(单词翻译:单击)
Asked to name a romantic city, you might pick Paris, Venice, Rome or possibly even Milan. But don't overlook the Dutch capital, which is poetic enough that I have spent the past few years holed up there writing novels.
如果要求你说出一个浪漫的城市，你或许会选择巴黎、威尼斯、罗马、甚至有可能是米兰。但是，千万不要小看阿姆斯特丹，这是一个诗意十足，在过去几年间我都蛰居于此创造小说的地方。
And while you might associate it with a rather spicier type of "amour", Amsterdam more than holds its own when it comes to boutique hotels, romantic restaurants and canal-side strolls - not to forget its flowers. Valentine's Day falls on a Tuesday this year, so I say consider turning it into an extended, or even a lost weekend, in a hotel in Amsterdam.
或许你会将浪漫与一种更刺激的爱情联系起来，当提到精品酒店、浪漫餐厅、沿河漫步时，阿姆斯特丹拥有的比这更多--更别提这里的鲜花了。今年的情人节是星期二，因此我建议你不妨考虑预定阿姆斯特丹的酒店，度过并补上一个漫长的周末。
It's romantic to arrive by train, but the direct Eurostar isn't in service yet (it's slated for the end of the year) and the current rail journey - four to six hours depending on the connection in Brussels - takes chunks out of weekends, even extended ones. Happily, it only takes an hour to fly there.
乘坐火车抵达阿姆斯特丹不乏浪漫，然而直达的欧洲之星列车还未开始提供服务(他们计划年底开通)，并且目前的班次，甚至是增加的班次，大部分都集中在周末。包括在布鲁塞尔的转车时间，车程长达是四到六小时。令人高兴的是，乘飞机一个小时就可到达了。
Trains from Schiphol airport into the city are fast and regular, and your destination is a compact place once you get there. There's an easy-to-use tram system and plentiful (though expensive) taxis; you may find it more romantic to hire bikes, which is how most locals get about.
从史基浦机场到城区的列车快速又规律，一旦你到达了城区，你会发现那里布局紧凑。虽然有便捷的铁路系统，但却需交纳不菲的税；租自行车(游览阿姆斯特丹)非常方便，当地人就常常这样做。
Once you're there, here's how to make it an affair to remember.
一旦你去过那里，就会是难以忘却的记忆。
A flower shop on the Spui that leaves you with few excuses, guys. Dig deep; a beautiful, fresh bouquet never fails to make an impression and you're pretty much at the source here (a large share of the cut flowers sold in Britain comes from the Netherlands).
一间普伊的花店就能给你铭记的理由，伙伴们，请好好发掘吧；一束漂亮又新鲜的花都会给你留下深刻印象，鲜花的源地都会为你带来惊喜(英国市场上售卖的很大部分鲜切花都来自荷兰)。
A short stroll from here stands the Magere Brug or skinny bridge, which you may recognise from films such as Diamonds Are Forever. The story goes that two sisters living on opposite sides of the Amstel river had the famous wooden bridge built so they could visit one another. I can't help but wonder why they didn't just live on the same side; no matter, the result is wondrous, particularly at night. A thousand little light bulbs gently illuminate the old drawbridge, reflecting in the rippling currents beneath.
漫步城中，玛格尔桥会映入眼帘，它也被称之为瘦桥。从一些如《007系列之金刚钻》这样的电影中你都能找到这座桥的身影。电影的故事发生在居住于阿姆斯特尔河两岸的两姐妹之间，河上有一座有名的木桥，因此她们能够互相探望。我情不自禁地想问，为什么她们就不能住在同一边呢。不管怎样，故事的结局是奇异的，特别对于晚上来说。数千盏小灯温柔地照亮了古老的吊桥，在桥下潺潺流过的河水里留下倒影。
The Nine Streets area (where several boutique hotels are found) is another picturesque place for a stroll. It is in fact a former blue-collar area that escaped redevelopment and is now filled with enchanting homes, boutiques and cafés. It's hard to believe that canal-side houses here were unloved and sometimes even vacant as recently as the 1980s; now they go for millions.
第九街区(分布着许多精品酒店)是另一个散步的好去处。实际上，过去它曾躲过了再开发的命运，成为了工人的聚集区，而如今遍布迷人的小房子、时髦的店铺和繁多的咖啡馆。难以想象的是，在上个世纪八十年代，临河的房子却不被人喜爱，有时甚至(一整片)都是空的。如今它们已价值百万。
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