G'day Sydney!(a) | 让你绝对不无聊的澳洲雪梨(a)

by Jeremy Beacock

There's more than just the Opera   House to Sydney's appeal.

澳洲雪梨的魅力不仅仅只有歌剧院而已。

Like New York City, Sydney is not the capital of its country, but it is definitely the first city that comes to mind when people think of Australia. As the largest city in Australia, Sydney is home to some of its most iconic sites and also renowned for its pleasant climate and beach culture. Because of all this, it is the most popular tourist destination in Australia, attracting nearly three million tourists a year.

The city itself is a little over 200 years old, and as Australia's main port, it quickly became a commercial hub. Because of its financial importance, Sydney had the means to invest in many impressive museums, galleries, and theater houses. The most distinctive of these is the Sydney Opera House, but this amazing building isn't the only landmark in Sydney. There's the equally famous Sydney Harbour Bridge, which visitors can climb. Other popular tourist sites include the Royal Botanical Gardens and the historical shopping district known as The Rocks.

If the city itself isn't appealing to you, the laid-back beach culture is worth checking out. Sydney has around 40 beaches, all within easy traveling distance. You can learn to surf, go scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, or just relax to your heart's content on the white-sand beach. At the right time of year, visitors might even be lucky enough to see whales, which pass Sydney on their yearly migrations. Combined with the relaxed and friendly Australian people, it's not surprising that Sydney is so popular with tourists. Even if visitors don't like opera or the beach, they are bound to find something to do in this cosmopolitan city.

　就像纽约市一样，雪梨不是国家首都，但绝对是人们想到澳洲时第一个浮现脑海的城市。身为澳洲第一大城，雪梨有许多最具代表性的景点，并以其宜人气候和海滩文化闻名。综合以上因素，雪梨是澳洲最受欢迎的旅游去处，每年吸引近 3 百万名游客。

　　这座城市的历史只有两百年多一点，也因为是澳洲的主要港口，雪梨很快成为一个商业中心。由于它重要的经济地位，雪梨得以斥资兴建了许多令人印象深刻的博物馆、艺廊和剧院。其中最具特色的就属雪梨歌剧院，但这座令人惊叹的建筑并非雪梨唯一的地标。同样著名的还有雪梨港湾大桥，可供游客攀爬。其他著名的观光景点还包括皇家植物园和历史悠久的『岩石区』商圈。

　　如果这座城市本身不吸引你，那么这里悠闲的海滩文化值得你去瞧瞧。雪梨有大约 40 处海滩，全都在容易到达的距离内。你可以学冲浪、在大堡礁从事水肺潜水，或者在白色沙滩上尽情的放松。要是碰上对的时节，游客甚至可以幸运地看到鲸鱼，牠们每年在迁移时都会经过雪梨。以上这些特色加上悠闲和友善的澳洲人，无怪乎雪梨大受游客欢迎。即使游客不喜欢歌剧或海滩，他们也一定可以在这个国际性都市中找到事情做。