Ｆor a while it was touch-and-go, but the Olympics are finally coming back to Athens. This August, tens of thousands of athletes and spectators will fly into the capital of Greece to find a city that’s, well, a little past its prime. 來源：www.examda.com
Travel guide authors often struggle to find nice things to say about modern Athens. “Under the dirt is a kind of dilapidated charm,” says one. “The smog isn’t as bad as it used to be,” says another. You get the idea.
Athens, the city which gave the world mathematics, philosophy, and democracy, has seen better times. But fortunately, the charm and dignity of the city live on in the Plaka, a traditional neighborhood at the foot of the Acropolis, offering travelers and locals a respite from Athens’ crowded and noisy streets. The tree-lined streets are filled with a lot of cafes and restaurants offering traditional Greek dishes, and the smells of fresh coffee and barbecue fill the air.
Aside from pleasing your senses of sight, taste, and smell, the Plaka will also delight your ears. Musicians stand on nearly every corner, singing to passing couples. The talent of the musicians comes as something of a sad surprise: many played professionally in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, and hard times at home have brought them to Athens, where they play for change from pedestrians.
Up above the Plaka sits the Acropolis and the Parthenon, the temple which has guarded Athens for over 2,000 years. While nearly everyone has seen photographs of this remarkable building, a traveler’s first glimpse of the ruined structure still takes him by surprise. Sitting in a street-side cafe in the Plaka, with the Acropolis above and the noise of downtown below, there’s no better way to enjoy a day in Athens.
Help:
touch-and-go 不定的;不穩(wěn)的
spectator n. 觀眾
past one’s prime 過了全盛時期
dilapidated adj. 破舊的
charm n. 魅力 smog n. 煙霧
democracy n. 民主政體;民主國家
dignity n. 尊嚴(yán)
the Acropolis 雅典衛(wèi)城
respite n. 喘息的時間
barbecue n. 烤肉 pedestrian n. 行人
Parthenon 帕臺農(nóng)神廟(雅典衛(wèi)城上供奉希臘雅典娜女
神的主神廟,建于公元前5世紀(jì))
glimpse n. 一瞥
Travel guide authors often struggle to find nice things to say about modern Athens. “Under the dirt is a kind of dilapidated charm,” says one. “The smog isn’t as bad as it used to be,” says another. You get the idea.
Athens, the city which gave the world mathematics, philosophy, and democracy, has seen better times. But fortunately, the charm and dignity of the city live on in the Plaka, a traditional neighborhood at the foot of the Acropolis, offering travelers and locals a respite from Athens’ crowded and noisy streets. The tree-lined streets are filled with a lot of cafes and restaurants offering traditional Greek dishes, and the smells of fresh coffee and barbecue fill the air.
Aside from pleasing your senses of sight, taste, and smell, the Plaka will also delight your ears. Musicians stand on nearly every corner, singing to passing couples. The talent of the musicians comes as something of a sad surprise: many played professionally in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, and hard times at home have brought them to Athens, where they play for change from pedestrians.
Up above the Plaka sits the Acropolis and the Parthenon, the temple which has guarded Athens for over 2,000 years. While nearly everyone has seen photographs of this remarkable building, a traveler’s first glimpse of the ruined structure still takes him by surprise. Sitting in a street-side cafe in the Plaka, with the Acropolis above and the noise of downtown below, there’s no better way to enjoy a day in Athens.
Help:
touch-and-go 不定的;不穩(wěn)的
spectator n. 觀眾
past one’s prime 過了全盛時期
dilapidated adj. 破舊的
charm n. 魅力 smog n. 煙霧
democracy n. 民主政體;民主國家
dignity n. 尊嚴(yán)
the Acropolis 雅典衛(wèi)城
respite n. 喘息的時間
barbecue n. 烤肉 pedestrian n. 行人
Parthenon 帕臺農(nóng)神廟(雅典衛(wèi)城上供奉希臘雅典娜女
神的主神廟,建于公元前5世紀(jì))
glimpse n. 一瞥