Metro English - 229 - Mexico City 墨西哥城

World Cities  - Mexico City 墨西哥城

Mexico is located in the northern region of the American continent between the Gulf of Mexico on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It is bordered by the United States on the north and by Guatemala and Belize on the south. Mexico’s land area extends 1,964,375 sq km.

墨西哥位于墨西哥湾大陆东部和太平洋西部之间的美洲大陆北部地区。北部与美国接壤，南部与危地马拉和伯利兹接壤。墨西哥陆地面积1964375平方公里。

Mexico City, the oldest metropolis on the American continent, is perched atop a highland valley at about 2,240 meters (7,392 feet) above sea level. Towering high above the city’s southeast side are two volcanoes: Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl. The nation’s capital has some of the best weather in the world with an average temperature of 22º C (72º F). Mexico City has 8,605,239 inhabitants, but the Metropolitan area as a whole has more than 20 million inhabitants.

墨西哥城，美洲大陆上最古老的大都市，栖息在海拔约2240米（7392英尺）的高地峡谷之上。高耸在城市东南侧的是两座火山：波波卡特佩特火山和伊兹塔奇瓦特火山。这个国家的首都有一些世界上最好的天气，平均气温22摄氏度（72华氏度）。墨西哥城有8605239居民，但大都市区有2000万以上的居民。

By itself the Federal District (the city proper) is comparable in many ways to New York City, Mumbai, and Shanghai. But the capital’s huge metropolitan population constitutes some one-fifth of Mexico’s total, representing one of the world’s most significant ratios of capital-to-national population. The country’s next largest city, Guadalajara, is only a fraction of its size. Moreover, its dense population has yielded an unparalleled concentration of power and wealth for its urban elite, though not for the denizens of its sprawling shantytowns and lower-working-class neighbourhoods.

就其本身而言，联邦区（市区）在许多方面都可以与纽约市、孟买和上海相媲美。但首都庞大的城市人口占墨西哥总人口的五分之一，代表着世界上最重要的资本与国民人口比率之一。该国第二大城市瓜达拉哈拉仅是其规模的一小部分。此外，人口稠密为城市精英阶层带来了空前的权力和财富集中，然而其庞大的棚户区和下层工人阶级社区的居民和这些则是距离遥远。

 

Once known as the City of Palaces, Mexico City has three areas that were declared World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO. The first, the Centro Historico (Historic Center), has beautiful historic and religious buildings, such as the Catedral Metropolitana (Metropolitan Cathedral), one of the most important architectural structures in the Western Hemisphere. The Palacio Nacional (National Palace) has spectacular Diego Rivera murals that chronicle Mexico’s history. And Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts), which hosts the city’s most important cultural events, is a beautiful construction that blends art nouveau and art deco styles. The other World Heritage Site, Xochimilco Ecological Park, is often called the Venice of Mexico due to its beautiful canals. Flower-painted boats offer tours of the canals and floating gardens. The third one is The National University Campus (UNAM).

墨西哥城曾被誉为“宫殿之城”，有三个地区被联合国教科文组织宣布为世界遗产。第一个是历史中心（Centro Historico），它拥有美丽的历史和宗教建筑，例如西半球最重要的建筑结构之一的大都会大教堂。国家宫殿有壮观的迭戈·里维拉壁画记录墨西哥的历史。而国家艺术宫则是一座美丽的建筑，融合了新艺术和装饰艺术风格，是该市最重要的文化活动的举办地。另一个世界遗产之地，霍奇米尔科生态公园，由于其美丽的运河，常被称为墨西哥的威尼斯。彩绘花船可以游览运河和漂浮的花园。第三个则是国立大学校园。

 

If you’re interested in cultural events, Mexico City offers a wide variety of museums, such as the Museo Nacional de Antropologia (a world-class anthropology museum), the Museo Nacional de Arte (The National Art Museum) and the Museo Nacional de Historia (a history museum in Chapultepec Castle where you can see an amazing exhibit that chronicles the nation’s history and art, from the pre-Hispanic era to present day).

如果你对文化活动感兴趣，墨西哥城拥有着各种各样的博物馆，比如国立博物馆（世界一流的人类学博物馆）、国家艺术博物馆（国家美术馆）和国家历史博物馆（位于查普尔特佩克城堡的历史博物馆，你可以在那里看到让人惊叹的展览，记录了从古代到当代的国家历史和艺术）。

 

In north Mexico City, you can visit the Basilica de Guadalupe, one of the most visited basilicas in the world; in fact, it is second only to Saint Peter´s Basilica, in Vatican City, in the number of visitors it receives each year. This is a must-see for those who want to learn more about the city’s customs and traditions.

在墨西哥城北部，你可以参观瓜达路佩圣殿，这是世界上最受欢迎的圣殿之一，事实上，它每年接待的游客数量仅次于梵蒂冈城圣彼得圣殿。对于那些想更多地了解这个城市的习俗和传统的人来说，这是一个必看的地方。

 

What’s more, Mexico City is a cosmopolitan metropolis, where new and old traditions coexist side by side. Here you can go shopping at bazaars and crafts markets in the Coyoacan and San Angel neighborhoods. Or you can go to exclusive boutiques and shopping centers in the posh communities of Santa Fe and Polanco, where you’ll be surrounded by the comfort of top-notch hotels and restaurants.

更重要的是，墨西哥城是一个国际化的大都市，新旧传统并存。在这里你可以去科约阿坎区和圣天使社区的集市和工艺品市场购物。或者你可以去圣达菲和波兰科豪华社区的高级精品店和购物中心，在那里你将被一流酒店和餐厅的舒适所包围。

有关墨西哥城，想为大家介绍的影片是Frida，也就是那个墨西哥传奇女画家的传记电影。这部影片是2002年拍摄，由萨尔玛 海耶克主演的。

denizen  (某地区的)居民，常客

shantytown  棚户区

nouveau  新贵

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十二月份，Metro English的主题是World Cities - 说一说你此生注定要去的那些城市吧。说不定，你可以就此找到你的人生目的地。