Home to over 8 million people,

居民有八百萬人口。

the capital of the UK has been an important financial,

作為英國首都，倫敦幾世紀來一直是

educational and cultural center for hundreds of years.

重要的財經、教育和文化中心。

Of the many gifts England has given to the world,

在英國帶給世界的眾多絕妙禮物中，

none has been greater than her language and literature.

最偉大的莫過於它的語言和文學。

And if ever there's a city that reads like an epic saga, it's London.

如果將城市比喻成書，倫敦絕對是精彩、偉大的史詩傳奇。

The story of London began in the Bronze Age,

倫敦的歷史始於銅器時代，

but it didn't really get going until the Romans withdrew in the 5th century.

但一直到五世紀羅馬人撤退後，這座城市才開始有所發展。

Growing into one of the great medieval trading cities,

直到中世紀倫敦才成為偉大的貿易城市，

she truly came of age in the 11th century,

並在十一世紀真正臻於成熟。

when William the Conqueror built the Tower of London,

當時征服者威廉興建了倫敦塔，

which was to become one of England's grimmest prisons.

日後這裡成為英國最冷酷可怕的一座監獄。

London is very easy to navigate around,

倫敦的交通十分便利，

and is compact enough to explore on foot.

它的大小也很適合遊客們步行探索。

This world city is filled with iconic symbols,

這座國際級的城市到處充滿著極具代表性的地標，

and one of the most easily recognizable is Tower Bridge,

其中最為人所知的，就是辨識度極高的倫敦塔橋，

an impressive reminder of London's rapid expansion during the industrial revolution.

它象徵著工業革命時期倫敦的疾速蓬勃發展。

Just upriver, at the Houses of Parliament,

往上游走，國會大廈的

Big Ben's reassuring chimes peal across the city every hour, on the hour.

大笨鐘鼓舞人心的鐘聲會在每個整點準時響徹倫敦。

Buckingham Palace, perhaps the most famous palace in the world,

全世界最有名的宮殿：白金漢宮，

is the official residence of Queen Elizabeth.

是伊莉莎白女王的正式寢宮，

It's a popular London attraction, offering tours of staterooms and gardens.

同時也是倫敦的熱門景點，開放國事廳和花園供民眾參觀。

Nearby, Kensington Palace is open to the public year-round.

附近的肯辛頓宮則是終年開放參觀。

The palace and gardens will be remembered

這座宮殿和花園曾經是

as the home of Princess Di and Prince Charles,

查爾斯王子和黛安娜王妃的住所，

and have recently undergone a multimillion-pound refurbishment.

最近剛斥資數百萬英鎊加以整修翻新。

Another legacy of England's monarchy are the Royal Parks of London.

另一個英國君主制度的傳奇性代表，則是倫敦的皇室公園。

They were once reserved as private hunting grounds for the royal family,

這些園地本來預留作為皇室的狩獵用地，

but nowadays they're open for everyone to enjoy.

但現在則開放給一般大眾使用。

There are eight Royal Parks, and many of them are in central London,

皇室公園共有八座，大多位於倫敦市中心，

and close to royal palaces and other historic monuments.

與皇室宮殿和其他歷史古蹟相距不遠。

Green Park and St. James's Park are right next to

綠園和聖詹姆斯公園就毗鄰

Buckingham Palace, Admiralty Arch and The Mall.

白金漢宮、海軍拱門和林蔭路而立。

Hyde Park is perhaps the most famous with its man-made lake, The Serpentine,

海德公園可能是最富盛名的公園，裡面有座蛇型人工湖，

and on the other side, Kensington Gardens is a beautiful open expanse

而另一頭的肯辛頓花園則是一片美麗的開放綠地，

that stretches east towards Kensington Palace.

向東延伸至肯辛頓宮。

The Albert Memorial is at the southern end of Kensington Gardens,

亞伯特紀念碑位於肯辛頓花園南端，

and the striking bronze statue looks towards the Royal Albert Hall

引人注目的銅像與皇家亞伯特音樂廳

just across the road.

隔街相對。

The hall is yet another reminder of Queen Victoria's

這座音樂廳是維多利亞女王為她的丈夫

great love for her husband, Prince Albert.

亞伯特親王所建，以紀念他們永恆的愛情。

Many of London's greatest stories have begun in her houses of worship,

倫敦許多偉大的傳奇都起源於宗教場所，

and none is so impressive and important as Westminster Abbey.

其中最重要也最具代表性的，非西敏寺莫屬。

This is where kings and queens have been crowned, married and even buried.

歷代英國國王和女王皆在此受冕、結婚，甚至長眠於此。

London was rebuilt after The Great Fire in 1666,

倫敦曾於 1666 年遭大火吞噬，其後積極重建，

and St. Paul's Cathedral is the most enduring monument to the city's transformation.

聖保羅大教堂是歷經這座城市轉型最歷久不衰的典範，

It's a great testament to British strength and resilience.

也是象徵英國強韌力量與堅忍生命力的最佳見證。

The West End in central London is a story in itself.

倫敦市中心的西區有其自成一格的特色。

Here the streets are lined with ancient buildings,

這裡的街道林立著古老建築，

but the throngs of people are out to have fun.

而成群結隊的人們出門來找樂子。

By day, the charming boutiques and cafés hum with shoppers,

白天時，迷人的精品店和咖啡廳擠滿了購物人潮，

and by night the bars along Carnaby Street are packed

到了夜晚，卡納比街上的酒吧則湧入

with patrons enjoying pre-show drinks.

在表演開始前來喝上一杯的顧客。

This is one of the largest theater districts in the world.

這裡是全球最大的劇院區之一。

And at times it can feel like you're on a Monopoly board,

有時您會覺得自己就像身處大富翁遊戲裡一樣，

with Coventry Street, Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus all close by.

攝政街、特拉法加廣場和皮卡迪利圓環都近在咫尺。

Moving away from the historic center,

離開歷史悠久的市中心，

London's trendy suburbs offer a different kind of story.

時髦、流行的倫敦郊區則給人全然不同的感受。

The Portobello Road Markets in Notting Hill attract thousands of visitors,

位於諾丁丘的波特貝羅市集吸引數以千計的旅客前來朝聖，

especially to the antiques markets that's held on Saturdays,

週六的骨董市集尤其充滿魅力，

while the edgier Camden Town features six popular markets

而個性獨具的肯頓區擁有六個熱門特色市集，

that are open every day of the week,

全年無休，無論是在

and operate along her streets, the canal, and in her historic stables.

大街上、運河邊，或是歷史悠久的馬廄，都有驚喜等著您。

London is a city that honors not only her own story,

倫敦不僅以自己國家的歷史為榮，

but also the story of humankind.

更對全人類的歷史懷抱敬意。

The British Museum is one of the finest in the world,

大英博物館是全世界最偉大的博物館之一，

and her treasures cover thousands of years of history and number in the millions.

館中數百萬件珍貴的館藏，涵蓋了數千年的歷史。

The museum is open every day, and best of all, it's free.

大英博物館不僅全年開放，而且完全免費。

From the ancient to the modern,

從古老歷史回到現代，

The London Eye offers a complete change of pace and perspective.

倫敦眼代表人們生活步調和觀點的全盤改變。

The massive wheel is over 400 feet high,

這座巨大的摩天輪高度超過四百英呎，

and takes 30 minutes to complete one rotation.

轉完一圈需要 30 分鐘，

From here you can see the London of old,

從這裡可以看到倫敦歷史悠久的一面，

as well as some of the city's newest additions, all in air-conditioned comfort.

也能見證新加入這座城市的成員，盡在這個設有空調的舒適空間。

London will always be a city that looks towards

倫敦永遠都會是座不斷緬懷歷史，

the past and the future in equal measure.

同時展望未來的城市。

From 'Rule Britannia' to 'Cool Britannia',

從「統治吧，不列顛」演變到「酷不列顛」，

the fabric and the skyline of this city is forever turning over a new page.

這座城市的結構和天際線此後仍會持續翻開嶄新的一頁，

Which is, after all, what every great story should do.

這正是所有偉大故事應有的走向。