时间：2022-02-28 05:14:35
The Mother of Cities, the City of Spires, the Golden City—prague has many nicknames[绰号], and for good reason. From Gothic注1 to Modern and every architectural style in between, there’s an incredible building around every corner of the Czech capital.
Take, for example the Old Town Square. First developed in the 12th century, it is home to the beautiful Church of Our Lady before Tyn注2. At the top of the Old Town Hall sits the six-hundred-year-old Astronomical Clock with its complex dial[钟面] representing the earth, sun, moon and zodiac[十二宫图].
Across the Charles Bridge sits Prague’s most famous attraction, the Prague Castle. The largest ancient castle in the world, it was first constructed in AD 870. Since then, it has been renovated[修复] and rebuilt several times because of wars, fires and the tastes of new kings. The castle is a must-see for visitors. It contains two churches, several residences and no less than five palaces, all stocked[储存] with cultural and artistic treasures. Like all good castles, it even has a moat[护城河].
Of course, Prague is famous for more than just buildings. For centuries, it has been one of the hottest cultural centers in Europe. In 1787, Mozart’s famous opera, Don Giovanni, premiered in the city. Famous Czech writers who were either born or studied in Prague include Franz Kafka, Rainer Maria Rilke and Milan Kundera注3.
In 1989, Prague became a center of bohemian注4 lifestyle. Thousands of writers, artists and students from around the world flocked[涌入] to the city. They took advantage of its cheap food, rent and beer. All day and night, they hung out in cafes and bars reading poetry and talking about art.
The city is more touristy[适合观光的] now than in the 1990s. The city center has been cleaned up and hotel costs are increasing. However, visiting students and twenty-somethings can still get a taste of the bohemian lifestyle in a Prague neighborhood called Zizkov. A mix of rough bars and trendy[流行的] nightclubs, budget stores and boutiques[小商店], it resembles[像] New York’s hip East Village注5, giving just about everyone something to experience in Prague.
城市之母、千塔之城、黄金城——布拉格的诸多称号并非浪得虚名。在这个捷克首都中，处处都有令人难以置信的建筑，从歌德式到现代式的各种风格都有。
就拿旧城广场来说吧，这个广场始建于十二世纪，广场内有美丽的泰恩圣母教堂；在旧城钟楼的顶端，有一座历史长达六百年的天文钟，钟面设计复杂，象征着地球、太阳、月亮以及黄道十二宫。
走过查理士桥，就看到布拉格最著名的景点——布拉格城堡。这是世界上最大的古堡，初建于公元870年，之后因战乱、火灾以及历代君主的不同品味经历了多番修复及重建。这座城堡是游客不可错过的景点，城堡中有两座教堂，几幢建筑，还有五座以上的宫殿，里面全是文化及艺术珍宝。布拉格城堡甚至和其它坚固的城堡一样，建有护城河。
当然，布拉格不仅以建筑而闻名。几个世纪以来，布拉格向来是欧洲最热门的文化中心之一。1787年，莫扎特的著名歌剧《唐璜》于此地首演。在布拉格出生或学习的知名捷克作家包括弗朗茨·卡夫卡、勒内·马里亚·里尔克以及米兰·昆德拉等。