London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, standing on the River Thames, was founded 2000 years ago by the Romans as Londinium. The city has been Western Europe's largest city for centuries. Today London is not only the largest city but also one of the most visited thanks to its numerous famous attractions such as the Tower Bridge and the Big Ben.
伦敦是英格兰以及英国的首府，横跨泰晤士。2000多年前，罗马人建立了这座都市，命名为伦底纽姆。几个世纪以来，伦敦一直都是欧洲最大的城市。如今，伦敦不仅是欧洲最大的城市，得益于其诸如塔桥和大本钟这样的无数著名景点，而且它还成为了欧洲最受欢迎的旅游城市之一。
伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区、城市带以及大都会。伦敦在艺术、商业、教育、娱乐、时尚、金融、卫生保健、传媒、专业服务、研发、旅游以及交通上卓越成就，奠定了它在世界上的领先地位。它还是世界上名列前茅的金融中心，拥有世界上城市地区GDP的1/5~1/6。2012年，伦敦成为唯一举办了三次现代夏季奥运会的城市。
London is the most populous region, urban zone and metropolitan area in the United Kingdom. It is a leading global city, with strengths in the arts, commerce , education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transport all contributing to its prominence . It is one of the world's leading financial centres and has the fifth-or sixth-largest metropolitan area GDP in the world depending on measurement. In 2012, London became the first city to host the modern Summer Olympic Games three times.
London has a diverse range of peoples and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken within its boundaries . It contains four World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London; Kew Gardens; the site comprising the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, and St Margaret's Church; and the historic settlement of Greenwich. Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, St Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, and The Shard. London is home to numerous museums, galleries, libraries, sporting events and other cultural institutions, including the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, British Library and 40 West End theatres.
伦敦是一个非常多元化的大都市，其居民来自世界各地，具有多元的文化；城市中使用的语言超过300种。伦敦有四处世界遗产景点：伦敦塔、英国皇家植物园、包括威斯敏斯特宫、威斯敏斯特大教堂和圣玛格丽特教堂在内的地区以及格林威治遗址。伦敦的其他地标性建筑还有白金汉宫、伦敦眼、皮卡迪利广场、圣保罗大教堂、塔桥、特拉法加广场以及碎片大厦。
London is a cosmopolitan mixture of the Third and First Worlds, of chauffeurs and beggars, the avowedly working class and the avant-garde . Unlike comparable European cities, much of London looks unplanned and grubby , but that is part of its appeal. Visiting London is like being let loose on a giant-sized Monopoly board clogged with traffic. Even though you probably won't know where you are exactly, the names will at least look reassuringly familiar. The city is so enormous, visitors will need to make maximum use of the underground train system: unfortunately, this dislocates the city's geography and makes it hard to get your bearings.
伦敦市是一个第三世界与第一世界的结合体，这里充斥着司机、乞丐、工人以及前卫人士。与其他欧洲大都市不同，伦敦的许多地方看起来都是脏乱的，但这也正是它魅力的一部分。参观伦敦就像是在玩交通拥挤的大富翁游戏。尽管你可能不知道自己究竟身在何处，但是各种地名看起来至少会觉得很熟悉。这座城市是如此之大，所以作为游客，你一定要物尽其用，好好利用伦敦畅通的地铁体系。不幸的是，它错综复杂，以至于你常常会弄不清楚方位。
