(旅游英语)环球之旅-意大利

（旅游英语）环球之旅—意大利

意大利共和国位于欧洲南部。它北连欧洲大陆，东临

海。意大利西同法国接壤，北与瑞士、奥地利相连，东同

南斯拉夫毗邻。东邻的阿尔巴尼亚、南部的阿尔及利亚、

突尼斯、利比亚和马耳他等北非诸国均与意大利隔海相

望。

When I sit there thinking of where to start to tell you about Italy, I close my eyes and so many wonderful pictures and memories (n. 记忆，回忆) flood back that I don't know where to start. I spent three wonderful years there that when it came time to move on I was so sad to leave. It is a country so steeped (steep v.浸, 泡, 沉浸) in history mixed with a lifestyle that anybody would envy (v. 嫉妒，羡慕). Now I would like to share some of my wonderful memories with you and start with some of the major cities I visited and lived in.

Milan(米兰) is the true fashion capitol of the world, home to the most famous fashion designers (服装设计师) and brand labels (名牌，商标) in the world. There are every size exclusive (adj. 高级的) glitzy (adj. 闪光的，耀眼的, 眩目的) boutiques (时装专卖店) purveying (v. supply; furnish提供，供给，供应) their high-class wares.

The café society is something to behold (v.看到，目睹) as all the beautiful people come out to be seen all wearing the latest fashion and sit in the

cafes sipping (sip v. 吸，吮) their coffees eating mouth watering home-made (adj. 自制的) cakes chatting until the early hours of the night.

Rome(罗马) is the capital, with its magnificent (adj. splendid; grand宏伟

的,崇高的,高贵的) historic coliseum (n.圆形体育馆, 大剧场) where the ancient Romans held the games, the countless fountains including the most famous Fontana di Trevi (意大利著名的许愿池) where lovers everyday toss (v. 投, 掷) coins over their shoulders wishing for eternal love (永恒的爱).

The Vatican City [n.梵蒂冈(罗马教廷所在地)] is the citadel (n. 根据地，大

本营) of the Roman Catholic Church (罗马天主教堂) including the Sistine Chapel [n.(罗马梵蒂冈的)西斯廷教堂] that took Michael Angelo (宗教革命领袖) seven years to

paint by hand.

There are so many ancient monuments (n. 纪念碑)

and sights to visit all setting this city as one of the true

great capitals of the world, so many wonderful restaurants

to choose from with authentic (adj. 真的；真正的) Italian

recipes (n.菜谱，烹饪法) that will haunt (v. come to mind

continually, obses时常萦绕心头) you for years to come. No

Pizza Hut [必胜客(西餐厅)] here, just the real

thing. An evening at the opera (n. 歌剧) is enchanting (adj.迷人的；醉人的) to the soul.

Turin(都灵，意大利西北一城市，位于波河河畔、米兰西南偏西方。) is the city

where every man' s dream cars are manufactured--the sleek (adj. 油光可鉴的) red, sexy ultimate Ferrari sports cars. There are so many cars driving around the city that they become such a part of the everyday life. Turin is a manufacturing city with so many international and domestic companies based here, also the gateway (n. 门，通路) to northern Switzerland.

Venice(威尼斯)-- the city surrounded by water. Romance abounds

(abound vi.富于, 充满) all along its waterways with lovers everywhere drifting by in the gondolas (n.刚朵拉，一种狭长的轻型平底船) oblivious (lacking all memory; forgetful健忘的；忘却的) to everything but each other, once the trading capital of the east and the home of the great explorer Marco Polo [n.马可波罗(意大利旅行家,商人)].

The magnificent St. Peters Basilica (a Roman Catholic Church圣彼得斯

罗马天主教堂) stands in St. Peters Square (圣彼得斯广场), with so many other romantic and unique places to visit. This makes it a must place to visit along with so many historic places to visit that you are spoiled for choice (不知所措，眼花缭乱).

With other famous cities such as Verona [n. 维罗纳(意大利北部城市)],

Pisa [n.比萨(意大利城市, 城内有著名的比萨斜塔)], Florence [n.佛罗伦萨(意大利都市名)], Naples [n.那不勒斯(意大利西南部港市)] and so many others, each with their own special places of historic interest and traditions (历史名胜古迹), cultures and attraction (places of cultures and attraction文化风景区), each one with so much to offer that you must visit them all and sample all on offer for yourself.

Food And Wine

意大利的菜肴源自古罗马帝国宫廷，有着浓郁的文艺复兴时代佛罗伦萨的膳食情韵，素称“欧洲大陆烹调之母”，在世界上享有很高的声誉。意大利菜多以海鲜作主料，辅以牛、羊、猪、鱼、鸡、鸭、番茄、黄瓜、萝卜、青椒、大头菜、香葱烹成。制法常用煎、炒、炸、煮、红烩或红焖，喜加蒜茸和干辣椒，略带小辣，火候一般是六七成熟，重视牙齿的感受，以略硬而有弹性为美，形成醇浓、香鲜、断生、原汁、微辣、硬韧等12字特色。这都表现在佛罗伦萨牛排、罗马魔鬼鸡、那不勒斯烤龙虾、巴里甲鱼、奥斯勃克牛肘肉、扎马格龙沙拉，米列斯特通心粉、鸡蛋肉末沙司、板肉白豆沙拉子、青椒焖鸡、烩大虾、烤鱼、冷鸡、白豆汤、火腿切面条等名食之中，四方游客趋之若鹜。

The main characteristic (n. feature特性, 特征) of

Italian cooking is its healthy balance, the excellent basic

ingredients being simply cooked and retaining their original

(adj.最初的, 原始的) goodness (n. the beneficial or

nutritious part精华,富有营养的部分) and freshness, simple

and yet with such a variety of flavors (n.风味，口味) and

rich inventiveness (n. 独创性; 独创能力) in preparation

that

even the most demanding (adj. 苛刻的，要求过分的) gourmet (n. 美食家) is delighted.

Italian breakfast is quite different from American or English. Colazione ([意]早餐) is usually light: cappuccino (coffee and milk牛奶咖啡) and a brioche

([意]sweet pastry一种意大利甜饼), or simply espresso ([意]black-short-strong coffee浓咖啡) .

Pranzo ([意] lunch 午餐) is the big meal except in the industrialized cities

(工业城市). It consists of antipasto (n. starter头盘) a primo piatto (pasta, rice or soup意大利面), a secondo piatto (meat or fish肉或鱼) with contorno (vegetable salad蔬菜沙拉), then frutta (fresh fruit水果). Finish with espresso (浓咖啡) and maybe a grappa(<意>n.格拉巴酒(用酒渣酿制的一种白兰地))or amaro (strong digestive liqueur一种帮助消化的酒).

Cena (dinner晚餐) is similar to lunch. Nowadays there is a tendency (n. 倾向，趋向) of having a light lunch, then dinner becomes the major meal.

Gelato (ice-cream冰淇淋) has hundreds of different flavours and can be enjoyed at anytime of the day as well as the granita [n. crushed ice with flavoured syrup格兰尼它冰糕(一种意大利的粗制冰糕)].

Where to eat ?

意大利人请客，星期天和节日多在家中，平时是去餐馆。其程序是开席时先喝点香槟酒。他们轻轻撬动瓶塞，让瓶内的气体慢慢外推，突然间“乒”的一声，弹出瓶塞，宾主都以此为吉兆，鼓掌祝贺，开怀畅饮。接着上海鲜大拼盘，再饮葡萄酒。随后正菜有4道：一是什锦菜汤、炒米饭（或通心粉）、干酪；二是牛排、鱼虾或各式鸡菜、生菜；三是水果、冰淇淋之类；四是甜点及蛋糕。饭后要饮消化酒及咖啡。若是富裕人家，节日的正菜常常多达7道，还须配置开胃的苦艾酒以及助消化的烈酒。意大利人在宴会上从不呆板拘泥，想吃就吃，想喝便喝，并且确信古训：“客人喝得高兴，主人脸上光彩。”

There are thousands of ristoranti (restaurants餐

厅), the most formal type of place to eat when one is not in a

hurry, sometimes a little fancy (adj. of superior grade; fine优

良的；好的), pricy (adj. 昂贵的) and family-run (用于家庭聚会);

trattoria and osteria: less formal than a ristoranti,where

local specialties are served; panineria (一种长条三明治): a sandwich bar, where a quick meal can be had at any time of the day; pizzeria (比萨饼) is not only for pizza lovers!

Italian Wine 意大利美酒

古罗马时代的诗人喜欢称意大利为“欧诺特利亚之地”，即葡萄酒之乡；实际上，欧诺特利亚是古希腊语中的一个名词，意指意大利东南部。人们往往认为意大利葡萄酒价格便宜，并且容易使人兴奋。从柳条长颈大肚瓶装契安第红葡萄酒，到味甜多泡的摩德纳葡萄酒。虽然在国际声誉上意大利酒远远落后于法国酒，但是，在一定程度上说意大利这个国家本身也是一个新生产物。意大利的地方主义也反映在酒上。

Italy is not only the largest producer of wines, but above all a producer of great wines.

Its climate, soil and very old traditions of viticulture (n. 葡萄栽培) make Italy a natural wine- growing nation. The wines are as personal as a name, as different as the colours of the rainbow and as much a part of Italian life as almost 3,000 years of tradition can make them.

The Etruscans (n.伊特鲁里亚人) of North-Central Italy, who created

one of the peninsula's (n. 半岛) earliest civilizations, left evidence of how to make wine. The Greeks who soon after established themselves in the South gave Italy the name Enotria [(意)the land of wine产酒之乡].

For centuries wine growing has been the cultivation (n.培养, 教养) which

used most of the labor of the Italian farmers. This is still true today. A large part of the population is engaged in the vine (n. 葡萄种植) and wine industry.

Other Italian drinks include aperitifs (n. 开胃酒), blended principally

(adv. 主要地) over a base of the world-famous Piedmontn [(地名)皮德蒙特]

Vermouth (n.味美斯酒); dessert wines, such as Moscato, Marsala and Malvasia

from Sicily and sparkling wines from Piedmont, Veneto [(地名)威尼突区], Tuscany

[托斯卡纳区(意大利行政区名)] and the Islands. Italy also has excellent beers and a

great variety of effervescent (adj.冒泡的) mineral waters.

Are you planning a trip to one of Italy's "natural" attractions?

Surprisingly, Italy can offer many protected natural

areas and national parks that are definitely worth a visit. Imagine

peaceful lakes located high up in the mountains, or the prosperous

marine life (adj. 海洋生物) along the coasts, with an opportunity

to spot rare animals (稀有动物) that live freely in the

undiscovered

regions; or imagine a walk in one of the less renowned (adj. famous有名望的；著名

的) rural villages located deep in the heart of the country, or within slightly populated islands.

The Italian physical environment (自然环境) offers the perfect settings for all kinds of holidays, from tranquil (adj.安静的，宁静的) camp-site activity to the more challenging trekking (adj. 艰苦跋涉的) itineraries (n. route or journey旅程，路线). You will be able to discover by your own the many resources (n.资源) available in the different parks, or take advantage of guided tours to explore the most beautiful natural places accessible (adj.易接近的, 可到达的) in each region.

Regional Specialties

Although everyone loves Italian food, figuring out what kind of meal to have and where to have can be difficult. Italian cuisine varies from region (n. 地方，区域) to region but, in spite of regional differences, Italian food in general is often characterized (v. 以……为特征,特征是……) as being flexible (adj. 灵活的; 可塑造的) and innovative (adj.革新的，创新的), building itself on a model of theme (n. 主题) and variation (n. 变化，变更). Here is a selection of the most well-known regional specialties (特色食品) that the tourist should taste:

bistecca alla Valdostana: a breaded cutlet fried then topped with fontina (n.意大利果仁味羊奶干酪) and ham;

carbonade: a stew (n. 炖肉) made of lean meat (瘦肉) cooked with minced onions and wine;

cheeses: the famous fontina, toma (熟奶酪) a ripe cheese, fromadzo and salignon (咸奶酪) a spicy robiola

bagna cauda: a hot sauce made with oil, garlic (n. 大蒜) and anchovies (n.凤尾鱼) used for dipping with raw vegetables (新鲜蔬菜);

fonduta cheese with eggs and truffles [块菌(味鲜美, 调味用)] agnolotti (意大利肉饺) stuffed pasta

brasato al Barolo: braised beef (炖牛肉) with Barolo (巴罗洛葡萄酒意大利产的一种香醇浓烈的红酒) toffees (太妃糖), chocolates and marrons glaces (栗子糖) risotto alla milanese: rice with saffron [n. 干藏红花粉(用于食品上色和调味的)]

minestrone: a substantial soup with stock and vegetables [(加蔬菜,大麦,通心粉等煮成的)蔬菜通心粉汤]

panettone: a cake with candied peel(加糖的水果或蔬菜的

外皮) in it

risi e bisi: soup with rice and peas

polenta: a corn meal dish (以玉米或大麦或栗粉等煮的粥)

zuppa di pesce: fish soup

scampi: prawns (挪威海蛰虾)

fegato alla veneziana: calf's liver (牛肝) with onions (葱)

trenette al pesto: flat pasta (意大利扁面条) with Genovese sauce (热那亚香蒜酱), very aromatic (adj.芬芳的) with garlic (n. 大蒜) and basil (n. 罗勒；紫苏)

farinata: a thin layer of chick pea dough dressed with olive oil and cooked in a wood oven (一种用木制烤炉烤的薄饼，里面有鸡肉豌豆)

torta Pasqualina: a pie with a filling of spinach (菠菜), artichokes (n.朝鲜蓟，一种蔬菜) and cheese

tortellini: home-made pasta stuffed with ground meat (意大利饺子)

Once you have tried Italian traditional home cooking known

affectionately as Mama Mia (对妈妈的昵称)'s, you will be hooked for life. Shop till you drop! History at every corner, fashion fashion fashion and more fashion, then Italy is for you, as 007 has told you. He has such a soft spot for it in his heart for this wonderful romantic country. "Bella Bella 'Chou!" It is a country where all your dreams will come true as you absorb (vt.吸收, 吸引) this very special country and its culture.