Bali is so picturesque（图画般的美丽） that you could be fooled into thinking it was a painted backdrop（背景幕）： rice paddies（稻田，水田）trip down hillsides like giant steps， volcanoes soar through the clouds and the forests are lush（苍翠繁茂的）and tropical.
But the postcard paradise gloss（这里指景象） has been manufactured and polished by the international tourist industry rather than by the Balinese themselves - who don't even have a word for paradise in their language - and it pays scant （极少的）regard to the economic reality of life on Bali， which is still recovering from Indonesia's economic crisis and the collapsing currency.
Just considering the weather， the cooler dry season from April to October is the best time to visit Bali. The rest of the year is more humid， more cloudy and has more rainstorms， but you can still enjoy a holiday.
Balinese festivals， holidays and special celebrations occur all the time， so don't worry about timing your visit to coincide with local events.
The following are the major attractions in Bali.
Including the two beach sites of Kuta and Legian， this area is a major resort for travelers， offering cheap accommodation， Western food， great shopping， surf（冲浪运动）， sunsets and riotous nightlife.
The capital of Bali has been the focus of much of the growth and wealth on the island over the last quarter of a century. It now has all the bustle（繁忙）and confusion one associates with （与……联想起来）the fast-growing cities of Asia. While the traffic， noise and pollution make it a difficult city to relish （欣赏，品味）， Denpasar still retains pleasant， tree-lined streets and gardens and is very much part of the 'real' Bali.
The Bali Museum consists of an attractive series of separate buildings， including examples of both palace and temple architecture. The exhibits themselves are not always well presented， but there are enough arts and crafts and everyday items displayed to make it worthwhile.
Situated in the hills 20km （13mi） north of Denpasar， Ubud is the cultural centre of Bali. Extensive development in recent years has meant that Ubud has engulfed（吞没） a number of nearby villages， although these have retained their distinct identities.
In Ubud itself， the Puri Lukisan Museum displays fine examples of all schools of Balinese art in a beautiful garden setting. There are several other quality galleries such as Museum Neka， which features（以……为特色）work of some Western artists who have painted in Bali， and Agung Rai Gallery， a commercial operation which also houses a small， but important， permanent collection. Ubud is a good place to see Balinese dancing and hear Balinese music.
2008年2月1日星期五
Philadelphia (U.S.)
Although it's dear to the hearts of America's flag-wavers， there's a lot more to Philly（费城）than the Liberty Bell（自由钟）and Independence Hall（独立大厅）。 Yet， despite the support of patriots and the cappuccino（卡普齐诺咖啡）set， the 'City of Brotherly Love'（博爱之城）has long been the butt of jokes by WC Fields and other laugh-a-minute types.
When the insults finally soaked in - just in time for America's bicentennial（两百周年纪念）in 1976 - the city began renovating（重修）。 Philadelphia now enjoys recognition as a major cultural center with world-class museums， performing arts centers and some stunning（极好的）architecture.
In March 1681， England's King Charles II granted William Penn a charter to a parcel of land west of the Delaware River（特拉华河）。 Charles dubbed the area 'Penn' in honor of William's father， with Penn the Younger adding '-sylvania，' meaning 'woodlands.' Brimming with pacifist Quaker idealism， Penn regarded his colony as a 'holy experiment' and ensured as its governor and proprietor that its laws respected religious freedom and liberal government. Penn chose Philadelphia as the capital of Pennsylvania in 1682， optimistically naming it after the Greek for 'brotherly love.' A survivor of London's Great Fire of 1666， he made sure the city's design included a grid system with wide streets， not the narrow， winding maze that caused so much havoc in England's capital. This format was to become the inspiration for most American cities.
Philadelphia quickly grew to become the second largest city （after London） in the British empire， before ceding （让于）that title to New York City. Opposition to British policy in the colonies became seated in the city， where colonial leaders would meet to plan their course of action. The result was the Declaration of Independence， and in 1790 Philadelphia became the temporary capital of the new United States before Washington DC got the job in 1800. The US Constitution was drawn up and first read here in 1786. Often led by the multitalented Benjamin Franklin， Philadelphia became a center for developments in the world of arts and science.
Between 1793 and 1820， Philadelphia suffered five yellow-fever epidemics（黄热病）， which killed thousands but led to the construction of the US's first city water system. Philadelphia's fortunes declined in the 19th century， as New York took over as the nation's cultural， commercial and industrial center. Philly never regained the stature of its early years， despite continued cultural and educational innovation， commerce and shipbuilding， and a brief boomlet（略微繁荣）following WWII.
During the mid-20th century， like many American cities， Philadelphia watched much of its middle class forsake the city for the suburbs. The 1970s saw Philly grapple with innercity tensions， typified by the firefights between the police and the paramilitary MOVE group. However， by 1976， lavish plans for the nation's bicentennial had inspired a citywide cleanup and renovation campaign - a restoration that continues today - and the city is now consistently rated among the nation's 'best' in national polls of lifestyle and character.
When the insults finally soaked in - just in time for America's bicentennial（两百周年纪念）in 1976 - the city began renovating（重修）。 Philadelphia now enjoys recognition as a major cultural center with world-class museums， performing arts centers and some stunning（极好的）architecture.
In March 1681， England's King Charles II granted William Penn a charter to a parcel of land west of the Delaware River（特拉华河）。 Charles dubbed the area 'Penn' in honor of William's father， with Penn the Younger adding '-sylvania，' meaning 'woodlands.' Brimming with pacifist Quaker idealism， Penn regarded his colony as a 'holy experiment' and ensured as its governor and proprietor that its laws respected religious freedom and liberal government. Penn chose Philadelphia as the capital of Pennsylvania in 1682， optimistically naming it after the Greek for 'brotherly love.' A survivor of London's Great Fire of 1666， he made sure the city's design included a grid system with wide streets， not the narrow， winding maze that caused so much havoc in England's capital. This format was to become the inspiration for most American cities.
Philadelphia quickly grew to become the second largest city （after London） in the British empire， before ceding （让于）that title to New York City. Opposition to British policy in the colonies became seated in the city， where colonial leaders would meet to plan their course of action. The result was the Declaration of Independence， and in 1790 Philadelphia became the temporary capital of the new United States before Washington DC got the job in 1800. The US Constitution was drawn up and first read here in 1786. Often led by the multitalented Benjamin Franklin， Philadelphia became a center for developments in the world of arts and science.
Between 1793 and 1820， Philadelphia suffered five yellow-fever epidemics（黄热病）， which killed thousands but led to the construction of the US's first city water system. Philadelphia's fortunes declined in the 19th century， as New York took over as the nation's cultural， commercial and industrial center. Philly never regained the stature of its early years， despite continued cultural and educational innovation， commerce and shipbuilding， and a brief boomlet（略微繁荣）following WWII.
During the mid-20th century， like many American cities， Philadelphia watched much of its middle class forsake the city for the suburbs. The 1970s saw Philly grapple with innercity tensions， typified by the firefights between the police and the paramilitary MOVE group. However， by 1976， lavish plans for the nation's bicentennial had inspired a citywide cleanup and renovation campaign - a restoration that continues today - and the city is now consistently rated among the nation's 'best' in national polls of lifestyle and character.
Boston (U.S.)
Calling this quaint and charming city the 'Athens of America' might seem a bit braggadocio（自夸）， but the city's 19th-century glory radiates through its grand architecture， its population of literati（文人）， artists and educators and its world-renowned academic and cultural institutions.
Disastrous 'urban renewal'（城市重建）in the 1950s provoked such a furious backlash that Boston now has some of the best preserved historic buildings and neighbourhoods in the country. Compact， walkable， historic and clean， the city blends old-world beauty and modern convenience.
Boston is on a small peninsula in the middle of Massachusetts' Atlantic Coast， a little over 320km northeast of New York City. Most of the city's sights are contained in less than 8 sq km. Cambridge （home of Harvard and MIT） is a short drive or subway ride north across the Charles River.
Called Trimountain （from its three hills） in its earliest days， Boston took its permanent name from the English town. The vanguard（先驱）of English settlers， led by Reverend William Blaxton， arrived in 1624 - less than four years after the Pilgrims arrived in nearby Plymouth（普利茅斯）。
The colony of Massachusetts Bay was established six years later in 1630 when the elder John Winthrop， official representative of the Massachusetts Bay Company， took up residence. From the beginning this was the centre of Puritan culture and life in the New World.
Puritanism was intellectual and theocratic， and so the leading men and women of early Boston society were those who understood and followed Biblical law - and could explain in powerful rhetoric why they did. Thus it comes as no surprise that the Boston Public Latin School was established in 1635 （and continues as an elite public high school today）。 A year later， Harvard College （now Harvard University） was founded in neighbouring Cambridge. By 1653 Boston had a public library as well， and by 1704 the Thirteen Colonies' first newspaper， the News-Letter.
Though the New England coast had many excellent natural ports. Boston was blessed by geography with the best of all. By the early 1700s it was well on its way to being what it remains today： New England's largest and most important city.
As the chief city in the region， it drew London's attention. When King George III and Parliament chose to burden the colonies with taxation without representation， the taxes were first levied（征收）in Boston. When resistance surfaced， it was in Boston. The Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party were signal events in the development of revolutionary sentiments， and the Battle of Bunker Hill solidified colonial resolve to declare independence from the British crown.
Following the Revolutionary War， Boston suffered economically as the British government cut off American ships' access to other ports in the British Empire. But as new trading relationships developed， Boston entered a commercial and industrial boom which lasted from the late 1700s until the mid-1800s. Fortunes were made in shipbuilding， maritime trade and manufacturing textiles and shoes. Chartered as a city in 1822， Boston's Beacon Hill was soon crowned with fine mansions built by the leading families， and Back Bay was filled in to make room for more.
These same prominent families also patronised arts and culture heavily. Though conservative and traditionalist in their general outlook， Bostonians were firm believers in American ideals of freedom and firm supporters of the abolition of slavery and the activities of the Underground Railroad.
As the 19th century drew to a close Boston's prominence was challenged by the growth of other port cities and the westward expansion of the national borders， and New England's economic boom turned into a bust when the textile and shoe factories moved to cheaper labour markets in the South.
In the 20th century the city became more culturally diverse than ever before. The city's ethnic and economic profile had already been significantly altered by the 19th-century arrival of thousands of Irish immigrants， driven from home by devastating potato famines. The cultural mix grew more diverse with 20th century arrivals from Italy， the Ottoman Empire and Portugal.
Economically， Boston became more of a satellite than a hub， although it remained a prominent centre for medical education， treatment and research， and USA's premiere university centre. Many graduates choose to remain in the Boston area， which has helped fuel a local booming commerce in computer research， development and manufacturing.
For all its ties to the past， Boston has always looked forward. The new millennium saw Boston entering a renaissance， thanks to the near-completion of the 'Big Dig' - an ambitious public works project to place the Central Expressway underground. Wealthy young professionals are moving back to the city in droves and， since the demise of rent control in the mid-1990s， they are the only ones who can reasonably afford to live there！ Affluent and comfortable， Boston remains at the centre of US intellectual life.
Disastrous 'urban renewal'（城市重建）in the 1950s provoked such a furious backlash that Boston now has some of the best preserved historic buildings and neighbourhoods in the country. Compact， walkable， historic and clean， the city blends old-world beauty and modern convenience.
Boston is on a small peninsula in the middle of Massachusetts' Atlantic Coast， a little over 320km northeast of New York City. Most of the city's sights are contained in less than 8 sq km. Cambridge （home of Harvard and MIT） is a short drive or subway ride north across the Charles River.
Called Trimountain （from its three hills） in its earliest days， Boston took its permanent name from the English town. The vanguard（先驱）of English settlers， led by Reverend William Blaxton， arrived in 1624 - less than four years after the Pilgrims arrived in nearby Plymouth（普利茅斯）。
The colony of Massachusetts Bay was established six years later in 1630 when the elder John Winthrop， official representative of the Massachusetts Bay Company， took up residence. From the beginning this was the centre of Puritan culture and life in the New World.
Puritanism was intellectual and theocratic， and so the leading men and women of early Boston society were those who understood and followed Biblical law - and could explain in powerful rhetoric why they did. Thus it comes as no surprise that the Boston Public Latin School was established in 1635 （and continues as an elite public high school today）。 A year later， Harvard College （now Harvard University） was founded in neighbouring Cambridge. By 1653 Boston had a public library as well， and by 1704 the Thirteen Colonies' first newspaper， the News-Letter.
Though the New England coast had many excellent natural ports. Boston was blessed by geography with the best of all. By the early 1700s it was well on its way to being what it remains today： New England's largest and most important city.
As the chief city in the region， it drew London's attention. When King George III and Parliament chose to burden the colonies with taxation without representation， the taxes were first levied（征收）in Boston. When resistance surfaced， it was in Boston. The Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party were signal events in the development of revolutionary sentiments， and the Battle of Bunker Hill solidified colonial resolve to declare independence from the British crown.
Following the Revolutionary War， Boston suffered economically as the British government cut off American ships' access to other ports in the British Empire. But as new trading relationships developed， Boston entered a commercial and industrial boom which lasted from the late 1700s until the mid-1800s. Fortunes were made in shipbuilding， maritime trade and manufacturing textiles and shoes. Chartered as a city in 1822， Boston's Beacon Hill was soon crowned with fine mansions built by the leading families， and Back Bay was filled in to make room for more.
These same prominent families also patronised arts and culture heavily. Though conservative and traditionalist in their general outlook， Bostonians were firm believers in American ideals of freedom and firm supporters of the abolition of slavery and the activities of the Underground Railroad.
As the 19th century drew to a close Boston's prominence was challenged by the growth of other port cities and the westward expansion of the national borders， and New England's economic boom turned into a bust when the textile and shoe factories moved to cheaper labour markets in the South.
In the 20th century the city became more culturally diverse than ever before. The city's ethnic and economic profile had already been significantly altered by the 19th-century arrival of thousands of Irish immigrants， driven from home by devastating potato famines. The cultural mix grew more diverse with 20th century arrivals from Italy， the Ottoman Empire and Portugal.
Economically， Boston became more of a satellite than a hub， although it remained a prominent centre for medical education， treatment and research， and USA's premiere university centre. Many graduates choose to remain in the Boston area， which has helped fuel a local booming commerce in computer research， development and manufacturing.
For all its ties to the past， Boston has always looked forward. The new millennium saw Boston entering a renaissance， thanks to the near-completion of the 'Big Dig' - an ambitious public works project to place the Central Expressway underground. Wealthy young professionals are moving back to the city in droves and， since the demise of rent control in the mid-1990s， they are the only ones who can reasonably afford to live there！ Affluent and comfortable， Boston remains at the centre of US intellectual life.
Miami (U.S.)
It used to be called 'God's Waiting Room'. And even today， if you mention Miami to someone who hasn't been here or read about it lately， they might conjure up（回忆）a blurry memory of octogenarians（八十多岁）mingling poolside（游泳池边）while Aunt Sadie implored them to wait half an hour after eating before going into the water. Today the old folks mingle with fashion designers， bikini（比基尼泳装）models， and a city that once had the highest murder rate in the US attracts more than 11 million tourists a year.
The Greater Miami Area， which includes Miami and Miami Beach as well as distinctive neighborhoods like Little Havana and Little Haiti， is a melting pot that America's founding fathers would be proud of. Half of Miami's population is Hispanic（美籍西班牙人）， and its immigrant communities focus on what's happening in Havana or Caracas（加拉加斯，委内瑞拉首都）as much as they follow events in Washington DC， giving the city an international outlook. For the casual visitor this means a city peppered with the flavors of Latin American food， language， music， politics and spirit.
Miami is the most populated city in Florida. It sits at the southeastern tip of the Florida， the most southeastern state of the United States， bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east， the Gulf of Mexico to the west and the neighboring states of Alabama and Georgia to the north.
Most visitors aren't here for Miami itself， but rather to visit Miami Beach， an entirely separate municipality. Miami is on the mainland， while the city of Miami Beach is on a thin barrier island about 4 miles east， across Biscayne Bay（比斯坎湾） - locals call it the Billion Dollar Sandbar（十亿美元的沙坝）。 Many of the beach's locals are imports from New York， people tired of sitting through five hours of snarled traffic on their way to the Hamptons， who decided that Miami Beach made a lot more sense. They brought with them a fledgling art and culture crowd whose numbers included many younger artists.
The boundaries of 'season' in Miami - which used to be limited to winter - have been blurred by the huge number of people moving to the area and the stampede（蜂拥）of fashion and film shoots. But the most popular time to come here is still between December and May， when temperatures average between 16-30°C， and average rainfall is a scant couple of inches.
The Greater Miami Area， which includes Miami and Miami Beach as well as distinctive neighborhoods like Little Havana and Little Haiti， is a melting pot that America's founding fathers would be proud of. Half of Miami's population is Hispanic（美籍西班牙人）， and its immigrant communities focus on what's happening in Havana or Caracas（加拉加斯，委内瑞拉首都）as much as they follow events in Washington DC， giving the city an international outlook. For the casual visitor this means a city peppered with the flavors of Latin American food， language， music， politics and spirit.
Miami is the most populated city in Florida. It sits at the southeastern tip of the Florida， the most southeastern state of the United States， bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east， the Gulf of Mexico to the west and the neighboring states of Alabama and Georgia to the north.
Most visitors aren't here for Miami itself， but rather to visit Miami Beach， an entirely separate municipality. Miami is on the mainland， while the city of Miami Beach is on a thin barrier island about 4 miles east， across Biscayne Bay（比斯坎湾） - locals call it the Billion Dollar Sandbar（十亿美元的沙坝）。 Many of the beach's locals are imports from New York， people tired of sitting through five hours of snarled traffic on their way to the Hamptons， who decided that Miami Beach made a lot more sense. They brought with them a fledgling art and culture crowd whose numbers included many younger artists.
The boundaries of 'season' in Miami - which used to be limited to winter - have been blurred by the huge number of people moving to the area and the stampede（蜂拥）of fashion and film shoots. But the most popular time to come here is still between December and May， when temperatures average between 16-30°C， and average rainfall is a scant couple of inches.
San Francisco (U.S.)
Even people who hate the USA love San Francisco. It has an atmosphere of genteel （彬彬有礼的；有教养的）chic（高尚、别致） mixed with offbeat（不跟随时尚主流的；非传统的；特异的）innovation， and a selfeffacing（自我谦逊的）quality so blatantly missing from New York and LA.
One of the USA's most attractive cities， San Francisco's hilly streets provide some gorgeous glimpses of the San Francisco Bay and its famous bridges. This is a mosaic（马赛克式的东西）of a city， a big picture made from the colorful tiles of bustling Chinatown， gay Castro （旧金山一著名同性恋社区）and faux-hemian（法语词，故意表现得质朴童稚的）North Beach.
San Francisco covers the tip of a 30mi （50km） peninsula （半岛） in Northern California， with the Pacific Ocean on its western side and the San Francisco Bay to the north and east. San Francisco is just one of many cities in the Bay Area； others include Oakland （east across the Bay Bridge）， Berkeley （just north of Oakland） and San Jose （an hour's drive southeast of San Francisco， near the southern tip of the bay）。 Marin County and the Wine Country lie to the north， across the Golden Gate Bridge.
The most touristed part of the city resembles a slice of pie， with Van Ness Ave and Market St making the two sides and the Embarcadero the round edge of the pie. The steaming toppings of this homebaked slice are the classy shops around Union Square， the highrise Financial District， the classy Civic Center， the down-and-out but up-and-coming Tenderloin， swanky（华丽的） Nob Hill and Russian Hill， Chinatown， North Beach and the epicenter of tourist kitsch， Fisherman's Wharf（渔人码头）。 To the south of Market St lies SoMa， an upwardly mobile warehouse zone of clubs and bars that fades in the southwest into the Mission - the city's Latino quarter - and then the Castro， the center of gay life.
Making a circuit of the 49-Mile Drive is a good way to check out almost all of the city's highlights（最有意思或精彩的部分）。 The route is well posted with instantly recognizable seagull signs， but a map and an alert navigator are essential. Do yourself a favor and allow a whole day to complete the circuit.
Greyhound is the only regular long-distance bus company operating to the city - all bus services arrive and depart at the Transbay Terminal in SoMa. Amtrak's rail network connects the Bay Area with the rest of the continental US and Canada. Its main stations are in Oakland and Emeryville， both in the East Bay. Caltrain links San Francisco with the peninsula and San Jose； its depot is in SoMa.
One of the USA's most attractive cities， San Francisco's hilly streets provide some gorgeous glimpses of the San Francisco Bay and its famous bridges. This is a mosaic（马赛克式的东西）of a city， a big picture made from the colorful tiles of bustling Chinatown， gay Castro （旧金山一著名同性恋社区）and faux-hemian（法语词，故意表现得质朴童稚的）North Beach.
San Francisco covers the tip of a 30mi （50km） peninsula （半岛） in Northern California， with the Pacific Ocean on its western side and the San Francisco Bay to the north and east. San Francisco is just one of many cities in the Bay Area； others include Oakland （east across the Bay Bridge）， Berkeley （just north of Oakland） and San Jose （an hour's drive southeast of San Francisco， near the southern tip of the bay）。 Marin County and the Wine Country lie to the north， across the Golden Gate Bridge.
The most touristed part of the city resembles a slice of pie， with Van Ness Ave and Market St making the two sides and the Embarcadero the round edge of the pie. The steaming toppings of this homebaked slice are the classy shops around Union Square， the highrise Financial District， the classy Civic Center， the down-and-out but up-and-coming Tenderloin， swanky（华丽的） Nob Hill and Russian Hill， Chinatown， North Beach and the epicenter of tourist kitsch， Fisherman's Wharf（渔人码头）。 To the south of Market St lies SoMa， an upwardly mobile warehouse zone of clubs and bars that fades in the southwest into the Mission - the city's Latino quarter - and then the Castro， the center of gay life.
Making a circuit of the 49-Mile Drive is a good way to check out almost all of the city's highlights（最有意思或精彩的部分）。 The route is well posted with instantly recognizable seagull signs， but a map and an alert navigator are essential. Do yourself a favor and allow a whole day to complete the circuit.
Greyhound is the only regular long-distance bus company operating to the city - all bus services arrive and depart at the Transbay Terminal in SoMa. Amtrak's rail network connects the Bay Area with the rest of the continental US and Canada. Its main stations are in Oakland and Emeryville， both in the East Bay. Caltrain links San Francisco with the peninsula and San Jose； its depot is in SoMa.
Phoenix (US)
Like the phoenix of ancient mythology， Arizona's capital city of Phoenix rose from its own ashes——in this case， the ruins of an ancient Indian village. The name Phoenix， given to the city by an early settler from Britain， has proven apt. Rising from the dust of the desert， this city has become one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country.
Though the city has had its economic ups and downs， the Phoenix metropolitan area， often referred to as the Valley of the Sun， is currently booming. The Camelback Corridor， which leads through north-central Phoenix， has become the heartland of the city and shiny glass office towers keep pushing up toward the desert sky. This burgeoning（增长迅速的，发展很快的）stretch of road has also become a corridor of upscale（高档的）restaurants and shopping plazas（市场；购物中心）， anchored （原意是抛锚使船停泊，使固定） by the Biltmore Fashion Park， the city's temple of high-end consumerism. Today Phoenicians are flocking to （涌向）this area both for work and play.
Even downtown Phoenix， long abandoned as simply a place to work， is taking on a radically new look of late. Two new museums——the Phoenix Museum of History and the Arizona Science Center——have been built adjacent to（邻近）historic Heritage Square， and the Phoenix Museum of Art has undergone a major renovation and expansion. However， the biggest project in downtown Phoenix in recent years was the construction of the Bank One Ballpark， a covered baseball stadium with a retractable（可来回收缩的）roof.
Throughout the metropolitan area the population is growing at such a rapid pace that an alarm has been raised： Slow down before we become another Los Angeles！ Why the phenomenal growth？ In large part it's due to the climate. More than 300 days of sunshine a year is a powerful attraction. Sure， summers are hot， but the mountains——and cooler air——are only 2 hours away. And it's in the winter that the Valley of the Sun truly shines. While most of the country is frozen solid， the valley is sunny and warm. This great winter climate has helped make this area the resort（常去的休闲度假之处）capital of the United States.
Golf and tennis are only the tip of the iceberg （so to speak）。 With the cooler winter weather comes the cultural season， and between Phoenix and the neighboring cities of Scottsdale， Tempe， and Mesa， there's an impressive array of（一系列；大量）music， dance， and theater to be enjoyed. Scottsdale is also well known as a center of the visual arts， ranking only behind New York and Santa Fe in its concentration of art galleries.
Over the years， Phoenix has both enjoyed the benefits and suffered the problems of rapid urban growth. It has gone from tiny agricultural village to sprawling（迅速拓展的）cosmopolitan metropolis in little more than a century. Along the way it has lost its past amid urban sprawl and unchecked development； at the same time， it has forged a city that's quintessentially（典型地，标准地）20th-century American. Shopping malls， the gathering places of America， are raised to an art form in Phoenix. Luxurious resorts create fantasy worlds of waterfalls and swimming pools. Wide boulevards（大马路）stretch（延伸）for miles across land that was once desert but has been made green through irrigation. Perhaps it's this willingness to create a new world on top of an old one that attracts people to Phoenix. Then again， maybe it's just all that sunshine.
Though the city has had its economic ups and downs， the Phoenix metropolitan area， often referred to as the Valley of the Sun， is currently booming. The Camelback Corridor， which leads through north-central Phoenix， has become the heartland of the city and shiny glass office towers keep pushing up toward the desert sky. This burgeoning（增长迅速的，发展很快的）stretch of road has also become a corridor of upscale（高档的）restaurants and shopping plazas（市场；购物中心）， anchored （原意是抛锚使船停泊，使固定） by the Biltmore Fashion Park， the city's temple of high-end consumerism. Today Phoenicians are flocking to （涌向）this area both for work and play.
Even downtown Phoenix， long abandoned as simply a place to work， is taking on a radically new look of late. Two new museums——the Phoenix Museum of History and the Arizona Science Center——have been built adjacent to（邻近）historic Heritage Square， and the Phoenix Museum of Art has undergone a major renovation and expansion. However， the biggest project in downtown Phoenix in recent years was the construction of the Bank One Ballpark， a covered baseball stadium with a retractable（可来回收缩的）roof.
Throughout the metropolitan area the population is growing at such a rapid pace that an alarm has been raised： Slow down before we become another Los Angeles！ Why the phenomenal growth？ In large part it's due to the climate. More than 300 days of sunshine a year is a powerful attraction. Sure， summers are hot， but the mountains——and cooler air——are only 2 hours away. And it's in the winter that the Valley of the Sun truly shines. While most of the country is frozen solid， the valley is sunny and warm. This great winter climate has helped make this area the resort（常去的休闲度假之处）capital of the United States.
Golf and tennis are only the tip of the iceberg （so to speak）。 With the cooler winter weather comes the cultural season， and between Phoenix and the neighboring cities of Scottsdale， Tempe， and Mesa， there's an impressive array of（一系列；大量）music， dance， and theater to be enjoyed. Scottsdale is also well known as a center of the visual arts， ranking only behind New York and Santa Fe in its concentration of art galleries.
Over the years， Phoenix has both enjoyed the benefits and suffered the problems of rapid urban growth. It has gone from tiny agricultural village to sprawling（迅速拓展的）cosmopolitan metropolis in little more than a century. Along the way it has lost its past amid urban sprawl and unchecked development； at the same time， it has forged a city that's quintessentially（典型地，标准地）20th-century American. Shopping malls， the gathering places of America， are raised to an art form in Phoenix. Luxurious resorts create fantasy worlds of waterfalls and swimming pools. Wide boulevards（大马路）stretch（延伸）for miles across land that was once desert but has been made green through irrigation. Perhaps it's this willingness to create a new world on top of an old one that attracts people to Phoenix. Then again， maybe it's just all that sunshine.
Nashville (US)
Admit it - as LA is to long-haired rockers and Chicago is to steamy blues - when you think Nashville， you've got country music on your mind. And why not？ As the self-proclaimed 'Country Music Capital of the World，' Nashville revels in its down-home glamour. Banners and billboards announce new recording stars and releases like accolades （称赞；盛赞）in a high school yearbook， and streets bear the names of country legends like Roy Acuff and Chet Atkins. Music City （as Nashville's promoters like to call it） has even caught the attention of non-country singers - from Joan Baez to Jello Biafra - though their reviews have not always been favorable. Still， for a city that's staked（本意为把…押下打赌，拿……冒险） it's reputation on its trademark sound， there's no doubt about it - Nashville's tune is catchy.
Straddling the Cumberland River in northern central Tennessee， Nashville lies midway between the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. From the state capitol - the city's highest point - a busy， compact downtown of narrow one-way streets and high-rise office buildings slopes eastward to Broadway， Nashville's central artery. Southeast of the capitol along 2nd Ave and Broadway， the renovation of historic commercial buildings has carved a downtown tourist destination called 'the District.' Music Row， the other main commercial district， is less than a mile southwest of downtown.
Record shop named after the famous country singer
In the rest of sprawling Nashville， it's hard to pinpoint（准确地确定）what constitutes a neighborhood， but a few are easily discernible（可识别的）。 Elliston Place is a compact stretch of bohemian alternative culture about a mile west of downtown and north of West End Ave. South of this is the Vanderbilt University campus. East of Elliston Place and abutting（邻接；毗连） the university， Centennial Park is the site of the mock（仿制品）Parthenon leftover from the Centennial Exposition of 1897. This whole area is known as West End， and it centers on a cluster of restaurants along Broadway and West End Ave on either side of the university； you might also hear it referred to as 'Around Vanderbilt.'
Many tourists never set foot in downtown Nashville， confining their visit to the massive Opryland complex a few miles northeast of town. Here， the prefabricated（预先制造；预先构思） Music Valley boasts budget motels， franchise restaurants and outlet stores.
Straddling the Cumberland River in northern central Tennessee， Nashville lies midway between the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. From the state capitol - the city's highest point - a busy， compact downtown of narrow one-way streets and high-rise office buildings slopes eastward to Broadway， Nashville's central artery. Southeast of the capitol along 2nd Ave and Broadway， the renovation of historic commercial buildings has carved a downtown tourist destination called 'the District.' Music Row， the other main commercial district， is less than a mile southwest of downtown.
Record shop named after the famous country singer
In the rest of sprawling Nashville， it's hard to pinpoint（准确地确定）what constitutes a neighborhood， but a few are easily discernible（可识别的）。 Elliston Place is a compact stretch of bohemian alternative culture about a mile west of downtown and north of West End Ave. South of this is the Vanderbilt University campus. East of Elliston Place and abutting（邻接；毗连） the university， Centennial Park is the site of the mock（仿制品）Parthenon leftover from the Centennial Exposition of 1897. This whole area is known as West End， and it centers on a cluster of restaurants along Broadway and West End Ave on either side of the university； you might also hear it referred to as 'Around Vanderbilt.'
Many tourists never set foot in downtown Nashville， confining their visit to the massive Opryland complex a few miles northeast of town. Here， the prefabricated（预先制造；预先构思） Music Valley boasts budget motels， franchise restaurants and outlet stores.
Nashville (US)
Admit it - as LA is to long-haired rockers and Chicago is to steamy blues - when you think Nashville， you've got country music on your mind. And why not？ As the self-proclaimed 'Country Music Capital of the World，' Nashville revels in its down-home glamour. Banners and billboards announce new recording stars and releases like accolades （称赞；盛赞）in a high school yearbook， and streets bear the names of country legends like Roy Acuff and Chet Atkins. Music City （as Nashville's promoters like to call it） has even caught the attention of non-country singers - from Joan Baez to Jello Biafra - though their reviews have not always been favorable. Still， for a city that's staked（本意为把…押下打赌，拿……冒险） it's reputation on its trademark sound， there's no doubt about it - Nashville's tune is catchy.
Straddling the Cumberland River in northern central Tennessee， Nashville lies midway between the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. From the state capitol - the city's highest point - a busy， compact downtown of narrow one-way streets and high-rise office buildings slopes eastward to Broadway， Nashville's central artery. Southeast of the capitol along 2nd Ave and Broadway， the renovation of historic commercial buildings has carved a downtown tourist destination called 'the District.' Music Row， the other main commercial district， is less than a mile southwest of downtown.
Record shop named after the famous country singer
In the rest of sprawling Nashville， it's hard to pinpoint（准确地确定）what constitutes a neighborhood， but a few are easily discernible（可识别的）。 Elliston Place is a compact stretch of bohemian alternative culture about a mile west of downtown and north of West End Ave. South of this is the Vanderbilt University campus. East of Elliston Place and abutting（邻接；毗连） the university， Centennial Park is the site of the mock（仿制品）Parthenon leftover from the Centennial Exposition of 1897. This whole area is known as West End， and it centers on a cluster of restaurants along Broadway and West End Ave on either side of the university； you might also hear it referred to as 'Around Vanderbilt.'
Many tourists never set foot in downtown Nashville， confining their visit to the massive Opryland complex a few miles northeast of town. Here， the prefabricated（预先制造；预先构思） Music Valley boasts budget motels， franchise restaurants and outlet stores.
Straddling the Cumberland River in northern central Tennessee， Nashville lies midway between the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. From the state capitol - the city's highest point - a busy， compact downtown of narrow one-way streets and high-rise office buildings slopes eastward to Broadway， Nashville's central artery. Southeast of the capitol along 2nd Ave and Broadway， the renovation of historic commercial buildings has carved a downtown tourist destination called 'the District.' Music Row， the other main commercial district， is less than a mile southwest of downtown.
Record shop named after the famous country singer
In the rest of sprawling Nashville， it's hard to pinpoint（准确地确定）what constitutes a neighborhood， but a few are easily discernible（可识别的）。 Elliston Place is a compact stretch of bohemian alternative culture about a mile west of downtown and north of West End Ave. South of this is the Vanderbilt University campus. East of Elliston Place and abutting（邻接；毗连） the university， Centennial Park is the site of the mock（仿制品）Parthenon leftover from the Centennial Exposition of 1897. This whole area is known as West End， and it centers on a cluster of restaurants along Broadway and West End Ave on either side of the university； you might also hear it referred to as 'Around Vanderbilt.'
Many tourists never set foot in downtown Nashville， confining their visit to the massive Opryland complex a few miles northeast of town. Here， the prefabricated（预先制造；预先构思） Music Valley boasts budget motels， franchise restaurants and outlet stores.
Seattle (U.S.)
Ever wondered whether caffeine is a viable substitute for sunshine？ If so， Seattle is your kind of town. More than any other city in the region， Seattle epitomizes（浓缩） what people know of the Pacific Northwest. Nevermind that its sunshiny days can be suicidally few - its residents are among the nation's most outgoing and outdoorsy（爱好野外活动的）。 Sure， it had everybody wearing flannel （法兰绒）shirts and whistling Nirvana for a while， but consider also the good things it's given us： the city's chilly mornings had the espresso（浓咖啡） generation brewing long before Starbucks sold its first cup. If you're looking for lifestyle， Seattle has it in spades（肯定地）。
Seattle is situated in the west of Washington， the northwesternmost state. The largest city in the state， Seattle sits on a skinny slip of land between the Puget Sound（普吉特海湾） and Lake Washington. Lake Union and the Lake Washington Ship Canal divide the city into northern and southern halves； downtown and the Capitol Hill and Queen Anne neighborhoods lie south of the canal， the U District is to the northeast.
Compared to the rest of the city， downtown orientation is pretty straightforward. Historic Pioneer Square contains most of the must-see sites. Seattle Center， home to many of the city's cultural and sport facilities， is just northwest of downtown.
Before the arrival of Europeans， the Seattle area was home to the Duwamish， a generally peaceable tribe that fished the bays and rivers of the Puget Sound and befriended（帮助） early white settlers. In 1851， a native New Yorker named David Denny led the first group of settlers across the Oregon Trail with the intention of settling along the Puget Sound. Recognizing the area's seaport possibilities， Denny's band staked a claim on Alki Point in present-day West Seattle. After a winter of wind and rain， the group moved the settlement to Elliott Bay （依利雅特湾）， renaming it Seattle for the Duwamish chief Sealth， a friend of an early merchant.
Hardly a boomtown（新兴城市）， early Seattle was peopled mainly by bachelors until one of the founding fathers went back east on a mission to induce young unmarried women to come to Seattle. On two different trips， a total of 57 women made the journey and married into the frontier stock， in the process setting a more civilized tone for the city. A spur（铁路的支线） from the Northern Pacific Railroad's terminus in Portland reached Seattle in 1893， linking the town by rail with the rest of the country. The lumber， shipping and general commerce derived from immigration soon swelled the town's ranks so much that even the Great Fire of 1889 barely slowed the advance. After 50 blocks of the old wooden downtown burned in a single day， the city was reborn in brick and iron， centered on today's Pioneer Square.
Seattle's first boom came when the ship Portland docked in 1897 with its now-famous cargo： two tons of Yukon gold. Within weeks， thousands of fortune hunters from across the country passed through on their way to the northern gold fields. Local business blossomed as Seattle became the banking center for the nouveau riche（爆发户）， and the bars， brothels（妓院） and honky-tonks（下等酒馆） of Pioneer Square overflowed with pleasure-starved miners.
The boom continued through WWI， when Northwest lumber was greatly in demand and shipyards along the Puget Sound 'harvested' the surrounding forests. WWII furthered the shipbuilding boom， and aircraft and atomic energy industries added to the region's pattern of profit. Today， international trade and tech firms （such as Microsoft and Amazon） make up the backbone（支柱） of Seattle's booming economy. And although Boeing， for decades as synonymous with Seattle as rain， announced in 2001 that it was up and leaving for windier pastures in Chicago， the city's progressive politics， inventive culture and ready access to outdoor recreation continue to lure restless people like no place else on the West Coast.
Seattle is situated in the west of Washington， the northwesternmost state. The largest city in the state， Seattle sits on a skinny slip of land between the Puget Sound（普吉特海湾） and Lake Washington. Lake Union and the Lake Washington Ship Canal divide the city into northern and southern halves； downtown and the Capitol Hill and Queen Anne neighborhoods lie south of the canal， the U District is to the northeast.
Compared to the rest of the city， downtown orientation is pretty straightforward. Historic Pioneer Square contains most of the must-see sites. Seattle Center， home to many of the city's cultural and sport facilities， is just northwest of downtown.
Before the arrival of Europeans， the Seattle area was home to the Duwamish， a generally peaceable tribe that fished the bays and rivers of the Puget Sound and befriended（帮助） early white settlers. In 1851， a native New Yorker named David Denny led the first group of settlers across the Oregon Trail with the intention of settling along the Puget Sound. Recognizing the area's seaport possibilities， Denny's band staked a claim on Alki Point in present-day West Seattle. After a winter of wind and rain， the group moved the settlement to Elliott Bay （依利雅特湾）， renaming it Seattle for the Duwamish chief Sealth， a friend of an early merchant.
Hardly a boomtown（新兴城市）， early Seattle was peopled mainly by bachelors until one of the founding fathers went back east on a mission to induce young unmarried women to come to Seattle. On two different trips， a total of 57 women made the journey and married into the frontier stock， in the process setting a more civilized tone for the city. A spur（铁路的支线） from the Northern Pacific Railroad's terminus in Portland reached Seattle in 1893， linking the town by rail with the rest of the country. The lumber， shipping and general commerce derived from immigration soon swelled the town's ranks so much that even the Great Fire of 1889 barely slowed the advance. After 50 blocks of the old wooden downtown burned in a single day， the city was reborn in brick and iron， centered on today's Pioneer Square.
Seattle's first boom came when the ship Portland docked in 1897 with its now-famous cargo： two tons of Yukon gold. Within weeks， thousands of fortune hunters from across the country passed through on their way to the northern gold fields. Local business blossomed as Seattle became the banking center for the nouveau riche（爆发户）， and the bars， brothels（妓院） and honky-tonks（下等酒馆） of Pioneer Square overflowed with pleasure-starved miners.
The boom continued through WWI， when Northwest lumber was greatly in demand and shipyards along the Puget Sound 'harvested' the surrounding forests. WWII furthered the shipbuilding boom， and aircraft and atomic energy industries added to the region's pattern of profit. Today， international trade and tech firms （such as Microsoft and Amazon） make up the backbone（支柱） of Seattle's booming economy. And although Boeing， for decades as synonymous with Seattle as rain， announced in 2001 that it was up and leaving for windier pastures in Chicago， the city's progressive politics， inventive culture and ready access to outdoor recreation continue to lure restless people like no place else on the West Coast.
Mexico City (Mexico)
Founded on the ruins of the glittering Aztec capital， Tenochtitan， Mexico City today is a study in startling contrasts. The "City of Palaces" is home to staggering （令人吃惊的）wealth and unspeakable poverty. The picturesque volcanos and mountains that ring the city makes the city's air pollution the worst in the world. A population center since ancient times， modern Mexico City is one of the most crowded cities in the world， with upwards of 20 million inhabitants.
Despite its problems， the city is a vibrant metropolitan area， alive with history， studded（点缀）with parks， and bustling（熙攘的）with the dynamic of the 20th century. There's no end to activities in this great metropolis， whether your tastes run more toward historic attractions， cultural pursuits， shopping or after-hours partying.
A 600-plus square block historic district raises blisters（起水泡）on the feet of walking-tourers， but several bus companies provide narrated drive-bys that are gentler on the feet. North of the city are the breathtaking Teotihuacan pyramids of the sun and moon， believed to date from a civilization that flourished between 200 and 400 B.C.
For culture lovers， the city boasts more than 80 museums， many devoted to art， to history， and to archeological treasures. The grand avenue， Passeo de Reforma， leads to Bosque de Chapultepec， one of the world's greatest archeology museums.
Shopping is everywhere， from large stores and elegant boutiques to street vendors and bustling weekend markets with bright red awnings（凉篷，雨篷）over the stalls. Crafts from all over the country are available and range from bark paintings and beadwork to ceramics and silver. Bargaining at the markets is expected， so be ready to haggle（讨价还价）。
Hundreds of bars， discos and night clubs attract the after-hours crowd with live music， margaritas and cold bottles of Dos Equis. As in all big cities， a day in Mexico City can be a 24-hour adventure.
Despite its problems， the city is a vibrant metropolitan area， alive with history， studded（点缀）with parks， and bustling（熙攘的）with the dynamic of the 20th century. There's no end to activities in this great metropolis， whether your tastes run more toward historic attractions， cultural pursuits， shopping or after-hours partying.
A 600-plus square block historic district raises blisters（起水泡）on the feet of walking-tourers， but several bus companies provide narrated drive-bys that are gentler on the feet. North of the city are the breathtaking Teotihuacan pyramids of the sun and moon， believed to date from a civilization that flourished between 200 and 400 B.C.
For culture lovers， the city boasts more than 80 museums， many devoted to art， to history， and to archeological treasures. The grand avenue， Passeo de Reforma， leads to Bosque de Chapultepec， one of the world's greatest archeology museums.
Shopping is everywhere， from large stores and elegant boutiques to street vendors and bustling weekend markets with bright red awnings（凉篷，雨篷）over the stalls. Crafts from all over the country are available and range from bark paintings and beadwork to ceramics and silver. Bargaining at the markets is expected， so be ready to haggle（讨价还价）。
Hundreds of bars， discos and night clubs attract the after-hours crowd with live music， margaritas and cold bottles of Dos Equis. As in all big cities， a day in Mexico City can be a 24-hour adventure.
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