随着旅游大众化，国际旅游人数不断增加，世界各地的著名景点变得越来越拥挤。限制参观人数，对游客收取城市税、占用税……本期 “随身英语” 介绍各国著名景点应对游客潮所采取的相应措施，以保护这些历史名胜和必看景点。

Vocabulary:  tourism 词汇：旅游业

I love holidays! There’s nothing better than jetting off to a foreign destination to visit the attractions it has on offer. Of course, I’m not alone. Millions of people are doing the same, and why not? The world has an amazing variety of must-see sights, from breathtaking natural scenery to impressive old cities. But the problem is that too many of us are visiting them at the same time, putting pressure on these delicate and ancient places.

That’s why a number of beauty spots and historic sites have been introducing charges or restrictions on the tourists who visit. There are many reasons for this: to reduce overcrowding, which can spoil the ambience of a place, to manage wear and tear on old crumbling buildings, to tidy up the mess that visitors leave behind, or – as some may suggest – creating tourist traps to make more money out of the visitors.

The famous Italian city of Venice with its picturesque canals has, for example, introduced an entry fee of up to €10 for short-stay tourists. Venetians have long complained that mass tourism is swamping the city. Now, passengers arriving by cruise ship will have to pay a ‘landing tax’ which Mayor Luigi Brugnaro says, “would generate much-needed income to keep the city clean.”

Many cities in Europe already charge an occupancy tax on tourists who stay in hotels and guest houses. In the UK, Edinburgh is hoping to do the same, controversially making it the first city in the country to do so. This levy, that is usually charged per person per night of  accommodation, raises money to help protect the environment, pay for infrastructure, or promote tourism.

In Italy’s capital city, Rome, new laws are being introduced to clamp down on bad tourist behaviour, which some argue is spoiling the look and feel of the city. Rules include banning drinking water from fountains and attaching ‘love padlocks’ to bridges. 

As more of us can now afford to travel, tourist destinations are going to get busier, so maybe new laws and taxes are going to be a necessary part of the sightseeing experience.

词汇表

jet off 乘飞机旅行
attraction 景点
must-see sight 必看景点
breathtaking 美得惊人的
ancient 古老的
beauty spot 美景
historic site 古迹
charge 收费
restriction 限制
overcrowding 过度拥挤
wear and tear 损耗，消耗
tourist trap 旅游陷阱
picturesque 图画般的，美丽的
short-stay 只在某处短暂停留的
mass tourism 大众旅游
landing tax 入境税（乘船进入威尼斯的游客需交纳的税费）
occupancy tax 占用税
levy 税款
accommodation 住宿
infrastructure 基础设施
love padlock 同心锁
sightseeing 观光，游览

测验与练习

1.  阅读课文并回答问题。

1. According to the article, what is causing damage to delicate and ancient places?

2. Who will have to pay the new ‘landing tax’ when visiting Venice?

3. True or false? Edinburgh will soon be the only city in Europe to charge a tax on people staying in hotels and guest houses.

4. What can you no longer do with ‘love padlocks’ in Rome?

5. Which word in the article means ‘character and atmosphere of a place’?

2. 请在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。

1. We climbed up a very high mountain and the views from the top were _______.

pictures                   breathtaking          beauty spots         sightseeing

2. I can’t wait until Saturday when we are _______ to the Caribbean – two weeks on the beach and no work!

jet off                        jets off                   jetting off              off jetting

3. The _______ wasn’t great, which made travelling around the country hard work.

must-see sights        sightseeing            infrastructure         tourism

4. Our holiday wasn’t great. The town we stayed in had been spoiled by _______ – it had no authentic local character.

mass tourism           massed tourism       mass tourist           mass touring

5. For some, Niagara Falls is a _______ when on holiday in the USA.

beauty spot             historic site               sightseeing            must-see sight

答案

1.  阅读课文并回答问题。  

1. According to the article, what is causing damage to delicate and ancient places?

The large number of tourists is putting pressure on these delicate and ancient places.

2. Which visitors to Venice will have to pay the new ‘landing tax’?

Passengers arriving by cruise ship will now have to pay a ‘landing tax’.

3. True or false? Edinburgh will soon be the only city in Europe to charge a tax on people staying in hotels and guest houses.

False. Edinburgh will be the first place in the UK to introduce an occupancy tax.

4. What can you no longer do with ‘love padlocks’ in Rome?

New laws ban attaching ‘love padlocks’ to bridges in Rome.

5. Which word in the article means ‘character and atmosphere of a place’?

Ambience. “ To reduce overcrowding which can spoil the ambience of a place.”

2.  请在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。

1. We climbed up a very high mountain and the views from the top were breathtaking.

2. I can’t wait until Saturday when we are jetting off to the Caribbean – two weeks on the beach and no work!

3. The infrastructure wasn’t great, which made travelling around the country hard work.

4. Our holiday wasn’t great. The town we stayed in had been spoiled by mass tourism – it had no authentic local character.

5. For some, Niagara Falls is a must-see sight when on holiday in the USA.