划船漂流于运河水间

Most often， canals13 are man-made waterways in or around a city. And there are streets on one or both sides. For centuries， the canals have been a feature of Dutch life. Many Dutch cities were built around canals. And the canals in the Netherlands are still very much in use. Most canals have fresh water， a few with salty water. Canals are graceful. In the past， they were used for transport and defense14. Now they are more for fun.

Today， canals are also part of the iconic15 Dutch city view. Of course， Amsterdam has the best-known canals. There are 165 canals in Amsterdam. A lot were built in 17th century， and are on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The city has even been nicknamed the “Venice of the North”. The Amsterdam canal tours are the most popular of all tourist attractions. About 3 million passengers take the canal tours each year.

Want to enjoy summer in the busy city？ Rent a little boat and explore16 the city on the beautiful canals. Its peaceful. If you take a cruise17 on the canal， its lovely to see the city from the water and enjoy a nice Dutch meal.

The Dutch and their water are closely connected. The canals have shaped the Netherlands， and they will always remain an important part of Dutch culture.

大多数情况下，运河是城市里或城市周围的人造水道。运河的一边或两边都是街道。几百年来，运河一直是荷兰人生活中不可或缺的一部分。荷兰的很多城市都围绕运河而建。至今，很多运河仍然用处良多。大部分运河的水是淡水，极少部分是咸水。运河很优雅。过去，运河常被用作运输或防御，如今，它们常被用作娱乐消遣。

今天，运河也是荷兰城市中的重要景观。当然，阿姆斯特丹的運河最为人知。这里有165条运河，大多数是17世纪修建的，而且还进入了联合国世界文化遗产之列。阿姆斯特丹也被称作“北方的威尼斯”。在阿姆斯特丹所有的旅游项目中，运河旅游团最受游客欢迎。每年大概有300万游客参团。

想享受繁忙城市生活中的夏日吗？租一辆小船，去美丽的运河上探索这座城市吧。如果你选择运河游艇的话，一边享受荷兰美食，一边欣赏城市风光，真是美啊。

荷兰人和他们的水紧密相连。运河塑造了荷兰，也将作为荷兰文化极其重要的一部分继续存在。

Tips

●in use：意思是“使用中”。如：1）The system he created is still in use today.他创建的系统至今仍在使用。2）Leave the door slightly ajar（微开着的） when the machine isnt in use. 机器不用时，门要微微开着。

相反，out of use是指“废弃”“不被使用”。如：The site has been out of use for many years.这个网站已经停用多年了。

●UNESCO： 英文全称为：United Nations Educational， Scientific， and Cultural Organization，联合国教育、科学及文化组织，简称为“联合国教科文组织”。它于1946年11月正式成立，总部设在法国首都巴黎。联合国教科文组织是各国政府间讨论关于教育、科学和文化问题的国际组织。