Reflections of Beauty As the famous Chinese saying goes, " Above, there is Heaven — below, there are Suzhou and Hangzhou". An

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问题    Reflections of Beauty
   As the famous Chinese saying goes, " Above, there is Heaven — below, there are Suzhou and Hangzhou". An impressive claim, but the only way to find out if Suzhou is indeed one of these two earthly paradises is to actually visit the place.
   Suzhou sits only four meters above sea level, so water features heavily in the landscape of its canal towns, as well as in the serene classical gardens that have been designated as World Heritage sites. This was immediately obvious on arrival, with rivers and canals crisscrossing the streets on the ten-minute walk from the train station to my riverside hostel.
   Because of Suzhou’s location near the mouth of the Yangtze, numerous canals were built to stabilize the flood-prone delta areas. Several other towns and cities in the region followed suit, creating what has become known as China’s region of water towns. As well as the countless lakes, 35 kilometers of rivers, and 168 bridges nearby, the Grand Canal is another significant draw. Stretching from Beijing to Hangzhou, it cuts an impressive path from north to south, and brought significant trade to the towns.
   After a few minutes’ exploration down some of its many back streets, I discovered why Suzhou is often praised as the "Venice of the Orient". Aside from the countless picturesque stone bridges peppering the city, Suzhou, like Venice, was once a great trading port, supplying goods from China’s "most productive land". And during my brief visit I saw many small boats using the rivers to transport goods throughout the city.
   It’s also the silk capital of China. In ancient times it was from here that silk would have been transported along the Grand Canal to Beijing, and eventually all the way along the silk road to places as far away as Rome. Even today, Suzhou’s silk exports account for 30 percent of the country’s total. With its mild climate, fertile land and abundance of produce, it is no wonder that Suzhou is referred to as "heaven on earth".
   Suzhou’s gardens date back as far as 600 AD. These gardens were designed by artists who were hired at the height of the Tang and Song dynasties, and used four basic elements to create a harmony between heaven and earth: trees, water, bridges and rock. With an abundance of water, and stones brought from nearby Lake Tai, it was the trees (the older the better) which were the most prized elements of the gardens. The gardens are not known for their size, but for their delicate design incorporating hills and ponds, terraces and corridors.
   Suzhou also has a strong tradition of Kunqu Opera, which was listed by UNESCO in 2001 as one of the "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity". A good place to see it is at the Garden of the Master of the Nets, which is also one of the city’s nine gardens to have earned a UNESCO World Heritage listing.

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答案 美的追思 中国有句名言,“上有天堂,下有苏杭”。这话很吸引人,不过这两个人间天堂,苏州是否真能位居其一,只有实地察看察看了。 苏州海拔仅四米,水之风韵,融入苏州水乡古镇的景观,也见于作为世界文化遗产的苏州静谧的古典园林。这一点,一到此地就能领略。步行十分钟,从火车站到我落脚的临河招待所,一路只见运河水道纵横交错。 苏州靠近长江入海口,洪涝多发,因此建运河沟渠无数,以稳定这一长江三角洲地带。这个地区的其他几个城镇也跟着这么做,这就形成了中国的水乡区域。除了有数不清的湖泊,35公里的河流,168座桥外,大运河也是这一地区重要的景点。它从北京到杭州,由北向南开了一个通道,给苏州带来巨大的贸易商源。 苏州有不少小街,花上几分钟,走上几条看了看,我便找到了苏州被誉为“东方威尼斯”的原因了。且不论散布城内许多别致如画的石拱桥,苏州和威尼斯一样,也曾是个商贸大港,向外提供中国这个“高产之乡”的物品。短暂的游览期间,我看见许多小船在这些河流中来来往往,把货物运往全城的每个地方。 苏州还是中国的丝绸之都。在古代,丝绸可能是顺着这条大运河运到北京,最终又沿着丝绸之路一直远运罗马等地。这些丝绸正是从这儿发出的。时至今日,苏州丝绸出口仍占全国百分之三十。气候温和,土地肥沃,物产丰富,无怪乎苏州被称为“人间天堂”了。 苏州园林可追溯至公元600年。这些园林是唐宋巅峰时期聘请艺人设计,以树、水、桥、石这四种基本元素,创造天地之和谐。园中虽充满水景异石(取自邻近的太湖),但最为珍贵的却是树木(树龄愈老愈好)。园林的闻名不是因其大小,而是因其设计,它将山亭水榭巧妙地融为一体。 苏州还有厚重的昆曲艺术传统。2001年,联合国教科文组织将其列入“人类口头和非物质文化遗产代表作”。要看昆曲表演有个好去处,就是网师园,它也是苏州九个被列入联合国教科文组织世界遗产名录的园林之一。

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