In every major city in the Western World, some things are always the same. The same African men are always selling knockoffs of the same designer handbags and sunglasses, and the same Guatemalan musicians are always playing "I'd rather be a sparrow than a snail" on their bamboo windpipes. But some things are only in Rome. Like the sandwich counterman so comfortably calling me "beautiful" every time we speak. You want this panino grilled or cold, bella? Or the couples making out all over the place, like there is some contest for it, twisting into each other on benches, stroking each other's hair and crotches, nuzzling and grinding ceaselessly . . .

西方世界的每个大城市总有一些雷同之处。总有非洲男子兜售仿冒的名牌皮包和太阳眼镜，总有危地马拉乐手表演竹笛，吹奏我宁可当麻雀也不肯当蜗牛。然而有些东西只在罗马才有。比方卖三明治的掌柜每回跟我说话时都悠哉地唤我美人儿。来个热烤或冷三明治，美人儿？或者是到处拥吻的情侣，像参加竞赛似的，交缠在板凳上，抚摸彼此的头发和裤裆，没完没了地耳鬓厮磨……

And then there are the fountains. Pliny the Elder wrote once: "If anyone will consider the abundance of Rome's public supply of water, for baths, cisterns, ditches, houses, gardens, villas; and take into account the distance over which it travels, the arches reared, the mountains pierced, the valleys spanned—he will admit that there never was anything more marvelous in the whole world."

还有喷泉。老普林尼（Pliny the Elder）曾写道：想想罗马众多的公共水资源，供给浴场、贮水池、沟渠、房舍、庭园、别墅；再考虑水流过的距离、耸立的拱桥、穿过的山、跨越的山谷——任何人都会承认，全世界最了不起的东西莫过于此。

A few centuries later, I already have a few contenders for my favorite fountain in Rome. One is in the Villa Borghese. In the center of this fountain is a frolicking bronze family. Dad is a faun and Mom is a regular human woman. They have a baby who enjoys eating grapes. Mom and Dad are in a strange position—facing each other, grabbing each other's wrists, both of them leaning back. It's hard to tell whether they are yanking against each other in strife or swinging around merrily, but there's lots of energy there. Either way, Junior sits perched atop their wrists, right between them, unaffected by their merriment or strife, munching on his bunch of grapes. His little cloven hoofs dangle below him as he eats. (He takes after his father.)

在数个世纪后，已有多座罗马喷泉竞相成为我的最爱。其一位于博盖塞花园。在这座喷泉中央，是正在嬉戏的铜像家庭。父亲是半人半羊的牧神，母亲是一介女子。他们有个喜欢吃葡萄的宝宝。爸妈姿势奇特——面对面，抓着对方的手腕，两人的身子后仰。看不出他们究竟是拽住彼此在争斗，或是因兴高采烈而摇摆，倒是都洋溢活力。反正，小家伙趴坐在他们的手腕上，就在他们之间，对他们的愉悦或争斗无动于衷，大口嚼着他的那串葡萄。而吃着的同时，脚下的分趾蹄晃悠着。（它遗传自父亲。）

It is early September, 2003. The weather is warm and lazy. By this, my fourth day in Rome, my shadow has still not darkened the doorway of a church or a museum, nor have I even looked at a guidebook. But I have been walking endlessly and aimlessly, and I did finally find a tiny little place that a friendly bus driver informed me sells The Best Gelato in Rome. It's called "Il Gelato di San Crispino." I'm not sure, but I think this might translate as "the ice cream of the crispy saint." I tried a combination of the honey and the hazelnut. I came back later that same day for the grapefruit and the melon. Then, after dinner that same night, I walked all the way back over there one last time, just to sample a cup of the cinnamon-ginger.

2003年9月初，天气暖和懒散。此时是我在罗马的第四天，我仍未踏进任何一座教堂或博物馆，甚至未读过旅游指南。但我已漫无目的地走个不停，最后还找到一位友善的公车司机告诉我的那家罗马最好的意大利冰店。它叫圣克里斯皮诺冰店。我不确定能否翻译成香酥圣徒冰。我试了蜂蜜加榛果的混合口味。当天稍晚，我又回来品尝葡萄柚加香瓜。当天吃过晚饭后， 我又一路走回去 ，只为了尝一杯肉桂与姜。