都是为了GDP！为吸引游客兴建的6座人造城

 　　However perfect a tourist destination might seem, it will always have its glaring faults - in London the attractions are too spread out, in Venice the streets can be too narrow and in Rome the cobbles play havoc¹ on the ankles.

　　对一个旅游城市来说，无论它的景致多么美轮美奂，却也总有着碍目的瑕疵——比如，伦敦城中的景点布局过于分散，威尼斯城中有些街道太过窄小，罗马城中的鹅卵石路常常弄伤游人的脚踝。

　　Which is why some countries decided² to design cities and towns from scratch to tempt³ those looking for a problem-free holiday. Read on to find out about six of the best fake cities and towns from around the world...

　　正因如此，许多国家决定自行设计一些城市和小镇，从平地建造起来，好吸引那些希望获得完美假期的游客们前来赏玩。看看下文，你会了解到全世界6大最完美的人造城镇。

　　都是为了GDP！为吸引游客兴建的6座人造城

　　1.Thames Town in China

　　中国的泰晤士小镇

　　Thames Town in China, which reportedly cost ?500million to build, sits 19 miles outside of Shanghai.

　　这座中国的泰晤士小镇位于距离上海市外19英里的地方，据报道斥资5亿英镑建成。

　　But despite being completed in 2006, its mock-Tudor buildings, cobbled streets and English pub remain desolate⁴.

　　这座城市于2006年建成，然而建成至今，它那模仿都铎王朝时期英国建筑风格的特色建筑，鹅卵石铺就的街道和英式的小酒店却一直遭到游客的冷遇。

　　Bronze statues of James Bond and Winston Churchill are two of the tourist attractions, while hundreds of homes are designed to imitate Victorian, Georgian and Tudor architecture.

　　这里有不少英式的旅游景点，其中包括詹姆斯·邦德和丘吉尔的铜像，还有成百上千的别墅效仿着维多利亚时代，乔治王朝时代和都铎王朝时代的建筑风格。

　　2.Las Vegas, USA

　　美国——拉斯维加斯

　　The first people to imagine that a city in the middle of the West Coast desert would be a roaring success must have had a hard time convincing others, but they were right and Las Vegas is now one of the party capitals of the world.

　　当那些创业者想出要在美国西海岸中部的沙漠中建造一座城市，并断定这座城市一定会飞黄腾达时，他们一定废了不少唇舌让旁人相信他们的梦想。然而他们是对的。如今拉斯维加斯是全球最繁华，最热闹的城市之一。

　　The city was founded in 1905 and 24 years later it got its big break when Nevada legalised gambling⁵.

　　这座城市在1905年建成，24年后，内华达州颁布了赌博合法化的法令，这座城市迎来了最大的机遇。

　　Since then, it has become the top location for gamblers from around the world.

　　从此之后，这座城市就变成了全球各地的赌客们最倾慕的地方。

　　3.Atlantic City, USA

　　美国——大西洋城

　　Atlantic City has recently enjoyed a revival⁶ thanks to the HBO drama Boardwalk Empire, but in the last couple of decades it experienced a slump⁷ in visitor numbers.

　　由于HBO电视台的热播历史剧《大西洋帝国》，近年来大西洋城出现了经济复苏的局面，不过近十年来它也曾遭遇游客人数锐减的冷遇。

　　It is a far cry from its heydey of the 1940's and 50's, when wealthy New Yorkers would flock to the city on the Jersey⁸ shore for their summer vacation.

　　此情此景与此城1940-50年代的景象可以天壤之别，当时正是这座城的黄金时代，那些富裕的纽约人蜂拥而至，到这座泽西海岸上的城市来享受暑假。

　　3.Cancun, Mexico

　　墨西哥——坎昆城

　　Cancun is one of the most fashionable holiday destinations in the world right now. But 45 years ago, there was nothing but sand where the city now lies.

　　坎昆城如今已经成为全球最受欢迎的度假胜地之一。可是就在45年前，这里还是一片只有沙土的废墟。

　　The Mexican government plowed⁹ money into the area and built several large hotels with the aim of making it a global tourist destination.

　　莫斯哥政府倾注大量资金建设这个地区，在这里建造了好几座大型酒店，目的就是将这里建成一座国际化的旅游城市。

　　5.Benidorm

　　贝尼多姆

　　Benidorm is one of the most successful tourist destinations in Spain.

　　贝尼多姆是西班牙最繁华的旅游城市之一。

　　But until the 1950s, it was just a small fishing town off the western Mediterranean¹⁰.

　　然而就在1950年代的时候，它还仅仅只是一个地中海西海岸变的小渔村。

　　After the fishing industry started to struggle, the Spanish government decided to turn it into a holiday spot.

　　当渔业开始萎缩的时候，西班牙政府才决定将这座城市转型成为一座旅游城市。

　　6.Baiae, Italy

　　意大利——贝亚城

　　Baiae was built to attract wealthy holidaymakers from nearby Rome two thousand years ago.

　　两千年前，人们建造了贝亚城，目的是吸引附近的罗马帝国的富裕居民来此度假。

　　But by 1500, the town was deserted¹¹ because of Malaria¹².

　　1500年左右，这座城因爆发疟疾被人们遗弃。

　　As the coast subsided¹³ from volcanic¹⁴ activity, Baiae gradually disappeared underwater, although some of the remains¹⁵ can still be seen on land.

　　由于火山活动地壳下沉，贝亚城逐渐被海平面淹没，只有少数遗址还留存在陆地上。

1 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 tempt   

vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣

参考例句：

• Nothing could tempt him to such a course of action.什么都不能诱使他去那样做。
• The fact that she had become wealthy did not tempt her to alter her frugal way of life.她有钱了，可这丝毫没能让她改变节俭的生活习惯。

4 desolate   

adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂

参考例句：

• The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。
• We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后，我们都觉得万分孤寂。

5 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

6 revival   

n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振

参考例句：

• The period saw a great revival in the wine trade.这一时期葡萄酒业出现了很大的复苏。
• He claimed the housing market was showing signs of a revival.他指出房地产市场正出现复苏的迹象。

7 slump   

n.暴跌，意气消沉，（土地）下沉；vi.猛然掉落，坍塌，大幅度下跌

参考例句：

• She is in a slump in her career.她处在事业的低谷。
• Economists are forecasting a slump.经济学家们预言将发生经济衰退。

8 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

9 plowed   

v.耕( plow的过去式和过去分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过

参考例句：

• They plowed nearly 100,000 acres of virgin moorland. 他们犁了将近10万英亩未开垦的高沼地。 来自辞典例句
• He plowed the land and then sowed the seeds. 他先翻土，然后播种。 来自辞典例句

10 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

11 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

12 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

13 subsided   

v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上

参考例句：

• After the heavy rains part of the road subsided. 大雨过后，部分公路塌陷了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• By evening the storm had subsided and all was quiet again. 傍晚， 暴风雨已经过去，四周开始沉寂下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

15 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。