Abounding with exquisite architecture, steeped in history and tradition and renowned for its quirky rituals , Cambridge is a university town extraordinaire . It lies in East Anglia, on the River Cam, about 50 miles north from London. The tightly packed core of ancient colleges, the picturesque 'Backs' (college gardens) leading on to the river, and the leafy green meadows that seem to surround the city give it a far more tranquil appeal than its historic rival Oxford.
剑桥是座令人神往的传统大学城，它富于优美的建筑，沉浸在历史与传统中，以奇特的礼制闻名于世。剑桥郡位于伦敦以北50英里处的东安格利亚，横跨剑河。剑桥郡的核心——古老的大学，河边如图画般美丽的风景、看似将剑桥郡围绕起来的碧绿草地都使剑桥郡看起来比它一直以来的对手牛津郡要宁静得多。
Like "the Other Place", as Oxford is known, the buildings here seem unchanged for centuries, and it's possible to wander the college buildings and experience them as countless prime ministers, poets, writers and scientists have done. The sheer academic achievement seems to permeate the very walls, with cyclists loaded down with books negotiating narrow cobbled passageways, earnest students relaxing on manicured lawns and great minds debating life-changing research in historic pubs.
就像牛津闻名于世的“the Other Place”一样，这里的建筑几个世纪以来一直都没有任何改变，所以你可以像无数的首相、诗人、作家、科学家那样漫游在大学的各个建筑之中，感受它们。纯粹的学术成就似乎弥漫在整个剑桥，骑自行车的人推着载有一摞书的自行车沿着铺有鹅卵石的人行道交谈，认真的学生躺在修建整齐的草坪上休息，伟大的思想家在具有历史意义的酒吧里辩论着生活的改变。
In a city crammed with showstopping architecture, this is the show stealer. Chances are you will already have seen it on a thousand postcards, tea towels and choral CDs before you catch your first glimpse of the grandiose King's College Chapel, but still it inspires awe. It's one of the most extraordinary examples of Gothic architecture in England, begun in 1446 as an act of piety by Henry VI and finished by Henry VIII around 1516. Its steeples have long been a magnet for night climbers.
在一座充满了让人留下深刻印象建筑的城市里，这是一个抢镜的地方。在见到宏伟的国王学院礼拜堂真实面目之前，你可能已经在无数明信片、茶巾或是赞诗CD上见过它，但当你真正见到它时，你仍然会感到震撼。它是英国哥特式建筑的非凡代表作之一，为亨利六世在1446年下令建造，耗时80年，于1516年亨利八世在位时完工。它的尖塔一直深深地吸引着喜欢晚上攀爬的人们。
- 拓展学习：小词详解 | grandiose
While you can enjoy stunning front and back views of the chapel from King's Pde and the river, the real drama is within. Mouths drop open upon first glimpse of the inspirational fan-vaulted ceiling, its intricate tracery soaring upwards before exploding into a series of stone fireworks. This vast 80m-long canopy is the work of John Wastrel and is the largest expanse of fan vaulting in the world. The chapel is also remarkably light, its sides flanked by lofty stained-glass windows that retain their original glass. The antechapel and the choir are divided by a superbly carved wooden screen, designed and executed by Peter Stockton for Henry VIII. The thickly carved wooden stalls just beyond the screen are a stage for the chapel's world-famous choir. You can hear them in full voice during the magnificent Evensong.
虽然你可以在国王河旁欣赏这个礼拜堂宏伟的正面和背面，但实际上这条河也是这幅美景图中的一部分。无须深度探索国王学院礼拜堂，只需第一眼看到其带有灵感的扇形拱顶天花板、错综复杂的窗饰，你就会感到非常震撼。这个礼拜堂长达80米的天棚出自约翰·瓦斯特尔之手，是世界上最宽的扇形拱顶。该建筑能辐射出光线，其墙壁的每一面上都装有高大的窗户，窗户上仍装有原来的彩色玻璃。分隔礼拜堂前厅与唱诗班的是一个木雕屏风，它由彼得·斯托克顿为亨利三世所设计与制作。木雕屏风的后边就是这个礼拜堂闻名于世的唱诗班。在晚祷时，你能听到庄严的祷告声。
- 拓展学习：小词详解 | intricate
