ANYONE who has travelled to Amsterdam would probably agree on one thing: Amsterdam's story is a tale of two cities -- one during the day and a completely different one at night.
When the sun is up, the largest city in the Netherlands sits quietly on the Amstel River. You can rent a bicycle, visit the Van Gogh or Anne Frank museum, or take a water taxi.
But when the sun goes down, the partying begins. In the big clubs and in coffee shops, tourists gather to hang out, talk politics and smoke.
Two worlds
Several areas of the city clearly show the two worlds that rule Amsterdam. And they're all within a short cab ride of each other.
For example, Dam Square attracts daytime sightseers to its festivals, open markets, concerts and other events. Several beautiful and very popular hotels can be found there. And there's the Royal Palace and the Magna Plaza shopping mall.
But as evening descends on Dam Square so do the party-seekers. Hip hop or funk music begins blaring from Club Paradiso and Club Melkweg. These are two of the most popular clubs in Europe. So if you come, be ready to dance. The clubs don't shut down until 4 am.
And while you're there, check out the various inexpensive ways to tour the city. Don't worry about getting lost. Although Dutch is the official language, most people in Amsterdam speak English and are happy to help you with directions.
And you'll notice that half the people in the streets are on bicycles. They rent for US$17 to $20 for a whole day.
Canal tour
Amsterdam also has an elaborate canal system. *From anywhere between US$2 and $9.50, you can use the canal bus or a water taxi to cruise the "Venice of the North".*
You can take in the picturesque canal house architecture: The rows of neat, narrow four-story dwellings of brownstone with large windows are well-worth seeing. Many of them are several centuries old.
You might also want to jump out of the canal bus at the Museum Quarter and start walking. Masterpieces by Dutch artists such as Rembrandt, Bruegel, Van Gogh and others are on display at the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum, Rembrandt House and the Rijksmuseum.
The city has an appreciation of its historic past. One poignant place to visit is the Anne Frank House on Nine Streets. It was there that the young Jewish girl wrote her famous diary during World War II. *Visitors can view Anne's original diary and climb behind the bookcase to the room where she and her family hid from the Nazis for two years.*
Vocabulary
descend v. （夜晚、黑暗、情绪等）降临；来临
In the tropic area, night descends quickly.
funk n. 乡村爵士乐；恐惧，忧虑
blare v. 发出刺耳而响亮的声音
The radio is blaring out rock music.
收音机在高声放着嘈杂的摇滚乐。
elaborate adj. 精心制作的
She had prepared a very elaborate meal for her husband and kids.
她为丈夫和孩子做了一顿精美的饭菜。
dwell v. 居住；栖身
For ten years, he has been dwelling in a ruined cottage near the town.
他长期居住在城外破败不堪的小屋。
poignant adj. 令人沉痛的；悲惨的
For billions of Chinese, Nanjing is a poignant place where thousands of Chinese civilians were slaughtered by the Japanese invaders in 1937.
对于十几亿中华儿女来说，南京是一个伤心之地。1937年，几十万中国平民在南京惨遭日本鬼子屠杀。
Making sense
From anywhere between US$2 and $9.50, you can use the canal bus or a water taxi to cruise the "Venice of the North".
译文：无论在(阿姆斯特丹的)任何地方，花上2美元到9.5美元，你就可以乘坐运河公交或者水上的士，尽情享受"北方威尼斯"的盛景了。
Visitors can view Anne's original diary and climb behind the bookcase to the room where she and her family hid from the Nazis for two years.
译文：游客们不仅可以看到安妮日记的手稿，而且还能参观书柜后面的暗室。为了躲避纳粹的迫害，安妮和她的家人在这里躲避了两年之久。
Background
安妮日记的故事
《安妮日记》使安妮成为二战中最值得记忆的人之一！它真实记录了一名成长中的少女在遇难前两年藏身密室时的生活和情感。自出版以来，已译成55种文字，全球销量达三千万册，在欧洲被评为二战以来影响世界的一百本书之一！安妮·弗兰克，荷兰*人，1929年6月12日生，1945年死于德国贝尔森集中营。日记是安妮遇难前两年藏身密室时的生活和情感的记载。作为一名成长中的少女，她在日记中吐露了与母亲不断发生冲突的困惑以及对性的好奇。同时，对于藏匿且充满恐怖的25个月的密室生活的记录，也使这本《安妮日记》成为德军占领下的人民苦难生活的目击报道。安妮日记的最后一则，所标的日期是1944年8月1日。1944年8月4日，藏在"密室"的八个人被德军逮捕。蜜普·吉斯与贝普·弗斯库吉尔，也就是在同一幢建筑工作的两位秘书，发现安妮的日记散落一地。蜜普·吉斯将这些纸页收好，藏在一层抽屉中。战争结束，她将这批日记交给安妮的父亲奥托·弗兰克。奥托·弗兰克斟酌许久，决定完成女儿的宿愿，将日记出版问世。
Exercises
Fill in the blanks with the proper forms of words given. descend elaborate dwell poignant
This Valentine's day, he received the most ____ present he had ever got.
After the rebellion took place, the country was ____ into chaos.
When he was a kid, he used to ____ in the countryside.
Columbine is a ____ place for many parents whose kids were shot dead on that horrible day.
True or false
As the capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam attracts tourists from everywhere in the world for its romantic nightlife.
Tourists should know some Dutch language before coming to Amsterdam, for few people in this country understand English.
Discussion
With some other supplementary information you may get on the Internet, answer the questions below. Why do so many people go to the Netherlands and what's the impact of tourism on the country's economy?
Keys:
I elaborate, descended, dwell, poignant
II T, F
