VOA标准英语2011--Foggy California City is Tops With Tourists

Foggy California City is Tops With Tourists

 

Hilly San Francisco is America’s 13th-largest city. Three other California cities - Los Angeles, San Diego and San Jose - are larger. Yet each year, San Francisco ranks first or second in the nation in tourist visits.

What’s the attraction? Why did singer Tony Bennett, in his signature song, leave his heart in San Francisco, rather than, say, Boston or Cincinnati?

Perhaps it’s the setting; the city is shrouded¹ in fog along 40 steep hills overlooking glistening² San Francisco Bay. Many of the densely-packed neighborhoods clinging to these hills are filled with ornate Victorian houses called “painted ladies.”

Considering its ocean beaches, bustling³ commercial waterfront, two of the world’s most striking bridges, and the largest urban park west of Philadelphia, it’s no wonder San Francisco is a desirable - and expensive - place to live and a treat to visit.

Add in its lively theater scene, the oldest ballet company in the United States, dozens of art galleries, and thousands of fine restaurants, and San Francisco exudes⁴ sophistication.

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the world’s most-recognized, and photographed, bridges.

The city does get a lot of rain, but its winters are mild and its summers cool. Really cool. In fact, there’s a delightful⁵ saying - incorrectly credited to humorist Mark Twain - that the natives enjoy: “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”

Among the city’s top visitor attractions is Chinatown - the largest Asian community outside Asia. And one of the enduring symbols of San Francisco is its fleet of 37 cable cars - the only ones of their kind remaining in the world.

San Francisco’s hills themselves are tourist attractions - especially a serpentine⁶ stretch of Lombard Street that everyone calls the “Crookedest Street in America.”

In the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, you can still run into people who are trying to recapture the “hippie” experience of San Francisco’s 1967 “Summer of Love.” And in San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz Prison, which once housed the worst of the worst federal prisoners, is open for tours.

These unique allurements⁷ explain why the American short-story writer O. Henry wrote, “East is East, and West is San Francisco.”

1 shrouded   

v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密

参考例句：

• The hills were shrouded in mist . 这些小山被笼罩在薄雾之中。
• The towers were shrouded in mist. 城楼被蒙上薄雾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 glistening   

adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼里闪着晶莹的泪花。
• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼睛中的泪水闪着柔和的光。 来自《用法词典》

3 bustling   

adj.喧闹的

参考例句：

• The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。
• This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。

4 exudes   

v.缓慢流出，渗出，分泌出( exude的第三人称单数 )；流露出对（某物）的神态或感情

参考例句：

• The plant exudes a sticky fluid. 这种植物分泌出一种黏液。
• She exudes sexual magnetism. 她洋溢着女性的魅力。

5 delightful   

adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的

参考例句：

• We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
• Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

6 serpentine   

adj.蜿蜒的，弯曲的

参考例句：

• One part of the Serpentine is kept for swimmers.蜿蜒河的一段划为游泳区。
• Tremolite laths and serpentine minerals are present in places.有的地方出现透闪石板条及蛇纹石。

7 allurements   

n.诱惑( allurement的名词复数 )；吸引；诱惑物；有诱惑力的事物

参考例句：

• The big cities are full of allurements on which to spend money. 大城市充满形形色色诱人花钱的事物。 来自《简明英汉词典》