宁静，思远，志在千里

飞机在下午3点半安全抵达浦东国际机场，代表着我们最后的胜利。我们一行38人终于顺利结束了英国21天的学习生活。

这是我有史以来发得最早的一个帖子。目前是伦敦时间凌晨1点。

 刚刚闯了大祸，在整理相片时不小心把电脑里的照片永久删除了，这下真把我吓坏了。老郭听了后也极度难受，都想把我给杀了。我自己也很想哭。这可是老郭和老戴他们这20几天来的心血啊。我想赶紧给老公打电话，又怕吵醒小孩。终于熬到北京时间7点左右。给老公通了电话之后，终于可以放心了。否则明天逛伦敦都没心情了。

 明天早上7点就要出发前往伦敦了。该回去睡觉了。

Introduction: Alton Towers is the United Kingdoms number one theme park, with rides and attractions aimed at every member of the family.  The Towers date back to the Victorian period, designed by Augustus Welby Pugin.  With the outbreak of war in 1939 the Towers were closed and requisitioned by the army to be used as an Officer Cadet Training Unit. The estate remained under requisition until 1951 when it was finally returned to the company. Alton Towers became a theme park in 1980 with the Corkscrew ride. In 1990 the Park became part of The Tussauds Group which also owns Chessington World of Adventures , Warwick Castle , Thorpe Park, The London Planetarium, Madame Tussaud’s London , Amsterdam,  Australasia , New York and Las Vegas.  Alton Towers offers adventure and fun for the whole family There are rides for all ages. The  Nemesis  ride and the new Oblivion attraction, a white knuckle ride, and Ug Land a virtual reality cave game.  Also the Haunted House and Ripsaw Ride and lots more thrilling attractions and rides.  For the young children Toyland Tours, or the Farm, recently redeveloped with rides suitable for younger children. There are also traditional fairground attractions.  You can also row on the lake, take the aerial cable car ride, or walk in the gardens. Please be aware that you will need to queue or pre-book to enjoy some of the more popular rides. http://www.altontowers.com/resort/

今天去York最大的收获是，我买到了Elizabeth女皇80大寿的纪念邮票和纪念币，还有纪念Victoria Cross 150周年的纪念币。

Last night, We held a birthday party for two girls. I think this will be a lasting memory that they can cherish forever. Thomas came to visit us and we had a good chat till the early morning.It’s very hot today, and it’s said that it maybe the hottest day since the 1970s.

This afternoon we went to Chester. We mainly visited the Chester Cathedral and then went shopping. Since it’s too hot, I felt very tired and was blind to the sightseeing there. It seemed almost the same everywhere.

Today is Happy Monday. Why? Because only on Mondays can we watch a play for only $3.5 at the Royal Exchange Theater. In the afternoon, all of us went downtown to buy tickets. It’s said that if we want to buy the cheap tickets, we have to go by ourselves. After a quick shopping in Arndale, we went back to the park and had our dinner, and then at 7 pm we went to to watch the play called Mirandolina. 

Mirandolina is a beautiful, independent and feisty (活跃的) lady. She inherits her father’s inn and is immediately surrounded by adoring men, including a penniless Marquess (侯爵), a coarse count (伯爵) and a sex-starved servant. There is a fourth guest, who is a self-confessed misogynist, disgusted with all the women in the world. Bored with the attention, Mirandolina decides to show them who’s boss by convincing the misogynist to fall in love with her, using all the considerable skills at her disposal. Eventually, he is tricked and falls in love with her. According to Mirandolina, “Women have all sorts of methods for conquering men”. At this time, the play comes to an interval, and during the 15 minutes’ interval, we can communicate and get something to drink. 

After the interval, the play comes to the second half, which lasts only half an hour. The consequence seems not difficult to predict. Among the four gentlemen, Mirandolina finally chooses the servant to be her husband, who has always been working here since her father was still alive and who loves her deeply from the bottom of his heart. 

In all, this is a show full of Mediterranean passion with music and songs specially composed for this play and a brand new translation by Rabjit Bolt. I think the play is well worth seeing, and I enjoyed it very much, although I cannot understand all the lines.

原来写的东西在编辑时不知何故丢失了。只好从网上载来一段介绍填补一下。

The very heart of the Lake District offers the visitor a wealth of attractions from picturesque villages rich in history and culture, to spectacular scenery ideal for quiet contemplation or adventurous outdoor activities. Whatever your taste there is something for everyone, come rain or shine.

The natural splendour of the area has provided inspiration for great writers, poets, artists and craftsmen. ‘Hill Top’ is where Beatrix Potter wrote her celebrated children’s stories. The poet William Wordsworth spent many years in the village of Grasmere and his homes ‘Dove Cottage’, and in later years ‘Rydal Mount’, house many mementoes of the great man.

The old slate and copper mining village of Coniston, dominated by its mountain the ‘Old Man’, provided a home for John Ruskin, who lived at Brantwood on the lakeshore from 1872-1900. A visit to his house can be combined with a leisurely cruise on this quiet lake, a perfect way to view the magnificent fells.

For an enjoyable experience whatever your age, take a cruise on one of the Lakes. Combine this with a ride on a steam train or on an open top double-decker bus. All are very rewarding and an excellent way to see the surrounding countryside.

Away from the main towns and lakes there are hidden valleys to be discovered. From the picturesque Lyth Valley, a popular damson growing area with some fine country pubs for sampling the local damson beer, to the dramatic scenery of the Langdales with their craggy pikes and hidden tarns, a well-known haunt for walkers and rock climbers.

The towns of Windermere on the hillside and Bowness on the lake shore are set within the Lake District National Park, each with their own character and charm. At ten and a half miles long, Windermere is the longest lake in England and offers panoramic views of the surrounding fells. Blackwell, the recently refurbished and inspirational Arts and Crafts house designed by Baillie Scott, sits in an elevated position overlooking the lake.

The bustling village of Ambleside has many outdoor clothing shops and provides a good base for walking.

As well as the countless fells to be conquered, several famous walks dissect the area: the Cumbria Way, the Dales Way and the Coast to Coast. For more leisurely walks, there are numerous lakeside paths, some of which are ideal for pushchairs and wheelchairs, and panoramic views can be reached easily from the centre of charming villages.

The lakes supply a perfect venue for a multitude of water activities, from a gentle sail to a motor launch ride on Windermere or perhaps canoeing on one of the lakes or rivers.

For keen cyclists there is a network of cycle paths, bridleways, forest trails and quiet roads providing a diversity of cycling opportunities both for the novice and expert. Grizedale Forest, south west of Hawkshead, has marked trails for cycling as well as walking and orienteering.

When you get hungry, the area caters for a wide range of culinary tastes. Exquisite à la carte menus in country house hotels and exclusive restaurants, hearty English pub food, international cuisine, family menus, afternoon teas, and traditional, local fish and chips are all available.

http://www.lakelandgateway.info/discover_central.asp

加勒比海盗2的故事发生在传说中海盗最活跃的加勒比海（CaribbeanSea）。这片神秘的海域位于北美洲东南部，那里碧海蓝天，阳光明媚，海面水晶般清澈。17世纪的时候，这里更是欧洲大陆的商旅舰队到达美洲的必经之地，所以，当时的海盗活动非常猖獗，不仅攻击过往商人，甚至包括英国皇家舰队。　　

加勒比海盗2中英俊迷人的杰克•斯伯洛（（强尼•戴普饰）），是活跃在加勒比海上的年青海盗，拥有属于自己的黑珍珠号海盗船。对他来说，最惬意的生活就是驾驶着黑珍珠在加勒比海上游荡，自由自在的打劫过往船只。但不幸的是，这悠闲洒脱的日子到底还是结束了–他遭到了海盗头目巴伯萨的欺骗，连自己珍爱的黑珍珠号海盗船也被巴伯萨偷走。　　

统领着一群海盗的巴伯萨（杰弗里•拉什饰）是一个无恶不作的坏蛋，他不但打劫财物，还把船上的所有人都斩尽杀绝，不留活口。过往船只经过加勒比海时都胆战心惊，最怕遇上巴伯萨一伙。抢劫了杰克的黑珍珠号海盗船后，巴伯萨更加猖狂，在加勒比海上横行霸道，一时成为整个加勒比海的霸主。　　

随着自己的势力日渐强大，巴伯萨妄想长生不死的贪婪野心也在不断膨胀。他企图解开传说中魔咒金币的秘密使自己获得永生，却想不到反而遭到了邪恶的诅咒–每当月圆之夜，巴伯萨和其他黑珍珠号上的船员都会变成骷髅，而且终身禁欲髅，不能享受性和美食，甚至不能正常的走路。

　　变成了不死骷髅的巴伯萨，率领着黑珍珠号在加勒比海上更加肆无忌弹。一次，他们把船开进了皇家港并袭击了小镇，还绑架了总督的女儿伊莉莎白•斯万（姬拉•丽莉饰）——因为这个女孩的脖子上佩带着一枚神秘金币。和伊莉莎白青梅竹马的铁匠学徒威尔•特纳（奥兰多•布鲁姆饰），眼看自己心爱的女孩被海盗抓走，悲愤不已。恰巧的是，曾经身为黑珍珠号海盗船船长的杰克•斯伯洛，也由于自己的海盗身份被关进了这个海边小城的监狱。　　

铁匠威尔想方设法救出了狱中的杰克，接着，两人偷来英国皇家舰队最快的拦截号军舰。威尔为了救回深爱的女孩伊莉莎白，杰克为了夺回原本属于自己的黑珍珠号，驾驶着拦截号军舰迅速向黑珍珠追去。　　

海盗们以为佩带着神秘金币的伊莉莎白可以帮助他们解开身上的神秘咒语，并想用她的鲜血来施用巫术。就在千钧一发之际，铁匠威尔和海盗杰克驾驶着军舰赶了上来，在他们身后，还有因被偷走军舰而穷追不舍的皇家军官诺灵顿。于是，海盗们扯起骷髅旗，杰克拔出手枪和剑，威尔挥起一把大刀，诺灵顿指挥手下端起长枪，一场壮烈的人鬼大战就此拉开……

At 11:30 this afternoon, we brought our packed lunch and went to Tatton Park by Fingland coach together with some Russian students.
Maurice Egerton was the last private owner of Tatton, who died in 1958. Tatton Park has an area of 1000 acres of parkland, which is green everywhere. We mainly visited two parts of the park– Neo classical Mansion & the gardens.

Introduction to Neo-classical Mansion:
This early 19^th century Mansion encompasses (包含) lavish state rooms, family memorabilia(大事记), fine art and furniture collections.
The enormous Victorian kitchens and servants’ quarters (住处) give a contrasting glimpse of domestic life.

Gardens
The gardens of Tatton Park, with an area of 50 acres, have developed over a long period of time and include features of many different dates. Visitors can enjoy the year-round colours there. The gardens are rated among the best in the country and represent over 200 years of design and history. The gardens surrounding the Mansion were the pleasure grounds of the Egerton family and their guests. Notable features include the renowned Japanese Garden, which can be viewed from its perimeter (周长), Italian garden, Maze and Rose garden.

终于找到一台能登录我的blog的电脑。 今天是世界杯的法国与意大利的决赛。现在的英国时间是晚上7点半。我们在英国的曼大欧文园的校园里，来自各个国家的不同肤色的学生们坐到了一起，其中包括来自法国和意大利的夏令营学生，大家异常兴奋。这种观看世界杯的场面还是不多的。目前的比分是1比1平。 昨天开始，气温骤降，只有19度左右，还经常下雨。因为带的衣服不多，感觉挺冷的。周末这两天都是外出旅游，昨天去了北威尔士，参观了一座Penrynth古城堡，据说Victoria女皇以前每年都要去住上几个星期的。城堡里面还是很富丽堂皇的。雕工非常精细。印象特别深的是餐厅。只见长圆桌上放着精致的各种大小的酒杯、碟子、调羹叉子等，还摆放着颜色鲜艳的各种水果及甜点。馋得我们直咽口水。接着去了Irish sea海边。我们还去海边的购物一条街逛了一下。感觉那里的东西还是挺便宜的。10张明信片才花了1磅。在回曼城时突然又下起了阵雨。晚上在学校餐厅举办Disco舞会，感觉我们中国的学生非常腼腆。来自葡萄牙和意大利等国的学生非常有表现欲望，而我们有些学生，特别是初中的，老师再三邀请还是放不开，拘谨地站在一旁。 今天去了Yorkshire夏洛蒂.勃朗特的故居— Haworth，离我们住的地方owens park有将近两个小时的车程。那个village虽然挺小，在小山坡上，但很精致，非常干净，雨后的空气也非常清新。参观结束要返回停车场时，发生了一个小插曲。两个带队的英国老师可能也不熟悉地形。我们走了弯路才找到停车场。然后去了National museum看了Tom Hanks导演的有关宇航员的IMAX的电影，戴上立体眼镜，有一种到了月球的身临其境的感觉，挺过瘾的。

最后，在点球大战中，意大利以5：3战胜法国，夺得冠军。法国队的齐达内获金球奖，但他在加时赛中因故意用头顶撞(headbutt)对手，被红牌罚下，结束他的世界杯生涯。