Trafalgar Square in London

Andrea: And the biggest New year celebration party!

Andrea: For UK sporting victory parades!

Youling: And large concerts and performances!

Andrea: Yes, it’s Trafalgar Square! Hello and welcome to On the Town with BBC Learning English, I’m Andrea.

Youling: 大家好我是幼玲，今天城市掠影我们来到了伦敦市中心著名的特拉法家广场 Trafalgar Square，也叫鸽子广场. But where does the name come from?

Andrea: Nigel is a senior librarian, and he knows all about it:

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Trafalgar Square is one of the most important places in Britain. It was built to commemorate Admiral Nelson, the square was named after the Spanish Cape Trafalgar where his last battle was won. So after the victory it was a great populous move to create a statue right in the centre of the capital for such a person, so people always look up to him. It is so symbolic that all the tourists come here; they may be a bit put off by the enormous amount of pigeons which can be a nuisance.

Youling: 广场的取名，Trafalgar 就是为了纪念纳尔逊尔海军上将在西班牙特拉法加角海战中立下的不朽功勋. To commemorate 纪念。那一战役为巩固19世纪初英国海上霸主地位起了决定性的作用.

Andrea: So after the victory there was a popular movement to create a statue right in the centre of the capital.

Youling: 众心所向 在首都中心为纳尔逊建造一塑雕像 to create a statue

Andrea: People always look up to him; look up to someone

Youling: 敬仰; 敬佩的意思 look up to

Andrea: But to Nigel, the pigeons could be a bit of a problem as there are too many of them, enormous

Youling: 在形容鸽子数量时他用了enormous大量的，成群成队的鸽子在广场上空飞来飞去，有时会令人感到讨厌 a nuisance. But I think pigeons are just part of its unique attraction 独特诱人之处，不是吗？

Andrea: Yes. Over the years Trafalgar Square has become a symbolic place for visitors.

Youling: 已经成为一个具有代表性，象征性的景点 a symbolic place. A symbol; symbolic

Andrea: Yes, as the Londoners would say to a tourist, a visit to the capital would be incomplete without going to admire Nelson’s Column and the four giant lions at its base, or to admire the lovely fountains and to feed the pigeons.

Youling: What a colourful picture you have described Andrea! 纳尔逊纪念碑 Nelson’s Column 巨狮铜雕 giant lions，还有漂亮的喷泉 lovely splashing fountains. 所以说，不到特拉法加广场就不能算是看全了首都 a visit to the capital would not be complete without coming to Trafalgar Square.

Andrea: But there is a lot more to it as these school girls are telling us what they like most about Trafalgar Square:

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I like Trafalgar Square because it’s got nice buildings and stuff like that.

There’s a little fountain which you can paddle in and it’s like a stream and it’s really fun to paddle in because it’s cold.

I like it because the fountains are beautiful.

I like the pigeon because there’s loads of them and they go all around and they’re really funny.

There’s really nice people here and you can see people from all over the world.

I like it!

I like it because it’s got loads of statues and stuff, and I like looking at them.

There’s a lot of sightseeing and there’s loads of friendly people and it’s really really really nice.

Youling: 孩子们的描述多么具体和生动啊！

Andrea: Nice buildings and stuff like that； loads of statues and stuff

Youling: 美观的楼房什么的 还有好多雕塑什么的 这里stuff like that 是一种英语的口头语，表示什么什么之类的东西。

Andrea: Some like to look at the famous statues around the Square while others like to paddle in the cool fountains

Youling: 在凉爽的喷泉里戏水，玩耍。Paddle in the fountains.

Andrea: A lot of sightseeing and loads of friendly people around.

Youling: 特拉法加广场每天都吸引着世界各地的游人。

Andrea: Talking about people, Trafalgar square is always the place for people to congregate, or get together.

Youling: 重大的欢庆和集会总会在这里举行. Now listen to Nigel again:

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Of course nowadays, especially since the Second World War, thousands of people collecting and congregating here for the New Year celebrations. The chimes of the bell was broadcast to the crowd, it is an enormous attraction for the tourists.

Youling: 每年的12月31日, 几十万人都会聚集到特拉法加广场 congregating in Trafalgar Square 欢庆新年钟声 chimes of the bell.

Andrea: Well on that note we will say goodbye from Trafalgar Square and see you next time.

Youling: Bye.