Text B Hangzhou
导 读
杭州位于中国东南沿海北部，是浙江省政治、经济、科教和文化中心，也是长江三角洲经济圈两个副中心城市之一，南翼经济、金融、物流、文化中心，中国东南重要交通枢钮。杭州历史源远流长，自秦设县治以来，已有2 200多年历史。杭州还是五代吴越国和南宋建都之地，为全国七大古都之一，具有深厚的历史文化底蕴。
A Brief introduction to Hangzhou
Consider China as a house.If Beijing is the decorated living room,where the family politely greets guests,then Hangzhou is the backyard garden where a family can really show off their home’s true beauty and where visitors can sit back and relax.
Hangzhou’s slow life tempo and beautiful natural surroundings for many centuries have made it a tourist attraction in the nation.In a new BBC documentary,Hangzhou was dubbed the “world of smiles and the city of happiness”.
Hangzhou is the capital city of East China’s Zheijiang Province,only 180 km southwest from Shanghai.As a core city of the Yangtze River Delta,Hangzhou has been one of the most prosperous cities in China for more than 1,000 years.
Marco Polo,the famous Italian traveler and merchant of the 13th century,described Hangzhou as “beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world”.
Once the capital of Southern Song Dynasty (1127—1279),Hangzhou is now a modern and vibrant leisure center of China.Luxury hotels,along with exquisite restaurants and exciting nightclubs can all be accessed in this city.Hangzhou also has a perfect combination of natural beauty and cultural relics.The famous West Lake and the surrounding mountains are located near the downtown area of Hangzhou,very conveniently reached.
Although Hangzhou has been through many phases of urbanization,the historical and cultural heritages remain.The ancient pagodas,temples and churches provide wonderful destinations for visitors who favor a journey of historical discovery.
The West Lake 西湖
Located in Hangzhou City,Zhejiang Province,the West Lake is also known as Qiantanghu Lake in ancient times and as “Xizi Lake” and “Wulin Water” currently.It was formed under the effect of silt deposition in the Qiantang River.The West Lake covers an area of 5.64 square kilometers and has a perimeter as long as approx 15 kilometers.The lake is divided by Gushan Mountain and two artificial causeways (Su Causeway and Bai Causeway) into five parts: Inner Lake,Outer Lake,Yuehu Lake,Xili Lake and Xiaonanhu Lake,all being connected by bridges.
The West Lake is surrounded by beautiful Longjing Mountain,Linshi Mountain,Nanping Mountain,Phoenix Mountain,and Lingyin Mountain,etc.They are divided into northern mountains and southern ones.The mountains jointly encircle the pearl-like West Lake,presenting an appealing scene of “A myriad of stars surround the moon”.The West Lake possesses rich cultural relics and historic sites and is endowed with touching myths and legends.In the 60 km² scenic spot cored with the West Lake scatter over 40 attractive spots and more than 30 key cultural relics and historic sites such as Lingyin Temple and Yuewang (Yue Fei) Grave Temple.Integrated with nature,humanity,history and arts,the West Lake is a famous historical culture-oriented tourist attraction in China.It has been making tourists linger on without any thought of leaving since ancient times.
With “Ten Views of the West Lake” as the representatives,scenic primes of the West Lake were selected early in the Southern Song Dynasty.They are: Spring Dawn at Su Causeway,Lotus in the Breeze at Crooked Courtyard,Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake,Melting Snow on the Broken Bridge,Orioles Singing in the Willows,Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor,Sunset Glow over Leifeng Pagoda,Twin Peaks Piercing Clouds,Evening Bell at Nanping Hill,and Three Pools Mirroring the Moon.“Spring Dawn at Su Causeway” is the most beautiful view among the ten.The over 2,000m-long Su Causeway was named in commemoration of Su Dongpo in the Song Dynasty for his achievement in regulating the West Lake.On the causeway grow peach and willow trees,with their shadows casting on the rippling lake surface and presenting attractive scenery in March.“Lotus in the Breeze at Crooked Courtyard” is featuring lotus viewing in summer.“Crooked Courtyard” was a wine workshop run by the imperial court of the Southern Song Dynasty.On the lakeshore close to the workshop grow lotuses,the fragrance of which will ravishingly flutter in breeze with the scent of alcohol in summer.In autumn,the beautiful scene of “Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake” becomes a highlight in the West Lake.“Melting Snow on the Broken Bridge” presents a marvelous scene of snow-paved lake.Situated in the eastern end of Bai Causeway,the Broken Bridge is the site of the romantic legend of “Madam White Snake and Xu Xian”.It is the most famous bridge among all bridges of various sizes in the West Lake.The “Ten New Views of the West Lake” selected by Hangzhou citizens and tourists in 1985 are also endowed with their own distinctive features and enchantments.
The West Lake scenic spot is provided with a full range of featured delicacies such as West Lake fish in Vinegar Sauce and Dongpo Pork as well as West Lake Dragon Well Tea featuring excellent color,scent,taste and shape.Also,it produces numerous special local products including silk,lotus powder,Zhang Xiaoquan scissors,silk umbrella,fan and small walnut.Therefore,it is regarded as a paradise for enjoying leisure time and sightseeing.
Xihu Longjing Tea
Xihu Longjing Tea,a famous kind of green tea in China,grows in the mountains around the Xihu Lake (West Lake) of Hangzhou,Zhejiang Province,including areas like Lion Mount,Longjing Mount,the Wuyun Mountain and Hupao.Depending on the differences of producing areas’ partial ecological environments and producing technologies,Xihu Longjing Tea can be classified into three kinds,“Lion Mount Longjing” “Meiwu Longjing” and “Xihu Longjing”,among which,the first one produced in Lion Mount is best in quality.
Xihu Longjing Tea is flat and smooth in shape,with green and yellow color and luster.In the process of making tea,when boiled water of about 80 degree Celsius is being poured into the cup,tea buds will slowly roll up,like lotuses floating on the water.The tea liquor is dark green and smells sweet and mellow.Xihu Longjing Tea is well-known around the world due to four wonders,namely,“green color,sweet smell,mellow taste and beautiful shape”.
It is very complex to produce Xihu Longjing Tea.Elaborate techniques are adopted during plucking and processing to ensure excellent quality.Longjing is not only the name of a type of tea,but is also the name of a temple and a spring.Since the water of the Longjing Spring,which is located at the northwest foot of Wenjia Mountain west of the West Lake,is clear and sweet,the Longjing Temple was built,and monks planted tea trees there,and then Longjing Tea came into being.The history of Xihu Longjing Tea may earliest date from the Tang Dynasty,during which period,the famous sage of tea Lu Yu wrote the Tea Classics,first book on tea in the world,in which the fact that tea was produced in Xihu Lake of Hangzhou was recorded.
The Qiantang River: Famous for Its Most Magnificent and Grandest Tides in China
The Qiantang River runs through Yanguan Town,Haining City,45 kilometers to the Northeast of Hangzhou City,Zhejiang Province.It originates from the border of Anhui and Jiangxi provinces,and flows to the East Sea at the Hangzhou Bay.It meanders along over 600 kilometers,including 360 kilometers in Zhejiang Province.It used to be called Zhejiang River,Lucha River or Qujiang River.
The tides of the Qiantang River are the most magnificent and grandest in China.The tide can shore as high as 8 meters,and surge forward at nearly 10 meters per second.As it rushes to the shore,it roars like thunders.The river runs to the East Sea at the Hangzhou Bay.The inside part of the bayou (only a few kilometers at least) is very narrow while the outer part can be as wide as 100 kilometers.When the seawater flows to the bayou,it suffers more restriction from the narrowing banks as it goes further to the inner part.The seawater is forced to rise higher and higher.In addition,the water of the Qiantang River is also held back as it tries to empty into the sea.Therefore,the water level is increased and an upright water wall is formed.In addition,more seawater joins together to create more water walls,stirring up one great tide after another.Such grand views can only be found in two places,one in Amazon of Brazil and the other in the Qiantang River.People are so overwhelmed by its grandeur that they call it a world wonder.The tides can be different if you take different positions.Line tide can be seen at the tower,the converging tide can be seen at Babao,and the back tide can be seen at Laoyancang.The best days to watch the tide will be around August 18 of the lunar calendar.
There are many other good scenes worthy to be seen on the riverbanks.The Liuhe Tower on Yuelun Mountain on the northern bank of the river is nearly 60 meters high and covers an area of 900 square meters.Up in the tower,you can enjoy beautiful views on every floor.Near the tower,you can find the Xiujiang Pagoda,the tower boy statue in Liuhe,the bell ring in the Liuhe,the exhibition hall of Chinese ancient towers,and others.
Words & Expressions
1.decorate['dekəreit] v.装饰；布置
2.backyard['bæk'jɑːd] n.后院；后庭
3.tempo['tempəu] n.速度；发展速度；拍子
4.delta['deltə] n.（河流的）三角洲
5.dispute[dis'pjuːt，'dis-] n.辩论；争吵
v.争论；辩论
6.nightclub['naitklʌb] n.夜总会
7.access['ækses，'æksəs，æk'ses] vt.使用；存取；接近
n.进入；使用权；通路
8.combination[，kɔmbi'neiʃən] n.结合；组合；联合
9.relic['relik] n.遗迹；遗物；废墟；纪念物
10.heritage['heritidʒ] n.遗产；传统；继承物；继承权
11.province['prɔvins] n.省；领域；职权
12.artificial[，ɑːti'fiʃəl] n.人造的；仿造的；虚伪的；非原产地的；武断的
13.prime[praim] adj.主要的；最好的；基本的
14.causeway['kɔːzwei] n.堤道；铺道
15.scenery['siːnəri] n.风景；景色；舞台布景
16.lotus['ləutəs] n.莲花；荷花；莲饰
17.lakeshore['leikʃɔː] n.湖岸
18.legend['ledʒənd] n.传奇；说明；图例；刻印文字；
19.enchantment[in'tʃɑːntmənt，en-] n.魅力；魔法；着迷；妖术
Notes
1.BBC（英国广播电视台）：The British Broadcasting Corporation （BBC） is a British public service broadcaster.Its headquarter is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster，London.It is the largest broadcaster in the world，with about 23，000 staff.Its main responsibility is to provide public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom，Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
2.the Yangtze River Delta（长江三角洲）：The Yangtze River Delta，generally comprises the triangular-shaped territory of Wu-speaking Shanghai，southern Jiangsu Province and northern Zhejiang Province of China.The area lies at the heart of the region traditionally called Jiangnan （literally，“south of the Yangtze River”）.The Yangtze river drains into the East China Sea.
3.Su Dongpo（苏东坡）：Su Shi （January 8，1037—August 24，1101），was a writer，poet，artist，calligrapher，pharmacologist，gastronome，and statesman of the Song Dynasty，and one of the major poets of the Song era.His courtesy name was Zizhan （子瞻） and his pseudonym was Dongpo Jushi （东坡居士），and he is often referred to as Su Dongpo （苏东坡）.Besides his renowned poetry，his other extant writings are of great value in the understanding of 11th century Chinese travel literature as well as details of the 11th century Chinese iron industry.
Exercises
I.Match each of the words on the left with its meaning on the right.
1.documentary a.a Buddhist temple that has several levels with a decorated roof at each level
2.capital b.full of activity or energy
3.deposition c.a film or a television or a radio program that gives detail information about a particular subject
4.vibrant d.money or property
5.Pagoda e.the natural process of depositing a substance on rocks or oil
II.Translate the following phrases into Chinese.
1.backyard garden
2.life tempo
3.be surrounded by
4.originate from
5.East Sea
III.Translate the following sentences into Chinese.
1.Hangzhou is the capital city of East China’s Zheijiang Province,only 180 km southwest from Shanghai.
2.As a core city of the Yangtze River Delta,Hangzhou has been one of the most prosperous cities in China for more than 1,000 years.
3.Although Hangzhou has been through many phases of urbanization,the historical and cultural heritages remain.
4.It originates from the border of Anhui and Jiangxi provinces and flows to the Ease Sea at the Hangzhou Bay.
5.There are many other good scenes worthy to be seen on the riverbanks.