Memorable Holland(b)|荷兰之美，『郁』罢不能

Memorable Holland

by Daniel Howard

Known as the land of windmills, tulips, and clogs, Holland is so much more.

　　There are many things that draw tourists to Holland. It is home to the three largest cities in the Netherlands, each of which is important both to the country and the world at large. Amsterdam is a cultural icon full of history and the capital of the Netherlands. Rotterdam is Europe's largest port. The Hague is home to the Dutch government, the Supreme Court, and parliament. Yet, even these aren't what Holland is most famous for. Ask people the world over what sets Holland apart, and they will probably give two answers, tulips and wooden shoes.

　　Tulips are a common flower in Europe and America, and they do not even originally come from Holland. In fact, they originated from Turkey. These pretty flowers come in a variety of colors, and they are grown in huge fields across Holland, making enormous splashes of color on the landscape. It's not surprising that these pretty flowers became popular in the mid-1700s. What is surprising, though, is just how popular they became. As a consequence, because tulips became so wildly in demand, the prices skyrocketed. People would pay anything for these flowers, and they were even used as money. Eventually, people realized how overvalued the flowers were, and the price plummeted. It was the world's first economic bubble.

　　Equally famous are the wooden shoes called clogs. Clogs are carved from a single piece of wood. This traditional footwear is waterproof, which is good in a country that often floods, and some experts even say that they are good for the feet. Few people wear these shoes today, though. The people that do are mostly rural workers and those in traditional costumes for tourist activities. In fact, clogs are bought by tourists as souvenirs far more than they are bought by people wanting to wear them. Luckily, there is so much more to see in Holland than just wooden shoes.

荷兰之美，『郁』罢不能

荷兰是众所周知的风车、郁金香和木屐之国，而它还有更多值得欣赏之处。

　　有许多事物吸引游客造访荷兰。它是荷兰王国前三大城市的所在地，每一个城市对该国以及全世界都很重要。阿姆斯特丹是充满历史的文化象征，也是荷兰王国的首都。鹿特丹是欧洲最大的港口。海牙则是荷兰王国的中央政府、最高法院及国会的所在地。然而，即便是这些都还不是荷兰最有名的。问问世人是什么让荷兰与众不同，他们可能会给出两个答案，那就是郁金香和木鞋。

　　郁金香是一种在欧洲和美国相当常见的花卉，它们最初甚至不是源自于荷兰。事实上，它们是起源于土耳其。这些美丽花卉的颜色万紫千红，它们被种植在荷兰各地广大的田野中，形成一幅色彩缤纷的景观。这些美丽的花卉于十八世纪中叶开始受到人们欢迎，这点并不令人惊讶。然而，令人惊讶的是它们变得如此受欢迎。因此，由于人们对郁金香的大量需求，其价格也就跟着飙涨了。人们会不惜任何代价来购买这些花卉，而它们甚至被当作金钱来使用。最后，人们才意识到他们高估了这些花卉的价值，于是造成其价格暴跌。这是世界上首次的泡沫经济。

　　同样著名的是被称作木屐（clogs）的木制鞋子。木屐是由一整块木头雕刻而成。这种传统的鞋可以防水，对于一个常淹水的国家来说好处多多，有些专家甚至说它们对我们的脚有益处。然而，现今几乎没有人穿这些鞋了。会穿这些鞋的人大多是农民和那些为了旅游活动而穿传统服饰的人。事实上，把木屐当作纪念品而购买的游客远远超过想买来穿的人。幸运的是，在荷兰还有许多其他东西可以欣赏，而不是只有木鞋而已。