书城外语英语PARTY——仙踪之旅·德国
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第1章 Germany Overview(1)

仙踪之旅——德国

在过去德国被认为“西欧磐石”,但这种刻板、沉闷的形象已距现实越来越远了,尤其是在两德统一以后。从北部的古老港口,到德国平原的开放地带,从路那卫星城到黑森林区,从山区到南部国际性大都市,德国几乎包容了一切欧洲国家可能具有的地区类型。

德国历史上长期诸侯割据,到了近代才成为联邦制国家,各个城市发展比较均衡。没有像巴黎、伦敦那样人口众多的大城市,最大的城市是柏林也只有350万人。联邦政府机构分散在各个大城市。如联邦宪法法院和联邦法院在卡尔斯鲁厄,联邦中央银行在法兰克福,联邦统计局在威斯巴登,联邦劳动局在纽伦堡等。统一前的首都波恩也保留了一些政府的机构。德国60%的人口居住在城市。城市规模按人口排列依次是柏林、汉堡、慕尼黑、科隆、法兰克福、埃森、多特蒙德、斯图加特、杜塞尔多夫等。德国城市的特点是市中心叫老城(Altstadt),以市政厅(Rathaus)、集市广场为中心并保留一些古代的建筑。老城是行政、商业、旅游点集中的地方。城市的中心火车站(Hbf)通常位于或紧邻市中心地区。由于受二次世界大战的影响,大部分城市建筑物在战争期间遭到严重破坏,战后对有纪念意义的建筑进行了修复。

德国现在有不少城市具有国际型都市风范,例如,柏林:德国首都,政治文化中心;汉堡:宜人的城市,夜生活可与柏林媲美;法兰克福:战后经济复苏中心,堪称“第二首都”。科隆:巴伐利亚州首府,德国最具代表性的城市之一,位于欧洲工业发达密集区,城内有不少历史纪念碑。慕尼黑:德国着名城市,在画廊、博物馆、啤酒、时装、运动等许多方面都居前列;海德堡大学城弥漫着浪漫气息,这里也是浪漫思潮的发源地……

此外,德国的着名风景区还有:巴伐利亚阿尔卑斯山区;康斯坦司湖区;黑森林区;莱茵河谷等,大都具有优美的传说和迷人的故事。

德国是一个富有魅力的旅游之国。它为旅游者提供了罕有的丰富多彩的值得游览的城市与风光;它吸引着人们来了解漫长而丰富的历史以及现代生活的各种形式。谁愿意寻找,他就能找到宁静的世外桃源,或者生气勃勃的场所。

根据统计资料,近年来来自中国的游客猛增,仅2004年1月至6月间到访德国的中国游客就有34万人之多。在到访德国的外国观光客中,中国游客之多已替代日本,成为排位第一。除了旅游之外,不少中国游客大肆购买高档奢侈品,中国人购物一掷千金的做派,让节俭成性的德国人看傻了眼。据统计他们在德国平均每人每天花费200欧元。

德国的旅游景点很多。全年游客最多(排名前十位)的德国景点有:科隆大教堂(Cologne Cathedral),路德斯海姆老城(Rüdesheimer Altstadt),柏林(Die Glaskuppel des Berliner Reichstags),波恩文化艺术展览馆(Bonner Museumsmeile),保留德国中世纪建筑风格的城市——路登贝克(Rothenburg),德国历史老城巴德-明斯特艾弗(Bad Münstereifel)和德国着名大腕歌星海诺开的海诺咖啡馆(Heinos RathausCafé),慕尼黑德国博物馆(Das Deutsche Museum),海德堡城堡(Das Schloss Heidelberg)。

Germany (or The Federal Republic of Germany) is one of the world,s leadingleading adj.领导的, 第一位的, 最主要的 industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. It is borderedborder n.边界, 国界, 边, 边沿, 边境 vt.与……接壤, 接近 v.接壤 to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea, to the south by Austria and Switzerland, to the west by France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, and to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic.

Germany is a democratic federal parliamentaryparliamentary adj.议会的 nation, made up of 16 federal states, which in certain spheres act independentlyindependently adv.独立地, 自立地 of the Federation.

The Federal Republic of Germany is a member state of the United Nations, NATO, the G8 and the G4 nations, and is a founding member of what is now the European Union.

Economy

Germany is the world,s third largest economy measured by gross domestic product, placed behind the United States and Japan. According to the World Trade Organisation, Germany is also the world,s top exporter, ahead of the United States and China. Its major trading partners include France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy and the Netherlands. A major issue of concern remains the persistently high unemployment rate, especially in the eastern states, and weak domestic demanddomestic demand 国内需求 which slows down economic growth. However, according to Bert Rürup, head of Germany,s Council of Economic Advisers, reunification is to blame for twothirds of Germany,s growth lag compared to its EU neighbours. In particular, eastern Germany lacks a solid base of small and mediumsized companies, which provided the foundation for West Germany,s economic prosperity.

Agriculture

For many years now agriculture in Germany has been in a state of decline. Poor earnings and lack of profitabilityprofitability n.收益性, 利益率 are counted to the main reasons for the failure of many medium and small concerns. The main crops grown are potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beet and cabbage. Germany ranks among the world,s largest producers of milk, milk products and meat. Agricultural support is managed under the EU Common Agricultural Policy

Industrial Sector