介紹法國的英語文章閱讀
法國是世界上一個重要的發達國家,對國際舞臺領域的政治、經濟和文化都具有獨特的作用。下面是小編帶來的，歡迎閱讀!
篇一
France , officially the French Republic, is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is often referred to as l’Hexagone ***"The Hexagon"*** because of the geometric shape of its territory. It is the largest western European country and it possesses the second-largest exclusive economic zone in the world, covering 11,035,000 km2 ***4,260,000 sq mi***, just behind that of the United States ***11,351,000 km2 / 4,383,000 sq mi***.
Over the past 500 years, France has been a major power with strong cultural, economic, military and political influence in Europe and around the world. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonised great parts of North America and Southeast Asia; during the 19th and early 20th centuries, France built the second largest colonial empire of the time, including large portions of North, West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and many Caribbean and Pacific Islands.
France has its main ideals expressed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. The French Republic is defined as indivisible, secular, democratic and social by its constitution. France is one of the world's most developed countries, it possesses the world's fifth largest economy measured by GDP, the ninth-largest economy measured by purchasing power parity and is Europe's second largest economy by nominal GDP. France is the wealthiest European ***and the world's 4th*** nation in aggregate household wealth. France enjoys a high standard of living as well as a high public education level, and has also one of the world's highest life expectancies. France has been listed as the world's "best overall health care" provider by the World Health Organization. It is the most visited country in the world, receiving 82 million foreign tourists annually.
France has the world's third largest nominal military budget, the third largest military in NATO and EU's largest army. France also possesses the third largest nuclear weapons stockpile in the world – with around 300 active warheads as of 25 May 2010 ***2010 -05-25***– and the world's second largest diplomatic corps ***second only to that of the United States***.
France is a founding member of the United Nations, one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, and a member of the Francophonie, the G8, G20, NATO, OECD, WTO, and the Latin Union. It is also a founding and leading member state of the European Union and the largest one by area. In 2011, France was listed 20th on the Human Development Index and 24th on the Corruption Perceptions Index ***2010***.
篇二
俯瞰浪漫之都巴黎
Ah, beautiful Paris. For centuries this city has attracted the admiration of the world. The allure and charm of Paris captivate all who visit there.
啊，美麗的巴黎!幾世紀來，這個城市吸引了整個世界的崇拜。巴黎的誘惑與魅力吸引了所有到此遊玩的人。
Where can you discover the charm of Paris for yourself? Is it in the legacy of all the French rulers who worked to beautify their beloved city? Is it in the famous castles， palaces， statues and monuments, such as the Eiffel Tower? Can you find it in the world-class museums， such as the Louvre? Perhaps Paris'allurelies in the zest and style of the Parisians.
你在哪裡可以找到巴黎對你自己的吸引力呢?是否是在歷任的法國統治者們在美化他所鍾愛的城市所留下來的遺產裡?還是在那些有名的城堡、皇宮雕像和紀念碑例如埃菲爾鐵塔之中?你能否在世界一流的博物館，倒如盧浮宮中找著呢?或許巴黎的誘惑力在於巴黎人的特殊品味和風格。
When you visit Paris， you don't have to spend all of your time visiting museums and monuments. They are certainly worthy of your time， but ignore them for a day. First take some time to look around and experience life in Paris. You'll find it charming.
當你到巴黎遊玩時，別把時間全都花在看博物館和紀念碑上面。它們當然很值得你花時間，但今天先忘掉它們。首先來四處看看，並體驗一下巴黎的生活。你會發現它的迷人之處。
Take a stroll along the Seine River. Browse through the art vendors， colorful paintings. Peek through delicate iron gates at the well-kept gardens. Watch closely for the French attention to detail that has made France synonymous with good taste. You will see it in the design of a doorway or arch and in the little fountains and quaint balconies. No matter where you look， you will find everyday objects transformed into works by art.
沿著塞納河漫步。瀏覽藝術家們豐富色彩的繪畫，透過那些精緻的鐵門，向內偷窺那些精心照看的花園。仔細留心法國人對於細節的留心。這使得法國成為「好品味」同義字。你可以在門廊或拱門以及小噴泉和古怪有趣的走廊的設計上看見。不管你往哪裡看，你都可以發現日常物品已經變成了藝術品。
Spend some time in a quiet park relaxing on an old bench. Lie on your back on the green grass. When you need refreshment， try coffee and pastries at a sidewalk cafe. Strike up a conversation with a Parisian. This isn't always easy， though. With such a large international population living in Paris， true natives are hard to find these days.
花些時間，在一個安靜的公園裡面的舊板凳上輕鬆地休息。躺在青草地上。想吃點心的時候，嚐嚐路邊咖啡店的咖啡及點心。找一個巴黎人展開一段會話，但這也不太容易。有這麼大的國際人口居住在此地。在這個年頭要找到一個真正當地的巴黎人是很難的。
As evening comes to Paris， enchantment rises with the mist over the riverfront. You may hear music from an outdoor concert nearby： classical， jazz， opera or chansons， those French folk songs. Parisians love their music. The starry sky is their auditorium. You can also hear concerts in the chateaux and cathedrals. In Paris the Music never ends.
巴黎到了傍晚時分，隨著碼頭上的霧氣升起，巴黎的誘惑力也隨之而起。你也會聽到附近室外音樂會所演奏的樂曲。古典、爵士、歌劇或是香頌、即法國的民歌。巴黎人熱愛自己的音樂，繁星點綴的天空，就是他們演奏的大禮堂。你也可以在皇宮或教堂裡聆聽音樂會。在巴黎，音樂是不會停止的。
Don't miss the highlight of Paris evening： eating out. Parisians are proud of their cuisine. And rightly so; it's world famous. Gourmet dining is one of the indispensable joys of living. You need a special guidebook to help you choose one of the hundreds of excellent restaurants. The capital of France boasts every regional specialty, cheese and wine the country has to offer. If you don't know what to order, ask for the suggested menu. The chef likes to showcase his best dishes there. Remember, you haven't tasted the true flavor of France until you've dined at a French restaurant in Paris.
別錯過了巴黎夜晚的高潮：下館子。巴黎人對其烹飪非常驕傲。理當如此，因為它世界馳名。美食本來就是與生活享樂不可分割的。為了幫你從幾百家絕佳的餐廳中作選擇，你需要一本特別的指南。法國的首都以各地的特色風味、乳酪和酒著稱於世，如果你不知道要叫什麼，可以要「推薦選單」來看。大廚喜歡在此將他最拿手的菜作一番櫥窗展示。請記住，在你尚未在巴黎的法國餐廳裡吃過飯之前，都不算嘗過法國真正的風味。
After your gourmet dinner, take a walking tour of the floodlit monuments. Cross the Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in the city, to the Ile de la Cite. The most famous landmark of Paris looms up in front of you the Notre Dame Cathedral ***Cathedral of Our Lady***.Stand in the square in front of the cathedral. Here, you are standing in the center of France. All distances are measured from the front of Notre Dame. Every road in France leads to her front door. All French kings and leaders have journeyed here to commemorate important occasions and give thanks. Notre Dame is the heart of Paris and the heart of France.
在你的美食晚餐之後，可以到被聚光燈照耀的紀念碑去走一趟。穿過第九橋***Pont Neuf***此城市中最古老的橋。到達城市之島***Ile de la Cite***。巴黎最有名的標誌即隱約地呈現在你的面前：聖母院。站在教堂前面的廣場。在這裡，你即處於法國的正中心。所有的距離皆是以聖母院前門開始計算。法國的每一條路都通往它的前門。所有的法國國王或統治者都曾經旅遊到此來紀念重要的節日或感恩。聖母院是巴黎的中心，也是法國的中心。
Your visit in Paris has only just begun. You've just started to discover the charm of this old city. May the rest of your journey be unforgettable. When it is time to leave, you will go reluctantly. You will saywith the French, "A bientot， Paris， a bientot!" ***See you again soon， Paris!***
你的巴黎之旅才剛剛開始呢。你才剛剛開始發現這個古老城市的魅力。希望你剩餘的旅程將令你難以忘懷。當你該起程回家時，你會依依不捨。然後用法文說道：「後會有期，巴黎!」
篇三
Paris has long inspired opinionated outbursts, from delusional to denouncing, but on one matter travelers remain in agreement: it’s among the most stimulating cities in the world. Paris assaults all the senses, demanding to be seen, heard, touched, tasted and smelt. From luminescent landmarks to fresh poodle droppings on the pavement, the city is everything it should be - the very essence of all French things. If you come here expecting all you’ve heard to be true, you won’t leave disappointed.
Paris is at its best during the temperate spring months ***March to May***, with autumn coming in a close second. In winter, there are all sorts of cultural events to tempt the visitor, but school holidays can clog the streets with the little folk. August is usually hot and sticky, and it’s also when many Parisians take their yearly vacations, so businesses are likely to be closed.
Musée du Louvre
Louvre is probably one of the most world-renowned sightseeing places in Paris. This enormous building, constructed around 1200 as a fortress and rebuilt in the mid-16th century for use as a royal palace, began its career as a public museum in 1793. As part of Mitterand’s grands projets in the 1980s, the Louvre was revamped with the addition of a 21m ***67ft*** glass pyramid entrance. Initially deemed a failure, the new design has since won over those who regard consistency as inexcusably boring. Vast scrums of people puff and pant through the rooms full of paintings, sculptures and antiquities, including the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory ***which looks like it’s been dropped and put back together***. If the clamor becomes unbearable, your best bet is to pick a period or section of the Louvre and pretend that the rest is somewhere across town.
Eiffel Tower
This towering edifice was built for the World Fair of 1889, held to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution. Named after its designer, Gustave Eiffel, it stands 320m ***1050ft*** high and held the record as the world’s tallest structure until 1930. Initially opposed by the city’s artistic and literary elite - who were only affirming their right to disagree with everything - the tower was almost torn down in 1909. Salvation came when it proved an ideal platform for the antennas needed for the new science of radio telegraphy. When you’re done peering upwards through the girders, you can visit any of the three public levels, which can be accessed by lift or stairs. Just south-east of the tower is a grassy expanse that was once the site of the world’s first balloon flights and is now used by teens as a skateboarding arena or by activists bad-mouthing Chirac.
Avenue des Champs-élysées
A popular promenade for the ostentatious aristos of old, the Avenue des Champs-élysées has long symbolised the style and joie de vivre of Paris. Encroaching fast-food joints, car showrooms and cinemas have somewhat dulled the sheen, but the 2km ***1mi*** long, 70m ***235ft*** wide stretch is still an ideal place for evening walks and relishing the food at overpriced restaurants.
Centre Georges Pompidou
The Centre Georges Pompidou, displaying and promoting modern and contemporary art, is far and away the most visited sight in Paris. Built between 1972 and 1977, the hi-tech though daffy design has recently begun to age, prompting face-lifts and closures of many parts of the centre. Woven into this mêlée of renovation are several good ***though pricey*** galleries plus a free, three-tiered library with over 2000 periodicals, including English-language newspapers and magazines from around the world. A square just to the west attracts street musicians, Marcel Marceau impersonators and lots of unsavoury types selling drugs or picking pockets.
Notre Dame
The city’s cathedral ranks as one of the greatest achievements of Gothic architecture. Notre Dame was begun in 1163 and completed around 1345; the massive interior can accommodate over 6000 worshippers. Although Notre Dame is regarded as a sublime architectural achievement, there are all sorts of minor anomalies as the French love nothing better than to mess with things. These include a trio of main entrances that are each shaped differently, and which are accompanied by statues that were once coloured to make them more effective as Bible lessons for the hoi polloi. The interior is dominated by spectacular and enormous rose windows, and a 7800-pipe organ that was recently restored but has not been working properly since. From the base of the north tower, visitors with ramrod straight spines can climb to the top of the west fa?ade and decide how much aesthetic pleasure they derive from looking out at the cathedral’s many gargoyles - alternatively they can just enjoy the view of a decent swathe of Paris. Under the square in front of the cathedral, an archaeological crypt displays in situ the remains of structures from the Gallo-Roman and later periods.
Sainte Chapelle
Lying inside the Palais de Justice ***law courts***, Sainte Chapelle was consecrated in 1248 and built to house what was reputedly Jesus’ crown of thorns and other relics purchased by King Louis IX earlier in the 13th century. The gem-like chapel, illuminated by a veritable curtain of 13th-century stained glass ***the oldest and finest in Paris***, is best viewed from the law courts’ main entrance - a magnificently gilded, 18th-century gate. Once past the airport-like security, you can wander around the long hallways of the Palais de Justice and, if you can find a court in session, observe the proceedings. Civil cases are heard in the morning, while criminal trials - usually reserved for larceny or that French speciality crimes passionnel - begin after lunch.
Musée d’Orsay
Spectacularly housed in a former railway station built in 1900, the Musée d’Orsay was reinaugurated in its present form in 1986. Inside is a trove of artistic treasures produced between 1848 and 1914, including highly regarded Impressionist and Post-impressionist works. Most of their paintings and sculptures are found on the ground floor and the skylight-lit upper level, while the middle level has some magnificent rooms showcasing the Art-Nouveau movement. Nearby, the Musée Rodin displays the lively bronze and marble sculptures by Camille Claudel and Auguste Rodin, including casts of some of Rodin’s most celebrated works. There’s a shady sculpture garden out the back, one of Paris’ treasured islands of calm.
Cimetière du Père Lachaise
[R-p5]Established in 1805, this necropolis attracts more visitors than any similar structure in the world. Within the manicured, evergreen enclosure are the tombs of over one million people including such luminaries as the composer Chopin; the writers Molière, Apollinaire, Oscar Wilde, Balzac, Marcel Proust and Gertrude Stein; the artists David, Delacroix, Pissarro, Seurat and Modigliani; the actors Sarah Bernhardt, Simone Signoret and Yves Montand; the singer édith Piaf; and the dancer Isadora Duncan. The most visited tomb, however, is that of The Doors lead singer, Jim Morrison, who died in Paris in 1971. One hundred years earlier, the cemetery was the site of a fierce battle between Communard insurgents and government troops. The rebels were eventually rounded up against a wall and shot, and were buried where they fell in a mass grave.
Place des Vosges
The Marais district spent a long time as a swamp and then as agricultural land, until in 1605 King Henry IV decided to transform it into a residential area for Parisian aristocrats. He did this by building Place des Vosges and arraying 36 symmetrical houses around its square perimeter. The houses, each with arcades on the ground floor, large dormer windows, and the requisite creepers on the walls, were initially built of brick but were subsequently constructed using timber with a plaster covering, which was then painted to look like brick. Duels, fought with strictly observed formality, were once staged in the elegant park in the middle. From 1832-48 Victor Hugo lived at a house at No 6, which has now been turned into a municipal museum. Today, the arcades around the place are occupied by expensive galleries and shops, and cafés filled with people drinking little cups of coffee and air-kissing immaculate passersby.
Bois de Boulogne
The modestly sized Bois de Boulogne, on the western edge of the city, is endowed with forested areas, meandering paths, belle époque cafes and little wells of naughtiness. Each night, pockets of the Bois de Boulogne are taken over by prostitutes and lurkers with predacious sexual tastes. In recent years, the police have cracked down on the area’s sex trade, but locals still advise against walking through the area alone at night.
Outer ?le de France
The relatively small region surrounding Paris - known as the ?le de France ***Island of France*** - was where the kingdom of France began its 12th-century expansion. Today, it’s a popular day-trip destination for Parisians and Paris-based visitors. Among the region’s many attractions are woodlands ideal for hiking, skyscrapered districts endowed with sleekly functional architecture, the much-maligned EuroDisney, elegant historical towns and Versailles, the country’s former political capital and seat of the royal court. The latter is the site of the Chateau de Versailles, the grandest and most famous palace in France. Built in the mid-1600s during the reign of Louis XIV, the chateau is a keen reminder of just how much one massive ego and a nation’s wealth could buy in days of old ***eat your heart out, Bill Gates***. Apart from grand halls, bedchambers, gardens, ponds and fountains too elaborate to discuss, there’s also a 75m ***250ft*** Hall of Mirrors, where nobles dressed like ninnies could watch each other dancing.
Canal Saint Martin
The little-touristed Saint Martin canal, running through the north-eastern districts of the Right Bank, is one of Paris’ hidden delights. The 5km ***3mi*** waterway, parts of which are higher than the surrounding land, was built in 1806 to link the Seine with the much longer Canal de l’Ourcq. Its shaded towpaths - specked with sunlight filtering through the plane trees - are a wonderful place for a romantic stroll or bike ride past locks, metal bridges and unassuming but well turned-out Parisian neighbourhoods.
Paris has two airports, Aéroport d’Orly, south of central Paris, and Aéroport Charles de Gaulle, in the north, is a major international hub, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a flight, regardless of where you’re flying. Paris is also famous for its sophisticated underground system, known as Metro. No matter where you are, chances are that there’s a metro station within a few blocks.
Europe is famous for its fascinating cultural background and the same is true to Paris. Why shall you wait? It’s well worth visiting it.