音乐之都--维也纳

    The Austrian capital of Vienna (Wien), with a population of more than 1.6 million, is a city forever implanted into the international imagination as a dreamy place of cream-filled pastries(奶油馅饼) and angelic choir¹ boys, of prancing² white horses and swirling³ Strauss waltzes. It is a city where legend overrules reality -- the Danube River(多瑙河), which flows through Vienna, may not be true blue, yet, the "Blue Danube" waltz(蓝色多瑙河华尔兹) has permanently⁴ painted the waterway that hue⁵ in the mind's eye.
    The imperial seat of the Habsburg court since the 17th century, Vienna was one of the world's most powerful cities, both culturally and politically, until World War I, when the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire(奥匈帝国) left it humbled⁶ by the redefinition of Europe's political structure. Despite having the power plug pulled, the city has retained its cultural cache(文化蕴藏地).
    Music is the soul of Vienna -- the great composers of Europe, from Mozart to Beethoven, Haydn to Schubert, Strauss to Mahler, called the city home. And at every opportunity, from the grand Opera Ball to the smallest of musical gatherings⁷, Viennese swoon(陶醉) together in the city's famously romantic waltz. Or they gather for dramatic musical stagings(上演的节目) at the Staatsopera (State Opera House), one of the world's great opera venues⁸.
    Vienna celebrates its well-composed heritage with numerous festivals and concerts, as well as well-preserved landmarks⁹ such as Schubert's birthplace and the homes of Mozart and Beethoven. Another noteworthy Viennese note-taker, Sigmund Freud, is honored at a museum devoted¹⁰ to his life and work as the father of psychotherapy(精神疗法, 心理疗法)Art and architecture are also Viennese trademarks¹¹, and with 90 museums, many devoted to art, the city is awash in great works. Art Nouveau (known locally as "Jungendstil," or Young Style) took hold here, born of the Vienna Secession which straddled(跨越,横跨) the turn of the 20th century. The movement's most famous member was Viennese painter Gustav Klimt, and his work, as well as that of other secessionists, is showcased at the Secession Pavilion, designed by Josef Maria Olbrich. Vienna's most famous art museum, however, is the Kunsthistorisches, housing works by such greats as the Dutch master Pieter Brueghel the Elder.
    As for Vienna's other cultural icons¹², they still thrive: from the Spanish Riding School, home of the world-famous, high-stepping Royal Lipizzaner Stallions, to the dulcet-toned Vienna Boy's Choir(维也纳男童合唱团), which tours the globe when not singing morning mass at the Hofburgkapelle during the summer months.

1 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

2 prancing   

v.（马）腾跃( prance的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The lead singer was prancing around with the microphone. 首席歌手手执麦克风，神气地走来走去。
• The King lifted Gretel on to his prancing horse and they rode to his palace. 国王把格雷特尔扶上腾跃着的马，他们骑马向天宫走去。 来自辞典例句

3 swirling   

v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Snowflakes were swirling in the air. 天空飘洒着雪花。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• She smiled, swirling the wine in her glass. 她微笑着，旋动着杯子里的葡萄酒。 来自辞典例句

4 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

5 hue   

n.色度；色调；样子

参考例句：

• The diamond shone with every hue under the sun.金刚石在阳光下放出五颜六色的光芒。
• The same hue will look different in different light.同一颜色在不同的光线下看起来会有所不同。

6 humbled   

adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低

参考例句：

• The examination results humbled him. 考试成绩挫了他的傲气。
• I am sure millions of viewers were humbled by this story. 我相信数百万观众看了这个故事后都会感到自己的渺小。

7 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

8 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网

9 landmarks   

n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址）

参考例句：

• The book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of modern science. 这部著作是现代科学发展史上著名的里程碑之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship. 孩子的出世是我们俩关系中的一个重要转折点。 来自辞典例句

10 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

11 trademarks   

n.（注册）商标( trademark的名词复数 )；（人的行为或衣着的）特征，标记

参考例句：

• Motrin and Nuprin are trademarks of brands of ibuprofen tablets. Nuprin和Motrin均是布洛芬的商标。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many goods in China have the trademarks of a panda. 中国的许多商品都带有熊猫的商标。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 icons   

n.偶像( icon的名词复数 )；（计算机屏幕上表示命令、程序的）符号，图像

参考例句：

• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons. 用图标来区分重要的文本项。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Daemonic icons should only be employed persistently if they provide continuous, useful status information. 只有会连续地提供有用状态信息的情况下，后台应用程序才应该一直使用图标。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓