Surrounded by forests and water, Stockholm has the feel of a small town. The royal capital of Sweden is actually a collection of islands linked by bridges. To the east, the Baltic Sea is crowded with ferries2 and ships. To the west, Lake Malaren provides plenty of space for water sports and sailing. People in stockholm are greatly proud of their city.
Stockholmers have good reason to be proud. Their city's blue waters are so unpolluted that swimming and fishing are possible in the city center. Fishermen catch trout3 and salmon4 near the Royal Palace. Swimmers can take a dip5 within view of the Old Town. This experience is a small miracle6 that few cities can offer.
Since water defines7 Stockholm in so many ways, no visitor should miss a tour by boat. Tour boats pass by many of Stockholm's beautiful bridges, palaces and churches. One of the most famous tours is named “Under the Bridges of Stockholm.”
The typical8 boat tour includes the Old Town, or Gamla Stan. Situated9 on an island, this old city center still looks like a medieval10 city. The 608-room Royal Palace houses the Royal Armory11 and the Royal Treasury12. The Treasury includes underground rooms where the Crown Jewels are on display. In the State Apartments, the Writing Room of King Oskar II has remained untouched since his death in 1907. The nearby Stockholm Cathedral13 displays ancient wooden carvings14. The 700-year-old Riddarholm Church is the traditional burial place for Swedish kings. Besides historical attractions, Gamla Stan also offers unique shops and world-class restaurants.
After leaving the Old Town, the boat tour also goes by City Hall on Lake Malaren. The building's large square tower rises from the corner facing the water's edge. Here the king and queen of Sweden look on15 each year as the Nobel Prize winners receive their awards. The elegant interior16 includes the famous Blue Room, where the Nobel banquet17 takes place.
On the city's Baltic side, the tour takes visitors past the Skansen Museum. Skansen is an outdoor “Sweden in miniature18.” The 80-acre park has sections representing the different regions of the country. The visitor can wander from Lapland in the north to Skane in the south. A stroll19 through the park also takes the visitor through five centuries of Swedish history. Local craftsmen20 set out some traditional trades: glass blowing, pottery21 making and printing. An animal park provides a close-up look at wolves, reindeer22 and elk23, as well as typical farm animals.
Also on the Baltic side of the city, the Wasa Museum, the home of the flagship24 Wasa, stands near the water's edge. Once the pride of the Swedish navy, the ship sank on its maiden voyage25. Now restored, it is a perfect example of a 17th-century seagoing vessel26. The thousands of everyday objects recovered with the ship give a fascinating27 picture of daily life in Sweden 300 years ago.
After a boat tour of the city, the next step should be a trip to some of the 2,400 islands. Some are just rocks; others are green with forests. Many have small villages and country homes. Everyone is welcome to fish, swim and camp.
As the “Venice of the North,” Stockholm takes water seriously. Every August, the city goes all out for the Stockholm Water Festival. The festival sports events and other activities go on 24 hours a day: swimming, marathons28, music, art and dancing. In the evenings, fireworks light up the sky. The King awards the Stockholm Water Prize for the most outstanding contribution to water conservation. By preserving its precious natural resource, Stockholm has become one of the cleanest cities in the world. It has every reason to celebrate.
斯德哥尔摩为森林和湖海所围绕，很有小城镇的味道，这个皇家瑞典首都事实上汇集众多小岛，彼此以桥梁相连接。在东边，波罗的海海上渡船与各式船只熙来攘往；而西边，则有梅拉伦湖为水上运动和帆船提供广阔的空间。斯德哥尔摩的居民具有强烈的城市荣誉感。
斯德哥尔摩的居民确有值得骄傲的理由。这个城市的湛蓝水域丝毫未受污染，在市中心都可以游泳或钓鱼。渔夫们可以在皇宫附近捕到鳟鱼和鲑鱼，而游泳者可以在老城附近游泳。这样的经历算是个小小的奇迹，鲜有城市能够做到。
既然水如此全面地诠释着斯德哥尔摩，游客们就绝对不能错过游船观光。游船会经过许多美丽的桥梁、宫殿和教堂，其中最有名的旅游路线被称为“斯德哥尔摩桥下之旅”。
典型的游船观光通常会包括老城区（或曰Gamla Stan），它位于一个岛上，是老市中心，如今仍像个中世纪城镇。皇宫中有608个厅室，包括皇家军械室和金库，金库的地下室陈列着皇家珍宝。在皇室套房里，瑞典国王奥斯卡二世的书房在他1907年过世后，至今仍保持原状。邻近的斯德哥尔摩大教堂展示着古老的木雕，而长达700年历史的利达尔教堂则是历代瑞典国王的长眠之地。除了这些历史名胜，老城区还有与众不同的商店和世界一流的餐厅。
离开了老城区之后，观光游船还会经过梅拉伦湖畔的市政厅。市政厅高大的方形塔楼从临水的一角拔地而起。每年诺贝尔奖得主领奖时，瑞典的国王和皇后都在此观礼。其中幽雅的厅室就有著名的蓝厅（Blue Room），是诺贝尔颁奖宴会举行的地方。
旅行团还会带游客经过史肯森博物馆，它位于本城波罗的海海边。史肯森可以说是一个户外的“瑞典缩影”，这个80英亩的公园被分隔开来以代表国家各不相同的区域，游客们可以从北部的拉普兰漫游到南方的史肯，在园中漫步的同时游客们也走过了瑞典五个世纪的历史。当地的工匠们示范着一些传统的手艺：吹玻璃、陶器制作及印刷。还有一个动物园可以让游人近距离观看狼、驯鹿、麋鹿和一些典型的牧场动物。
波罗的海沿岸市区还有瓦萨博物馆——也就是瓦萨旗舰所在地。它傲立在岸边，曾经是瑞典海军的骄傲，却在首航时沉没了。经过修复，如今它是17世纪远洋舰艇的绝佳范本，船中数千件打捞上来的日常用品，为300年前瑞典的日常生活勾勒出引人入胜的图画。 在搭船观光城市之后，下一步应该在斯德哥尔摩2400个小岛中挑几个看看了。其中有些纯粹是礁石，有些覆盖着绿色的森林，很多岛上有小村庄和村舍，欢迎大家前去钓鱼、游泳和露营。
作为“北方威尼斯”，斯德哥尔摩对水非常重视。每年8月，举城欢庆斯德哥尔摩水上节日，节庆期间，体育竞赛和其他活动全天24小时举行：游泳、马拉松赛跑、音乐、艺术和舞蹈。到了晚上，焰火照彻夜空，国王为保护水资源作出杰出贡献者颁发斯德哥尔摩“护水奖”。由于保存了珍贵的天然资源，斯德哥尔摩已经成为世界上最干净的国家之一。他们有足够的理由庆祝一番。
1. spotlight n． 聚光灯
2． ferry n． 渡船
3． trout n． 鲑，鲑鳟鱼
4． salmon n． 鲑，大马哈鱼
5． take a dip 洗澡；游泳
6． miracle n． 奇迹
7． define v． 为…的特征
8． typical adj． 典型的
9． (be) situated on／at／in 位于…
10． medieval adj． 中世纪的，中古的
11． armory n． 军械库，兵工厂
12． Royal Treasury 皇家仓库／国库
13． cathedral n． 大教堂
14． carving n． 雕刻品
15． look on 观看
16． interior n． 内部；内景
17． banquet n． 宴会
18． miniature n． 雏型，缩图
19． stroll n． 散步，蹓跶
20． craftsman n． 手艺人，工匠
21． pottery n． 陶器
22． reindeer n． 驯鹿
23． elk [elk] n． 麋鹿
24． flagship n． 旗舰
25． maiden voyage 处女航
26． vessel n． 船；舰
27． fascinating adj． 迷人的
28． marathon n． 马拉松赛跑