It is difficult to say what is the real center of England, but many people would choose Piccadilly Circus. This is because it is not only central but also the heart of London’s entertainment world. Within a few hundred yards of it we find most of London’s best-known theatres and cinemas, the most famous restaurants and the most luxurious night-clubs.

　　In the middle of Piccadilly Circus there is a statue said to be of Eros, the god of love. Few people know that it really represents the Angel of Christian Charity. This statue is the first that was ever cast in aluminum2 . On Cup Final3 night and New Year’s Eve it is boarded up to prevent over-enthusiastic revelers from climbing onto it.

　　The buildings around the Circus are rather nondescript, though some of them are large and quite imposing. 4 Many of them are decorated with bright neon signs advertising goods and entertainments; Piccadilly Circus at night is a colourful sight.

　　Underneath Piccadilly Circus there is an important tube station with escalators leading down to two different lines. The ticket-hall, which is just below street-level, is a vast circular hall with showcases, hired by various stores, let into the walls. There are entrances from all the main streets that converge at the Circus. 5

　　It is particularly in the evening that Piccadilly Circus is thronged with people going to the theatre or the cinema, or perhaps to a restaurant. Many others have come for an evening stroll6 ; they will probably have a cup of coffee or a glass of beer before they go home . The crowd is a motley7 one , for it is composed of people of many nationalities. The peoples of the British Commonwealth are well represented, as there are many Indians, Pakistanis, West Indians and Africans in London; they are either working here or studying. Some of them wear their national dress. Many foreign visitors mingle with the crowd, some from the Continent, some from more distant places. It is interesting to try to identify different nationalities by their style and type of clothing. This is no longer as easy as it used to be. The atmosphere is distinctly cosmopolitan, and one hears a great variety of languages. It has been said that if you listen carefully, you may even hear English8 !

　　閱讀自測

　　Ⅰ. According to the passage , fill in th e bla nks with proper words:

　　1. In the middle of Piccadilly Circus, there is a statue, which represents the of Christian Charity. On Cup Final night and New Year’s Eve it is up to prevent over-enthusiastic fans from climbing onto it.

　　2. The buildings around the Circus are large and quite .

　　3. Underneath the Circus there is a station with leading down to two different lines.

　　4. On the Circus, many foreign visitors with the crowd. It is really a one.

　　Ⅱ. Questions :

　　1. Why is Piccadilly Circus called the center of London?

　　2. What is the interesting thing in Piccadilly Circus?

　　參考答案

　?、? 1. Angel / boarded 2. imposing 3. tube / escalators 4 . mingle / motley

　?、? 1. Because it is not only central but also the heart of London’s entertainment world. 2. ( 略)

　　參考譯文

　　皮卡迪利廣場

　　很 難說哪里是倫敦真正的中心, 但許多人都會認定是皮卡迪利廣場, 這是因為它不僅 地處市中心而且是倫敦娛樂世界的中心。倫敦最有名的劇場和影院, 最著名的餐館和最豪 華的夜總會都在距離廣場幾百碼的地方。

　　皮卡迪利廣場的中央有一座愛神厄洛斯的雕像。幾乎沒人知道這座雕像真正代表的 是基督教博愛天使。這是有史以來第一座由鋁鑄成的雕像。足協杯錦標賽決賽的當晚和 新年前夜, 為防止狂熱的狂歡者爬上去, 人們會用木板圍住雕像。

　　廣 場周圍的建筑的確難以描述, 但有些大樓還是非常宏偉壯觀。許多大樓都飾有明亮 的霓虹燈。那是在為各種商品和娛樂節目做廣告。皮卡迪利廣場的夜晚是絢麗多彩的。

　　皮卡迪利廣場的地下有個重要的地鐵站。地鐵站內的自動扶梯通向兩條不同的地鐵 線。地下售票廳是個寬敞的帶有各種展品陳列窗的圓形大廳, 這些陳列窗嵌入墻內, 由各 店家租用。廣場的各主要大街都有通往地鐵的入口。

　　特別是在晚上, 廣場上人頭攢動, 有人去看戲或看電影, 有人去餐館, 還有很多人來散 步, 回家前可能還會喝上一杯咖啡或啤酒。倫敦有來自五湖四海的人, 所以比較混雜。這 里有許多印度人、巴基斯坦人、西印度群島的人以及非洲人, 幾乎英聯邦成員國各民族的代 表都有, 他們有的是在這里工作, 有的是來上學。他們中有些人穿著本國的民族服裝。許 多外國游客夾雜在人群中, 有的來自歐洲大陸, 有的來自更遠的地方。通過衣著打扮來識 別他們的國籍是挺有意思的事情。但這點不再像過去那么容易了。這里的一切都具有明 顯的世界性, 人們可以聽到許多種語言。據說, 如果仔細聽, 你還會聽到英語呢!