Heidelberg, My Europe Memories 1 ／ 海德堡 － 欧洲记忆之一

Heidelberg is the first city I visited in the Europe. It is only 20-min drive from the small town I used to live in. After visiting various great cities in all these years, Heidelberg is always a place I'll think of from time to time.

It is a college town in southern Germany, famous for the beautiful scenery, the ruined castle, the ancient bridge, the Heidelberg University, and the poet by Goethe - in which he claimed that he lost his heart in Heidelberg.

海德堡是我游历的第一个欧洲城市。它离我当时住的小镇开车只需20分钟。即使那么多年过去，我也去过了更多或宏伟或美丽的城市，我仍然会时不时想起海德堡，想起这个宁静而美丽的大学城，想起城堡废墟，古桥，海德堡大学，还有歌德那首“把心遗忘在海德堡”的诗。

It's always a good time to visit Heidelberg no matter it's winter or summer, raining or sunny. Heidelberg won't disappoint you.

In a sunny summer day, you can see the red roofs, the plaza, and the bridge clearly from the mountain top where the castle located. This photo was taken years ago. The construction of the bridge should have done.

无论是严寒酷暑（当然德国也没有酷暑一说），下雨还是放晴，任何时候都是游玩海德堡的好时候。
在晴朗的夏天登上城堡所在的山顶，你可以清楚地看到红色房顶的建筑群，也许会有周末市集的广场，和老桥。（这张照片是很多年前第一次去玩的时候拍的，老桥的修缮应该早就完成了。）

If it is raining, you may have a stronger feeling for the ruined castles. First built in the 1100s - 1200s, the castle experienced wars and nature disasters in the next 600 years. You can find a timeline on wikipedia

如果是个阴沉的雨天，你也许能更好地体会城堡废墟的遭遇。这座城堡据说初建于十二世纪，在这之后的六百年间一直饱受战争和自然灾害的侵蚀，最后以这样的面貌被人们所认识和铭记。
维基百科上有更详细的描述。

The ruins are up on the mountain, buried in green woods, overlooking the new town. The ruins cannot talk but they speak for themselves in a silent but powerful way.
I surely cannot do better than Mark Twain. He described the Castle in his 1880 travel book A Tramp Abroad:
One of these old towers is split down the middle, and one half has tumbled aside. It tumbled in such a way as to establish itself in a picturesque attitude. Then all it lacked was a fitting drapery, and Nature has furnished that; she has robed the rugged mass in flowers and verdure, and made it a charm to the eye.

城堡废墟位于山顶，在茂密的树木的荫蔽中安静地俯瞰着底下的城市里的新人和新生活。虽然它们不能说话，但是它们的姿态却是一种无言而有力的陈述。
马克吐温在他的游记里也提到了了海德堡城堡废墟。他认为这座被闪电一分为二的旧塔残破而不失王者之气。看上去似乎缺少了帘幕，但大自然用花朵和绿树代替了人为的修饰，让废墟成为了一种经典。（这里没找到官方译文，我自己尽量翻了。。）

There's also one interesting fact of this copper statue near to the ancient bridge. They say if you touch the fingers of the copper monkey, you'll be back to Heidelberg. If you touch the mirror in his hands, it will bring you fortune. I touched his fingers several times. And I'm waiting for the next visit :)

最后有个关于下图这座老桥附近的铜猴雕塑的趣闻。据说如果你摸了铜猴的手指，你会再次回到海德堡。如果你摸了镜子，则会得到财富。当我在德国的时候，摸过很多次这个雕塑，希望很快能再次跟它见面：）