Flowing through the Heart of Venice(a) | 无与伦比的水都威尼斯

by Matthew Brown

The Grand Canal has been at the heart of the Venice for centuries.

大运河是威尼斯数百年来的重心。

What would it be like to live in a city where a boat can be more useful than a bus? Take a trip to Venice, Italy, and you'll find out. The Grand Canal is not deep, only five meters on average, but it is long and wide. Winding through the city in an S shape, the Grand Canal is beautiful, yet it's not just for show. The people of Venice use the canal for transportation, and water taxis and water buses are the main ways to get around. Some think of gondolas as the most common means, but they're more for tourists.

There are only four bridges that cross the Grand Canal, and the decision to build the last bridge caused a lot of controversy. People wanted to preserve the traditional ways of crossing the river, which is by ferry or any other boat. For residents, it wasn't the canal itself but its meaning that mattered.

Along the banks are many breathtaking old buildings, churches, and palazzos. Palazzos are huge, old palaces that were mostly built between the 13th and 18th centuries. Over the years, they had been the homes of rich families that wanted to show off their wealth and power by contributing to the art of the city. Most of the buildings don't have pavement between themselves and the water, so they simply rise out of the water. Therefore, the only way to get a good look at these old buildings is by boat, and that's exactly how the residents of Venice like it.

     住在一个船比公交车更有用的城市是什么样子？去意大利的威尼斯旅游一趟，你就会知道了。威尼斯的大运河并不深，平均只有 5 公尺，但它又长又宽。以 S 形蜿蜒穿过整座城市的大运河相当美丽，但它绝不只是好看而已。威尼斯人利用运河进行交通运输，水上出租车和水上公交车是主要的交通工具。有些人认为贡多拉船是最常见的工具，但这种船较常用来载游客。

　　横跨大运河的桥只有 4 座，而决定建造最后一座桥时引发了许多争议。威尼斯人想维持传统的过河方式，也就是搭乘渡轮或别种船只。对市民而言，重要的不是运河本身，而是它代表的意义。

　　运河沿岸有许多令人叹为观止的古老建筑、教堂和 palazzo。palazzo大多是在 13 到 18 世纪之间建造的大型古老宫殿。多年来，它们是富有人家藉由帮助美化城市以展示自家财富权势所盖的房子。这些建筑物与河之间大多没有路面，都是直接建在水面上。因此，搭船是唯一能仔细观赏这些古老建筑的方法，而这正是威尼斯居民喜欢的方式。