Neuschwanstein Castle：The most Beautiful Fairyt...
36.Neuschwanstein Castle：The most Beautiful Fairytale Castle and Romantic Manor for Snow White 新天鹅堡——世界最美丽的童话城堡，白雪公主的浪漫庄园
Neuschwanstein Castle is a fairytale castle. Its name comes from the Cygnus romantic legend of medieval Knights.The White Palace shrouded in the clouds, was carved with the romantic art character of Ludwig II indulged in the fairy tale.Neuschwanstein Castle is also called Snow White Castle, a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany.The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as a homage to Richard Wagner.
新天鹅堡是一座童话城堡，它的名字来源于中世纪天鹅骑士的浪漫传说，这座笼罩在白云深处的白色宫殿，雕刻着路德维希二世那童话般浪漫的艺术性格。新天鹅堡又叫白雪公主城堡，它是一座位于德国巴伐利亚西南方菲森附近的旧天鹅堡村庄的崎岖山路上的19世纪文艺复兴罗马式建筑，这座城堡是奉巴伐利亚国王路德维希二世之命，为表示敬意而专门为理查德·瓦格纳建造的避难所。
●The Great Construction under Debt—The Mad King Loved not the Throne but the Castle 负债累累的伟大工程——疯子国王不爱江山爱城堡
Ludwig II could only think of two things, one was the castles, and the other was Wagner's music works. So he was known as the mad king.
Wagner's operas Tannhäuser and Lohengrin had made a lasting impression on him.In his heart, the blueprint had already made the castle and the natural landscape into one.He invited the theatre artist and stage designer to draw the architectural sketch, with dreamlike atmosphere, countless swans, depressed lakes, like a fairyland in the world.
The building design was drafted by the stage designer Christian Jank and realized by the architect Eduard Riedel. The whole construction project cost a considerable amount of materials and supplies.In the long construction period, the investment in technology and human resources was quite surprising.
In 1870 a society was founded for insuring the workers, for a low monthly fee, augmented by the king. The heirs of construction casualties received a small pension.
The construction costs of Neuschwanstein in the king's lifetime amounted to 6. 2 million marks, almost twice the initial cost estimate of 3.2 million marks As his private means were insufficient for his increasingly escalating construction projects, the king continuously opened new lines of credit.By 1883 he already owed 7 million marks.Therefore, Ludwig II was deemed unfit to rule the state and he was dismissed.
In 1884 the king could move into the still unfinished Palas, and in 1885，he invited his mother Marie to Neuschwanstein on the occasion of her 60th birthday. By 1886，the external structure of the Palas was mostly finished.It was opened to the paying public immediately after his death.
Neuschwanstein embodies both the contemporaneous architectural fashion known as castle romanticism, and Ludwig II's immoderate enthusiasm for the operas of Richard Wagner. The king saw both buildings as representatives of a romantic interpretation of the Middle Ages as well as the musical mythology of his friend Richard Wagner.
Despite its size, Neuschwanstein did not have space for the royal court. The court buildings served decorative, rather than residential purposes：The palace was intended to serve Ludwig II as a kind of inhabitable theatrical setting.As a temple of friendship it was also devoted to life and work of Richard Wagner.
路德维希二世只对两件事痴迷不悟，一件是城堡建设，一件是瓦格纳的音乐作品，因此被称为“疯子国王”。
瓦格纳的歌剧《唐豪瑟》和《天鹅骑士》给他留下了不可磨灭的印象。他在心中构思新天鹅堡的蓝图时，早已将城堡与天然景观合而为一。他邀请剧院画家和舞台布置者绘制了建筑草图，梦幻的气氛、无数的天鹅、沉郁的湖水，宛如人间仙境。
建筑设计的草图由剧场布景设计师克里斯蒂安·扬克设计而成，由建筑师爱德华·里德尔实施动工。整个建造工程，耗费了相当多的材料与物资，在漫长的建造期间，投入的技术与人力十分惊人。
1870年，国王成立了工人保险协会，增加了原本很少的月费。施工中伤亡人员的继承人可以得到一小笔养老金。
在国王的有生之年，新天鹅堡的建筑费高达620万马克，几乎两倍于320万马克的初始评估成本，那是他私人行为所致，他的建设项目不断升级，他的贷款额度也不断飙升。到1883年为止，他已经欠下700万马克外债。因此，路德维希二世被认为不适于统治而去位。
1884年，国王入住尚未完工的新天鹅城堡，1885年，他邀请他的母亲玛丽来堡内庆祝60岁大寿。1886年，城堡的外部结构基本竣工，不久后对公众开放。
新天鹅堡既体现了当时所谓的城堡浪漫主义的建筑风格，也体现了路德维希二世对理查德·瓦格纳歌剧的溺爱。这位国王意识到，这些建筑不仅代表了中世纪的浪漫诠释，还代表了他的朋友理查德·瓦格纳的音乐神话。
新天鹅堡尽管庞大壮丽，却没有为宫廷事务留有一席之地。与其说，宫廷建筑的装饰是为了住宅之用，还不如说：这座城堡旨在服务于路德维希二世的人类生存剧场布景。这也是一座效忠于理查德·瓦格纳的生活和艺术的友谊神殿。
●Examples of the Picturesque Paradise 如梦如幻的人间殿堂
The effect of the Neuschwanstein ensemble is highly theatrical, both externally and internally. The king's influence is apparent throughout, and he took a keen personal interest in the design and decoration.The suite of rooms within the Palas contains the Throne Room, Ludwig's suite, the Singers'Hall, and the Grotto.Throughout, the design pays homage to the German legends of Lohengrin, the Swan Knight.
新天鹅堡的外观和内部设计，其综合效果具有高度的戏剧性。国王的影响显然贯穿始终，他将对城堡的设计和装潢展示了自己浓厚的个人兴趣。城堡内部的套房包括国王宫殿、路德维希套间、歌手厅、石窟。整个设计过程都贯穿着天鹅骑士罗恩格林的德国传奇。
The Hall of the Singers 歌手厅
The largest room of the palace by area is the Hall of the Singers, followed by the Throne Hall. The 27 metres by 10 metres Hall of the Singersis located in the eastern, court-side wing of the Palas, in the fourth floor above the king's lodgings.It is designed as an amalgamation of two rooms of the Wartburg：The Hall of the Singers and the Ballroom.The rectangular room was decorated with themes from Lohengrin and Parzival.The Hall of the Singers was never designed for court festivities of the reclusive king.Rather, like the Throne Hall it served as a walkable monument in which the culture of knights and courtly love of the Middle Ages was represented.
最大的宫殿区是歌手厅，其次是国王宫殿。歌手厅长27米、宽10米，位于城堡东部的侧翼，国王起居室则设在四楼。歌手厅的歌厅和舞厅的设计创意都融入了瓦尔特堡风格。这座矩形房间的装饰主题，来源于天鹅骑士罗恩格林和圣杯英雄帕西法尔的启迪。这位隐遁的国王从来不曾在歌手厅举行宫廷庆典。歌手厅与国王宫殿一样，扮演着一座行走的纪念碑的角色，演绎着中世纪的骑士文化和宫廷爱情。
The Throne Hall 国王殿
The Throne Hall，20 metres by 12 metres, is situated in the west wing of the Palas. With its height of 13 metres it occupies the third and fourth floors.On three sides it is surrounded by colorful arcades, ending in an apse that was intended to hold Ludwig's throne-which was never completed.The throne dais is surrounded by paintings of Jesus, the Twelve Apostles and six canonized kings.The mural paintings were created by Wilhelm Hauschild.
国王宫殿，长20米、宽12米，坐落在城堡的西翼。其高度为13米，它占据了第三层和第四层。三面环绕着缤纷的商场，直至半圆形后殿，目的保住路德维希的王位——可惜尚未竣工。宫殿的四周是耶稣、十二使徒和六册封王的壁画，那是威廉·豪施尔特的杰作。
The Royal Lodging 国王起居室
The royal lodging is on the third floor of the palace in the east wing of the Palas. It consists of eight rooms with living space and several smaller rooms.The interior decoration with mural paintings, tapestry, furniture and other handicraft generally refers to the king's favorite themes：the grail legend, the works of Wolfram von Eschenbach, and their interpretation by Richard Wagner.The eastward drawing room is adorned with themes from the Lohengrin legend.The furniture-sofa, table, armchairs and seats in a northward alcove, and the dining room was adorned with themes of courtly love-is comfortable and homelike.
国王起居室在三楼的东侧。它由八个房间组成，包括生活空间和几个较小的房间。室内装饰着壁画、挂毯、家具和其他工艺品，代表着国王最喜爱的主题：圣杯的传说，德国诗人艾森巴克的作品，以及理查德·瓦格纳对这些作品的诠释。东侧起居室的装饰主题是天鹅骑士传奇。家具包括沙发、桌子、座椅和北边的壁龛牌位，餐厅装饰着典雅爱情的主题——如家一般舒适温馨。
The Servants'Rooms 仆人房
The servants'rooms in the basement of the Palas are quite scantily equipped with massive oak furniture. Besides one table and one cabinet there are two beds of 1.80 metres length each.Opaque glass windows separated the rooms from the corridor that connects the exterior stairs with the main stairs, so that the king could enter and leave unseen.
仆人房位于一楼，丰富的橡木家具装饰其中。每个房间里都设有一张桌子、一套橱柜和两张1.80米长的床。不透明的玻璃窗将房间与走廊隔开，连接着外部楼梯的主楼梯，让国王的进出远离他人的视线。
●The Secluded Dream of the Love for Sissi 情系茜茜公主的一帘幽梦
Ludwig II is the eldest son of the King of Bavaria and the Princess of Prussia. Sissi is his cousin，8 years older than him.
Together with his cousin Sissi, Ludwig II spent his childhood when his father built the Hohenschwangau castle, whose murals reflected the medieval legends and German history, deeply shocked his heart, so that he fell in love with the beautiful landscape and honest people near the castle, also fell unsuspectingly into love with his beautiful cousin Sissi.
It's a pity that the 15-year-old princess had gone to Austria as a queen. The beautiful shadow of Sissi left a profound and indelible imprint to the young prince.
Later, at the age of 18，Ludwig II became the King of bavaria. At the age of 21，he was engaged to Princess Sophie, Sissi's younger sister.
Princess Sophie was also pretty. She had a nice voice, and often sang for the king.Sophie fell in love with Ludwig II, but Ludwig II was shilly-shally.On the day before the wedding, Ludwig II Called off the engagement.
Ludwig II got immersed in the fantasy of stage plays all day. He was deeply moved by the Wagner opera and often imagined that it was the home of the legendary Princess Snow White.Then he made a decision to build a white castle, where the love stories of the knight and princess were put on stage.Just before the new castle was finished, Ludwig II hurried to settled down into it. Princess Sissi sent him a porcelain Swan as a gift, and he named it Neuschwanstein Castle.
Just before the completion od the castle, Ludwig II died at an early age of 41.
At the funeral of Ludwig II, Sissi got fainted before the coffin. When she opened his eyes again to talk, she insisted on bringing out the king from the coffin.she said that the king did not die, only to get eternal peace.
The fantastic charm of the tragic story added a bit sentimental and romantic atmosphere to the fairytale castle.
路德维希二世是巴伐利亚国王和普鲁士王室公主的长子。茜茜公主是路德维希二世的表姐，比他大8岁。
路德维希二世的童年是与他美丽的表姐茜茜公主一起，在他父亲修建的旧天鹅城堡中度过的，城堡中反映中世纪的传说和德意志历史的壁画，深深震撼着他的心灵，他爱上了城堡附近的秀丽的山水和淳朴的人民，也懵懵懂懂地爱上茜茜公主。
可惜的是，茜茜公主15岁就嫁到奥地利当王后去了。茜茜公主的美丽倩影留给了年轻的王子深刻难以磨灭的印记。
后来，18岁时，路德维希二世登基成为巴伐利亚的国王。21岁时，和茜茜公主的妹妹索菲公主订婚。
索菲公主长得也很漂亮，而且有一副美妙的歌喉，常常为国王演唱。索菲公主爱上了路德维希二世，但路德维希二世却犹豫不决。就在婚礼前的那天，路德维希二世取消了婚约。
路德维希二世整天沉醉于舞台剧的幻想之中。他被瓦格纳歌剧深深打动，经常幻想那传说中的白雪公主的家园，决定修建一座白色的童话城堡，在那里演绎骑士和公主的爱情故事。后来，新城堡尚未完工，路德维希二世就入住了，茜茜公主送了一只瓷制的天鹅表示祝贺，于是，他就将此城堡命名为新天鹅堡。
就在城堡即将竣工之际，路德维希二世却英年早逝，享年41岁。
在路德维希二世的葬礼上，茜茜公主在灵柩前晕倒了。当她再次睁开眼睛、可以说话的时候，她坚决要求把国王从棺木中取出来，她说，国王根本就没有死，只是为了得到永远的安宁。
路德维希二世悲剧故事的梦幻魅力，更为这座童话城堡增添了几分感伤而又浪漫的氛围。