The European City That Loves Strangers—Athens熱愛陌生人的歐洲城市——雅典

Few cities in the world rival the antiquity of Athens， where people have lived continuously for thousands of years. Athenians created the first forms of democracy， the plays and philosophy that shaped Western civilization， and the classical buildings that still dot the Acropolis.

Amid the ancient ruins， another survivor of the centuries is the Greek concept of philoxenia—a term that directly translates as “l(fā)ove of strangers”， but which locals define more as a warmth that makes foreigners feel immediately welcomed when they come to the capital city. “The people can be very hospitable and friendly，” agreed Julian Williams， who moved from London in 2009.

Though more than 4.5 million people visit the city every year to delve into its past， Athens has plenty in its present to make it worth staying for the longer term.

Why do people love Athens？

The always-on atmosphere of Athens attracts Greeks and expats alike. “Athens is a buzzing city，” said Chrissy Manika， an Athens native and blogger at Travel Passionate. “No matter when you go out you will see the cafes and bars filled with people having a good time.” She especially likes wandering the city center neighborhood of Plaka， on the north-east side of the Acropolis. “With all the tourists around， it feels like you are on holiday on an island， especially in summer.”

With more than 250 days of sunshine annually， that summer can feel endless. “By my standards， ‘summer’ in Athens lasts from late April to late October，” said Mina Agnos. The weather makes it especially easy to get away to nearby islands for a weekend getaway. Williams recommends Hydra， where cars are prohibited and people get around the island by riding donkeys and mules or leisurely walking its idyllic city streets， which mostly lack street signs. Though long popular with celebrities and artists， the island retains its laid-back lifestyle with plentiful cafes and contained crowds， thanks to the limited number of hotels.

世界上很少有城市能在古跡方面與雅典匹敵，雅典是一座千百年來(lái)生生不息的城市。雅典人創(chuàng)造了最早形式的民主、戲劇和哲學(xué)，塑造了西方文明，直到今天衛(wèi)城仍然被經(jīng)典建筑所點(diǎn)綴。

在眾多歷史久遠(yuǎn)的廢墟中，另一個(gè)歷經(jīng)千百年仍然流傳下來(lái)的就是希臘詞語(yǔ)philoxenia的概念——它直譯為“熱愛陌生人”，而當(dāng)?shù)厝藙t賦予它更多，讓外國(guó)人一踏上這座古都的土地，就能立即感受到賓至如歸的熱情。“人們非常熱情好客。”2009年從倫敦移居到此的朱利安·威廉姆斯深表贊同。

雖然每年有超過(guò)450萬(wàn)的游客前來(lái)探究它的過(guò)去，但是現(xiàn)在的雅典也有很多令人留戀的地方。

人們?yōu)槭裁聪矚g雅典呢？

雅典始終不變的氛圍吸引著希臘人和僑民。“雅典是一個(gè)喧鬧的城市。”雅典本地人兼激情旅行網(wǎng)的博主克里希·曼尼卡說(shuō)道，“無(wú)論何時(shí)出門，你總能看到人們?cè)诳Х瑞^和酒吧愉快地消遣。”她尤其喜歡在市中心的普拉卡（位于衛(wèi)城東北邊）周邊散步。“看著周圍的游客，你會(huì)感覺自己在一座小島上度假，尤其是夏天的時(shí)候。”

雅典擁有年均超過(guò)250天日照的氣候，讓人感覺似乎一直都處于夏天。“按照我的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，雅典的‘夏天’從4月底一直持續(xù)到10月底。”米娜·艾格諾斯說(shuō)道。這里的天氣尤其適合在周末忙里偷閑，去周邊的小島小住幾天。威廉姆斯推薦九頭蛇島，那里禁止汽車通行，人們騎著驢和騾子在島上觀光，或者悠閑地在田園般的城市街道上散步，當(dāng)然大部分街道都沒有路標(biāo)。盡管長(zhǎng)久以來(lái)受到名人和藝術(shù)家的青睞，但是島上仍然保留著慵懶的生活方式，眾多的咖啡館和從容的人群，這些都要?dú)w功于數(shù)量有限的旅館。

The mountains and forest are also within easy reach. “If you want to break out of the city， you can do so easily and feel like you’re a million miles away，” Williams said. “One of my regular places to go is Mount Hymettus， which is ideal if you walk a dog， and is also great for biking.”

What’s it like to live there？

Despite living in an ancient city， residents never get sick of the views. “Driving into the city and seeing the Acropolis or the Temple of Zeus takes my breath away，” Agnos said. “At every turn， there is a beautiful reminder of the ancient past of this city. It is a lovely reminder of our limited time and that we should make the best of it.”

Among the antiquities， nearby neighborhoods give a glimpse into the city’s contemporary culture. Just steps from the Acropolis， Koukaki was recently ranked as the city’s coolest neighborhood for its new National Museum of Contemporary Art， trendy restaurants and cosy cafes. For a more avant-garde experience， Williams recommends the neighborhood of Exarcheia， 1km north-east of the city center.

Locals also have their own secrets that tourists often miss while they’re museum-hopping. “Some of the best food is to be had in the local central market in downtown Athens，” said Katilena Alpe. “And not many know that Athens has a wine route and the vineyards around the capital produce some great wines.”

山脈和森林同樣觸手可及。“如果你想逃離城市生活，很輕松就能辦到，而且就像遠(yuǎn)在百萬(wàn)英里之外。”威廉姆斯說(shuō)道，“我常去的地方是伊米托斯山，如果要遛狗的話，這里會(huì)非常合適，當(dāng)然騎行也很棒。”

在這里生活的感受如何呢？

雖然生活在一座古老的城市，但是它的風(fēng)景居民們百看不厭。“開車到城里去參觀衛(wèi)城或宙斯神廟總是讓我激動(dòng)不已。”艾格諾斯說(shuō)道，“每次前來(lái)，都會(huì)感受到來(lái)自城市輝煌過(guò)往的提醒。這種提醒讓我們感受到時(shí)光是有限的，告誡我們應(yīng)當(dāng)利用好每分每秒。”

在眾多古跡之中，周邊的街區(qū)風(fēng)景可以令人窺見城市的當(dāng)代文化。距衛(wèi)城幾步之隔的庫(kù)卡基，由于擁有新建的當(dāng)代藝術(shù)國(guó)家博物館、潮流的餐館和愜意的咖啡館而成為這座城市最吸引人的街區(qū)。如果想要獲得更加前沿的體驗(yàn)，那么威廉姆斯推薦距市中心東北1000米遠(yuǎn)的伊哈瑞亞區(qū)。

當(dāng)?shù)鼐用襁€有一些秘密是忙于參觀博物館的游客們經(jīng)常錯(cuò)過(guò)的。“一些最美味的食物都藏在雅典市中心的當(dāng)?shù)刂行氖袌?chǎng)里。”卡迪麗娜·阿爾普說(shuō)道，“很多人都不知道雅典有一條紅酒之路，附近的葡萄園出產(chǎn)著非常棒的紅酒。”

Word Study

rival /'ra?vl/ v.? 與……匹敵;比得上

prohibit /pr?'h?b?t/ v.? （尤指以法令）禁止

Soviet citizens were prohibited from travelling abroad.

retain /r?'te?n/ v.? 保持;持有;保留;繼續(xù)擁有

He struggled to retain control of the situation.

plentiful /'plent?fl/ adj.? 大量的;眾多的;充足的;豐富的

In those days jobs were plentiful.

glimpse /ɡl?mps/ n. 一瞥;一看

I came up on deck to get my first glimpse of the island.