piccadilly circus.doc

翻译《Piccadilly Circus》
      It is difficult to say what is the real center of London, but many people would choose Piccadilly Circus. This is because it is not only central but also the heart of London's entertainment world. Within a few hundred yards of it we find most of London' s best- known theatres and cinemas, the most famous restaurants and the most luxurious Nightclubs.
很难说出哪儿才是伦敦的中心，但许多人会说是皮卡迪利广场。这是因为它不仅仅位于伦敦市中心它更是娱乐界的中心。在皮卡迪利广场方圆数百码内著名剧院电影院，最有名的餐馆和豪华夜总会随处可见。
      In the middle of Piccadilly Circus there is a statue said to be of Eros, the god of love. Few people know that it really represents the Angel of Christian Charity. This statue is the first that was ever cast in aluminum. On Cup Final night and New Year's Eve it is boarded up to prevent over-enthusiastic revelers from climbing onto it. (The Cup Final is the match which decides the winning football team.)
在皮卡迪利广场的中心立着一座据说是爱神厄洛斯的雕像。鲜少有人知道它其实是基督教博爱的象征。这是第一个铝制雕像。在世界杯总决赛前夜和除夕前夜，该雕像的周围总要用木板围起来，防止过分激动的狂欢者们爬到雕像上面去。

      The buildings around the Circus are rather nondescript, though some of them are large and quite imposing. Many of them are decorated with bright neon signs advertising goods and entertainments; Piccadilly Circus at night is a colorful sight.
皮卡迪利广场周围的建筑风格不一，难以尽述，但许多建筑都是高大而气势恢宏。上面挂满了多彩的霓虹灯和各色的商品和娱乐场所的广告牌。皮卡迪利广场的夜景亦是绚烂多彩。
      Underneath Piccadilly Circus there is an important tube station with escalators leading down to two different lines. The ticket hall which is just below street-level, is a vast circular hall with show-cases, hired by various stores, let into the walls. There are entrances from all the main streets that converge at the Circus.
皮卡迪利广场的下面有一个重要的地铁车站，数部自动扶梯通往两条不同的地铁路线。车站的售票厅就建在路面之下，这是一个圆形的大厅，上面钳有许多深入墙壁的橱柜出租给各色商店。皮卡迪利广场汇聚了许多重要街区的入口。
      It is particularly unusual in the evening that Piccadilly Circus is thronged with people going to the theatre or the cinema, or perhaps to a restaurant. Many others have come for an evening stroll; they will probably have a cup of coffee or a glass of beer before they go home. The crowd is a motley one, for it is composed of people of many nationalities.
最为不同寻常的是一到夜晚，皮卡迪利广场总是挤满了人，有的去剧院电影院，有的奔向餐馆。也有不少人喜欢晚上来这里散步；他们极有可能喝上一杯咖啡或是一杯啤酒才回家。人群混杂，来自世界各地的人聚集在这里。
The peoples of the British Commonwealth are well represented, as there are many Indians, Pakistanis, West Indians and Africans in London; they are either working here or studying. Some of them wear their national dress. (Many foreign visitors mingle with the crowd), some from the Continent, some from more distant places.
英联邦国家的人最具有代表性，有许多来自印度，巴基斯坦，西印度群岛人和非洲人。他们或是在此工作或是在此求学，他们有些穿着本国的服装（人群中有许多外国游客），有的来自欧洲大陆，有的来自遥远的国度。
It is interesting to try to identify different nationalities by their style and type of clothing. This is no longer as easy as it used to be. The atmosphere is distinctly cosmopolitan, and one hears
around one a great variety of languages. It has been said that if you listen carefully, you may even hear English!
通过他们各自服装的风格和类型来判断这些人所属的国籍颇为有趣。但这比起以前来要难上了一些。这里洋溢着明显地国际性氛围，人们可以听到周围的人用各色的语言交谈着。据说，除非你格外留神细听，否则很难分别出有哪些人在用英语交谈。