Macau is largely unchanged since being returned to China on December 20th 1999 after 112 years as a Portuguese1 colony and visitors appreciate it.
Macau inhabitants regarded the handover as a mere change of administration. Certainly， you see fewer Portuguese faces on the streets nowadays， but there remains the curious mixture of European flair 2 and Far Eastern tradition that make the city so special.
Like its larger neighbour Hong Kong， Macau is now a special administrative region of China， but its special capitalist status is guaranteed for the next 50 years.
When you first glimpse Macau on the ferry from Hong Kong， it looks less than impressive. The skyline is dull compared to the imposing3 glass skyscrapers of Hong Kong， and most people do not take the time to revise4 this first impression， devoting no more than a day trip to it. But this does not do justice to this city of two cultures， which hides plenty of interesting secrets.
The Macau Museum， which opened two years ago， offers an excellent introduction to the peninsula's5 past and present. Children love it because it is full of technical paraphernalia6. You can press buttons to light up trade routes on maps， or to hear the different typical cries of Macau's traders.
Just a few metres from the museum is the city's most photographed symbol： the ruins of Sao Paulo， the Jesuit7 church built in 1602， although today only its imposing stone facade remains.
While the majority of Macau's inhabitants are Buddhist8， some seven per cent are Catholic and the religious sites of Macau testify to the special mix of eastern and western cultures here. As well as the numerous churches inherited from Portuguese rule， there are very many different temples.
The largest is the Kun Iam Tong. In the main hall of this temple， giant spiral9 joss-sticks10 hang from the ceiling， raining small piles of ash on the heads of visitors. Along the sides are smaller ancestors rooms commemorating11 the dead. There is also a room of plants which includes a special bonsai12 tree， the trunk of which happens to be shaped like the Chinese sign meaning long life.
The contrast between the peace of these temples and the bustle13 of Macau city could hardly be more stark14. The lively pedestrian zone flanked15 by colonial buildings with their teeming16 side streets are not at all reminiscent of religious contemplation17. Locals and tourists saunter along with shopping bags.
Macau， on the southeast coast of China， consists of the Macau peninsula and the two offshore islands of Taipa and Coloane in the Pearl River delta18. Ninety-six per cent of the 450，000 inhabitants are of Chinese origin. Anyone who stays a few days， soon realises that the city is small but charming. You soon start to recognise a few faces， even the city tramps19 start to become familiar. Although the tourism industry would like to sell Macau as a racy20， modern city， its real appeal is that it offers a very quiet， relaxing contrast to Hong Kong.
But Macau is one of the richest regions in Asia， with an annual per capita21 gross national product of more than 17，000 U.S. dollars. This is mainly thanks to gambling. Forty per cent of all state income comes from the numerous casinos here， the only legally operating gambling halls on Chinese territory.
在經(jīng)過112年葡萄牙殖民統(tǒng)治后，澳門于1999年12月20日回歸中國，此后基本上保持原貌，游客們對(duì)此很欣賞。
澳門的居民認(rèn)為這次移交僅僅是管理上的變化。的確，在今天澳門大街上你看不到多少葡萄牙人，但是這兒依然是歐洲風(fēng)格與遠(yuǎn)東傳統(tǒng)文化不同尋常的融合點(diǎn)，這使得它具有獨(dú)特的城市風(fēng)貌。
與較大的近鄰香港一樣，澳門現(xiàn)在是中國的一個(gè)特別行政區(qū)，它保持資本主義制度的特殊地位將50年不變。
當(dāng)你從香港開來的渡船上第一次瞥一眼澳門時(shí)，它看起來并不起眼。同香港那雄偉壯麗的摩天大樓相比，澳門這個(gè)城市的輪廓顯得并不鮮明，多數(shù)人不會(huì)去花費(fèi)一天的時(shí)間到那兒去看一看以修正他們的第一印象。但是如此看待這座具有兩種文化風(fēng)格的城市是不公平的，這樣很多有趣的東西就看不到了。
兩年前開放的澳門博物館極好地展示了半島的過去和現(xiàn)在。孩子們都喜歡它是因?yàn)槔锩嬗懈鞣N各樣科技含量高的東西。你按一下按鈕就能將地圖上的貿(mào)易航線照亮，還可以聽一聽澳門商販那各具特征的叫賣聲。
離博物館不遠(yuǎn)就是這個(gè)城市標(biāo)志性的建筑：圣保羅舊址，建于1602年的耶穌會(huì)教堂，盡管今天只有它那雄偉的石頭砌成的正面仍保留下來。
大多數(shù)澳門居民是佛教徒，只有7％的居民是天主教徒，澳門的宗教故址就足以證明這里是東西方文化特殊的交匯點(diǎn)。除了葡萄牙人統(tǒng)治時(shí)期遺留下來的眾多教堂之外，這里還有很多風(fēng)格不一的寺廟。
的是觀音堂。在這個(gè)觀音堂的主廳內(nèi)，巨大的螺旋形的香從天花板上垂吊著，它的灰燼落下來，一些落到了觀光者的頭上。堂的兩廂是紀(jì)念已逝先祖的小房間。有一間房內(nèi)放著盆景，其中有一棵樹很特殊，這樹的樹干形狀正像漢字的"壽".
這些寺廟的寧靜與澳門城市的喧鬧形成鮮明對(duì)比。行人區(qū)內(nèi)十分熱鬧，四邊都是殖民地風(fēng)格的建筑，小街縱橫交錯(cuò)，這里一點(diǎn)宗教氣氛都沒有。當(dāng)?shù)鼐用窈吐糜握叨紟е徫锏拇娱e逛。
位于中國東南海岸的澳門，包括澳門半島和兩個(gè)位于珠江三角洲的凼仔島和路環(huán)島。45萬澳門居民中96％的人祖籍是中國。無論是誰在這兒逗留幾天便很快意識(shí)到這個(gè)城市不大但富有魅力。你很快就能夠辨認(rèn)出一些面孔，甚至對(duì)這個(gè)城市的流浪漢也變得熟悉起來。雖然觀光業(yè)想要把澳門作為一個(gè)富有特色的現(xiàn)代化城市，但其真正令人喜歡的是，與香港相比，它顯得特別寧靜和讓人放松。
但是澳門也是亞洲最富的地區(qū)之一，它每年每人的國民生產(chǎn)產(chǎn)值已經(jīng)超過了1.7萬美元。這主要得益于*業(yè)。40％的政府收入來自于這里眾多的*，這里有中國版圖上惟一合法經(jīng)營的*。
注釋：
1.Portuguese adj.葡萄牙的
2.flair n.鑒別力，眼光
3.imposing adj.壯觀的，不凡的
4.revise vt.修正，改正
5.peninsula n.[地]半島
6.paraphernalia n.設(shè)備，器材
7.Jesuit n.耶穌會(huì)會(huì)士
8.Buddhist n.佛教徒
9.spiral adj.螺旋形的
10.joss stick（祭祀祖先或神佛時(shí)點(diǎn)的）線香
11.commemorate vt.紀(jì)念
12.bonsai n.[單復(fù)同]盆景，盆景藝術(shù)
13.bustle n.忙亂，喧擾
14.stark adj.明顯的，突出的
15.flank vt.位于…的側(cè)面
16.teeming adj.擁擠的，熱鬧的
17.contemplation n.（宗教徒的）斂心默禱
18.delta n.（河流的）三角洲
19.tramp n.流浪者
20.racy adj.具特色的
21.per capita 人均
Macau inhabitants regarded the handover as a mere change of administration. Certainly， you see fewer Portuguese faces on the streets nowadays， but there remains the curious mixture of European flair 2 and Far Eastern tradition that make the city so special.
Like its larger neighbour Hong Kong， Macau is now a special administrative region of China， but its special capitalist status is guaranteed for the next 50 years.
When you first glimpse Macau on the ferry from Hong Kong， it looks less than impressive. The skyline is dull compared to the imposing3 glass skyscrapers of Hong Kong， and most people do not take the time to revise4 this first impression， devoting no more than a day trip to it. But this does not do justice to this city of two cultures， which hides plenty of interesting secrets.
The Macau Museum， which opened two years ago， offers an excellent introduction to the peninsula's5 past and present. Children love it because it is full of technical paraphernalia6. You can press buttons to light up trade routes on maps， or to hear the different typical cries of Macau's traders.
Just a few metres from the museum is the city's most photographed symbol： the ruins of Sao Paulo， the Jesuit7 church built in 1602， although today only its imposing stone facade remains.
While the majority of Macau's inhabitants are Buddhist8， some seven per cent are Catholic and the religious sites of Macau testify to the special mix of eastern and western cultures here. As well as the numerous churches inherited from Portuguese rule， there are very many different temples.
The largest is the Kun Iam Tong. In the main hall of this temple， giant spiral9 joss-sticks10 hang from the ceiling， raining small piles of ash on the heads of visitors. Along the sides are smaller ancestors rooms commemorating11 the dead. There is also a room of plants which includes a special bonsai12 tree， the trunk of which happens to be shaped like the Chinese sign meaning long life.
The contrast between the peace of these temples and the bustle13 of Macau city could hardly be more stark14. The lively pedestrian zone flanked15 by colonial buildings with their teeming16 side streets are not at all reminiscent of religious contemplation17. Locals and tourists saunter along with shopping bags.
Macau， on the southeast coast of China， consists of the Macau peninsula and the two offshore islands of Taipa and Coloane in the Pearl River delta18. Ninety-six per cent of the 450，000 inhabitants are of Chinese origin. Anyone who stays a few days， soon realises that the city is small but charming. You soon start to recognise a few faces， even the city tramps19 start to become familiar. Although the tourism industry would like to sell Macau as a racy20， modern city， its real appeal is that it offers a very quiet， relaxing contrast to Hong Kong.
But Macau is one of the richest regions in Asia， with an annual per capita21 gross national product of more than 17，000 U.S. dollars. This is mainly thanks to gambling. Forty per cent of all state income comes from the numerous casinos here， the only legally operating gambling halls on Chinese territory.
在經(jīng)過112年葡萄牙殖民統(tǒng)治后，澳門于1999年12月20日回歸中國，此后基本上保持原貌，游客們對(duì)此很欣賞。
澳門的居民認(rèn)為這次移交僅僅是管理上的變化。的確，在今天澳門大街上你看不到多少葡萄牙人，但是這兒依然是歐洲風(fēng)格與遠(yuǎn)東傳統(tǒng)文化不同尋常的融合點(diǎn)，這使得它具有獨(dú)特的城市風(fēng)貌。
與較大的近鄰香港一樣，澳門現(xiàn)在是中國的一個(gè)特別行政區(qū)，它保持資本主義制度的特殊地位將50年不變。
當(dāng)你從香港開來的渡船上第一次瞥一眼澳門時(shí)，它看起來并不起眼。同香港那雄偉壯麗的摩天大樓相比，澳門這個(gè)城市的輪廓顯得并不鮮明，多數(shù)人不會(huì)去花費(fèi)一天的時(shí)間到那兒去看一看以修正他們的第一印象。但是如此看待這座具有兩種文化風(fēng)格的城市是不公平的，這樣很多有趣的東西就看不到了。
兩年前開放的澳門博物館極好地展示了半島的過去和現(xiàn)在。孩子們都喜歡它是因?yàn)槔锩嬗懈鞣N各樣科技含量高的東西。你按一下按鈕就能將地圖上的貿(mào)易航線照亮，還可以聽一聽澳門商販那各具特征的叫賣聲。
離博物館不遠(yuǎn)就是這個(gè)城市標(biāo)志性的建筑：圣保羅舊址，建于1602年的耶穌會(huì)教堂，盡管今天只有它那雄偉的石頭砌成的正面仍保留下來。
大多數(shù)澳門居民是佛教徒，只有7％的居民是天主教徒，澳門的宗教故址就足以證明這里是東西方文化特殊的交匯點(diǎn)。除了葡萄牙人統(tǒng)治時(shí)期遺留下來的眾多教堂之外，這里還有很多風(fēng)格不一的寺廟。
的是觀音堂。在這個(gè)觀音堂的主廳內(nèi)，巨大的螺旋形的香從天花板上垂吊著，它的灰燼落下來，一些落到了觀光者的頭上。堂的兩廂是紀(jì)念已逝先祖的小房間。有一間房內(nèi)放著盆景，其中有一棵樹很特殊，這樹的樹干形狀正像漢字的"壽".
這些寺廟的寧靜與澳門城市的喧鬧形成鮮明對(duì)比。行人區(qū)內(nèi)十分熱鬧，四邊都是殖民地風(fēng)格的建筑，小街縱橫交錯(cuò)，這里一點(diǎn)宗教氣氛都沒有。當(dāng)?shù)鼐用窈吐糜握叨紟е徫锏拇娱e逛。
位于中國東南海岸的澳門，包括澳門半島和兩個(gè)位于珠江三角洲的凼仔島和路環(huán)島。45萬澳門居民中96％的人祖籍是中國。無論是誰在這兒逗留幾天便很快意識(shí)到這個(gè)城市不大但富有魅力。你很快就能夠辨認(rèn)出一些面孔，甚至對(duì)這個(gè)城市的流浪漢也變得熟悉起來。雖然觀光業(yè)想要把澳門作為一個(gè)富有特色的現(xiàn)代化城市，但其真正令人喜歡的是，與香港相比，它顯得特別寧靜和讓人放松。
但是澳門也是亞洲最富的地區(qū)之一，它每年每人的國民生產(chǎn)產(chǎn)值已經(jīng)超過了1.7萬美元。這主要得益于*業(yè)。40％的政府收入來自于這里眾多的*，這里有中國版圖上惟一合法經(jīng)營的*。
注釋：
1.Portuguese adj.葡萄牙的
2.flair n.鑒別力，眼光
3.imposing adj.壯觀的，不凡的
4.revise vt.修正，改正
5.peninsula n.[地]半島
6.paraphernalia n.設(shè)備，器材
7.Jesuit n.耶穌會(huì)會(huì)士
8.Buddhist n.佛教徒
9.spiral adj.螺旋形的
10.joss stick（祭祀祖先或神佛時(shí)點(diǎn)的）線香
11.commemorate vt.紀(jì)念
12.bonsai n.[單復(fù)同]盆景，盆景藝術(shù)
13.bustle n.忙亂，喧擾
14.stark adj.明顯的，突出的
15.flank vt.位于…的側(cè)面
16.teeming adj.擁擠的，熱鬧的
17.contemplation n.（宗教徒的）斂心默禱
18.delta n.（河流的）三角洲
19.tramp n.流浪者
20.racy adj.具特色的
21.per capita 人均