，建于1700年前后，现全为复制品。在夜晚，查理大桥是一个非常宁静的地方。但是在白天，却摇身一变，成为一个繁忙的地点，无数的游客经过此桥，身旁是画家、商亭主人和其他商贩。
Zlata Ulicka 黄金巷
The Zlata Ulicka is the most famous attraction in the Prague Castle. Located near the Prague Castle, the Zlata Ulicka is a protected medieval alleyway.The whole street is quite delicate and lovable, featuring a fairy-tale appearance and soft colors.It is well received by visitors.
The Zlata Ulicka is like a small cottage in the fairy-tale. It is the most poetic street in Prague.The Zlata Ulicka was originally a dwelling place for servants and artisans.Later it got the name because of many alchemists for the kings.Then it became gradually into a slum after the 19th century.In the middle of the 20th century, a re-planning was carried out.The original premises were changed into stores.Now each store has different kinds of souvenirs and handicrafts, such as wooden toys, little tin soldiers of Prague, and hand-painted clothes.The Room 22 where Kafka had ever lived had become a lovely small bookstore, also selling the collected works of Kafka.
黄金巷是布拉格古堡最著名的景点之一，位于布拉格城堡附近，是一条受到保护的中世纪风格的小巷，整条街相当精致可爱，具有童话般的外观和柔和的色调，深受游客喜爱。
黄金巷宛如童话故事内的小巧房舍，是布拉格最诗情画意的街道。黄金巷原本是仆人工匠居住之处，后来因为聚集不少为国王炼金的术士，因而有此名称，然而在19世纪之后，逐渐变成贫民窟。20世纪中期重新规划，将原本的房舍改为小店家，现在每家商店内可看到不同种类的纪念品和手工艺品，例如木制玩具、锡制布拉格小士兵、手绘衣服。卡夫卡曾居住过的22号，目前是一家小巧可爱的书店，当然也贩售卡夫卡的作品集。