彭蒙惠英语：Roam Rome on Fleet Feet

Roam Rome on Fleet Feet

 

3

Likeable Rome

I find myself liking¹ Rome very much. It is not the dirty city I had been told to expect.

 

One day we walk to Gianicolo Park and gaze down across the Tiber River at the city. Rome looks small from here, and it is, with only 3 million people.

 

Our hotel, Exedra, is a haven² from our quick pace and the hustle³ of Rome. The centrally located hotel looks like a classical Roman building, curved around the Piazza⁴ Republica, a public square swirling⁵ with traffic. I love looking out the window at busy Rome from the quiet of my spacious⁶ room. And on the bottom level, the floors have glass panels so we can look down at the ruins of the ancient Diocletian Baths below.

 

Leisurely⁷ local life

Though our visit is fast-paced, there’s no choice in Italy but to slow down for a meal. The waiters deliver courses gradually while you steep yourself in flavors and conversation. Even the tiniest restaurant takes pains to create an enjoyable atmosphere—pretty tablecloths⁸ and flowers, glowing woodwork and marble.

 

One day we eat lunch in Trastevere, a section of the city on the other side of the Tiber River where my son’s apartment is. We linger over our meal, watching mothers across the cobblestone street pick up their children at the preschool and exchange smiling goodbyes with the teacher.

 

It’s a nice pace if you live here. But it’s not mine as a visitor, and even the haste to change my film did not, ironically, ruin my Trevi Fountain shot. Instead, sudden exposure to light changed the sky above the fountain to an ethereal orangey pink, making a striking photo of a popular tourist attraction.

 

We’ll go back to Italy someday, rushing to cram⁹ everything in again. We just can’t go slowly in that good city.

 

Vocabulary Focus

steep (v) [sti:p] to be completely surrounded by or involved in something; to be immersed in something

take pains (idiom) to make an extra effort to do something

ethereal (adj) [i5WiEriEl] intangible, especially referring to things in the sky; light and delicate

 

Specialized¹⁰ Terms

cobblestone (n) 鹅卵石 a small round stone that was used in making roads

 

闪电游罗马

 

3

可爱的罗马

我发现自己非常喜欢罗马。它并不是人家曾告诉我会看到的一个肮脏的城市。

有一天我们走到吉安尼可洛公园，望过台伯河，向下凝视这个城市。从这儿看，罗马显得很小。它的确很小，只有300万人。

我们的饭店艾塞德拉是我们在匆促的脚步和罗马的混乱中的避难所。这间位于市中心的大饭店看起来像一座古典的罗马建筑，围绕着共和广场，这是一个经常车水马龙的公共广场。我喜欢从我宽敞房间的静谧中了望窗外繁忙的罗马。底楼的地板有玻璃嵌板，让我们得以看到下面戴克里先古浴场的遗迹。

 

悠闲的当地生活

虽然我们的探访十分匆忙，但在意大利，吃顿饭却不得不慢下来。当你沉浸在香味和谈话中时，侍者逐道地上菜。即使是最小的餐馆，也极力营造一种享受的气氛——漂亮的桌布和花朵，发亮的木制家具和大理石。

有一天，我们在台伯河另一头，也是城市一部分的越台伯河区吃午饭。我儿子的公寓就在这个区。我们饭后仍流连不去，看着母亲们穿过鹅卵石子路去幼儿园接小孩，并和老师笑着相互道别。

如果你住在这里，这真是个舒服的步调。但这不是身为观光客的我的步调，而讽刺的是，甚至我换底片时的匆忙也并未毁了我的许愿池画面。突然的曝光反而把喷泉上方的天空变成了飘渺的带橘的粉红色，为一个热门的观光胜地拍出了一张动人的照片。

有一天我们会再回到意大利，再一次匆忙地塞进一切。在那个美好的城市，我们就是无法放慢脚步。

 

 

1 liking   

n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢

参考例句：

• The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
• I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。

2 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

3 hustle   

v.推搡；竭力兜售或获取；催促；n.奔忙(碌)

参考例句：

• It seems that he enjoys the hustle and bustle of life in the big city.看起来他似乎很喜欢大城市的热闹繁忙的生活。
• I had to hustle through the crowded street.我不得不挤过拥挤的街道。

4 piazza   

n.广场；走廊

参考例句：

• Siena's main piazza was one of the sights of Italy.锡耶纳的主要广场是意大利的名胜之一。
• They walked out of the cafeteria,and across the piazzadj.他们走出自助餐厅,穿过广场。

5 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

6 spacious   

adj.广阔的，宽敞的

参考例句：

• Our yard is spacious enough for a swimming pool.我们的院子很宽敞，足够建一座游泳池。
• The room is bright and spacious.这房间很豁亮。

7 leisurely   

adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的

参考例句：

• We walked in a leisurely manner,looking in all the windows.我们慢悠悠地走着，看遍所有的橱窗。
• He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.他从容的吃了早餐，高兴的开车去工作。

8 tablecloths   

n.桌布，台布( tablecloth的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Champagne corks popped, and on lace tablecloths seven-course dinners were laid. 桌上铺着带装饰图案的网织的桌布，上面是七道菜的晚餐。 来自飘（部分）
• At the moment the cause of her concern was a pile of soiled tablecloths. 此刻她关心的事是一堆弄脏了的台布。 来自辞典例句

9 cram   

v.填塞，塞满，临时抱佛脚，为考试而学习

参考例句：

• There was such a cram in the church.教堂里拥挤得要命。
• The room's full,we can't cram any more people in.屋里满满的，再也挤不进去人了。

10 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。