2008 年欧洲文化之都利物浦

Liverpool won the battle to become the European Capital of Culture for 2008。 So what made Liverpool stand out from other cities？ 利物浦当选为 2008 年“欧洲文化之都”。是什么使利物浦从其他城市中脱颖而出呢？
　　
　　Liverpool
　　
　　Liverpool， with its half a million citizens， is a big city。 It's a city with variety and options。 Many people will say this is the best thing about it。 The city has certainly changed a lot over the last few years; it is evolving with the times， becoming a more modern， lively place。
　　
　　Every year， tourists from all over the world flock to Liverpool。 Mainly head straight for the stadia to catch the city's two football teams in action。 Liverpool FC and Everton FC are both internationally renowned clubs with fans from all corners of the world， as well as a fair few avid home grown supporters。 Both teams have also reigned successful in the Premier League for many years。
　　
　　Another big draw to the city is the legacy of four local boys; Paul， John， George and Ringo， collectively famous as The Beatles。 The pop quartet first put Liverpool on the world map in the 1960s。 The Beatles Story， situated at the Albert Dock， is a huge draw for fans， and you'll find the Beatles shop and ever-popular Cavern Club， the “ birthplace of the Fab Four ” ， in the Cavern Quarter of the city。 Diehard fans can also join one of the coach trips around the sights associated with the band， from the houses they grew up in， to the places immortalised in songs including Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields。
　　
　　But Liverpool is abut more than music and sport。 It is rich in history， with some of the most stunning architecture in the UK。 The city has two great cathedrals; the enormous maroon-stone Anglican –– the largest of its kind in Europe ––– and the more contemporary - styled Metropolitan。 The famous waterfront， with the Pierhead and the Albert Docks， is also worth a visit。 Many of the city's great museums are situated here， including the Walker Art Gallery， the Liverpool Maritime Museum， and the Tate Gallery， which is home to the largest modern art collection in the North。
　　
　　The nightlife in the city also has a lot to offer。 With more than 205 bars， pubs and restaurants， there is always something for everyone to do in Liverpool。 Liverpool has something for everyone。 Music， museums， shopping， history， pubs and bars ––– it's all there。 It is the world in one city， a place truly deserving of the Capital of Culture title。
　　
　　利物浦这个拥有 50 万人口的大城市，是一个多姿多彩、有多种选择的地方。许多人都说这是利物浦最棒的一点。在过去几年里，这座城市自然也经历了很多的变化。随着时间的推移，它逐渐成为一座更具现代气息、更加充满活力的地方。
　　
　　每年世界各地的游人蜂拥来到利物浦。大部分游人会径直去体育场看这个城市的两支足球队的训练。利物浦足球俱乐部和埃弗顿足球俱乐部是两个世界知名的足球俱乐部，吸引着来自全球各地的球迷和相当一部分狂热的当地铁杆球迷。多年来，两支球队在英格兰超级联赛中都有上佳表现。
　　
　　这个城市另一个巨大的引人之处是 4 个当地男孩：保罗、约翰、乔治和林弋所产生的影响，他们就是著名的甲壳虫乐队成员。这个流行乐 4 人组合在 20 世纪 60 年代首次将利物浦推向世界。坐落在阿尔伯特玛头的甲壳虫博物馆吸引着众多的歌迷。在这里你还可以找到甲壳虫商店和一直都大受欢迎的巨穴俱乐部，这个俱乐部号称是“四个天才的诞生地”，位于利物浦市的加文区。铁杆歌迷也可以乘大巴游览与该乐队相关的景点，从他们住过的房子到那些在歌声中获得恒久声名的地方，其中包括便士街和草莓地。
　　
　　但是利物浦可不仅仅有音乐和体育。这座具有悠久历史的城市拥有一些最让人震撼的英国建筑。利物浦有两座大教堂：一座是褐色石质的圣公会教堂，它是欧洲同类教堂中最大的一座；另一座是造型更为现代的都会教堂。包括皮尔海德码头和阿尔贝特码头在内的港区也值得一看。利物浦的许多大型博物馆也都坐落在这里，包括沃克美术画廊，利物浦海洋博物馆和北部现代艺术品馆藏量最大的泰特美术馆。
　　
　　利物浦的夜生活也值得一提。由于拥有 250 多家酒吧、酒馆和餐馆，在利物浦任何人都有的可做。利物浦可以满足每个人的需要。音乐、博物馆、购物、历史、酒馆和酒吧 ––– 利物浦将所有这些集于一身。这是一个包容了整个世界的城市，无愧于“欧洲文化之都”的称号。