Rome
古都罗马
意大利的首都和最大城市——罗马，是全国政治、经济、文化和交通中心，它位于亚平宁半岛的中南部西侧，台伯河下游的丘陵平原上，西距第勒尼安海25公里，城市面积200余平方公里。古城居北，新城在南——它在20世纪20~50年代建成，是拥有摩天大楼的现代化先锋城市。罗马教廷所在地——梵蒂冈位于古城区西北角。罗马虽然没能进入世界十大城市之列，然而，千百年来，人们对罗马倍感熟悉和亲切，不少人总是对它怀有神秘之感和景仰之情——因为它曾是“世界帝国首都”，是一座创造过辉煌文明的古城。
罗马具有无与伦比的理由被称为世界名城。它出现于公元前700多年，和中国历史文化名城苏州一样，已有2500余年历史。如此古老而又繁荣至今的都邑，在世界上屈指可数。在古代，它先是罗马共和国的首都，历时近500年，接着又戴上了罗马帝国的首都荣冠达503年；在中世纪，它作为教皇国首都长达11个世纪（公元756年~1870年）；紧接着它又成为意大利王国统一后的王国首都。它更是古代最大的教会，谁能想到，早在1900多年前的帝国时代，罗马城就住有100多万人！这里经济繁荣，交通发达，文化昌盛，人们生活相当富足，在世界上绝无仅有。
罗马的历史从台伯河开始，台伯河上罗马的中心部有一座提贝里纳岛。这座岛与罗马的诞生有很大的关系。沿着河流建设城市时，通常选择容易过河的地点，提贝里纳岛正好满足了这个条件。
传说中母狼的乳汁养育的双胞胎兄弟之一的罗慕路斯于公元前753年在巴拉丁山建起了一座城市，这就是罗马的起源。今天的历史学家推断罗马建国是在公元前600年左右，而罗马形成真正的城市形态是公元前6世纪时。公元前6世纪末，罗马放逐伊达拉里亚王，成立了共和政体。以后逐渐征服了近邻地区。最早的皇帝奥古斯都（公元前27年至公元14年在位）时代，罗马市的人口达到100万，这位指挥罗马城市改造的皇帝为将砖造的罗马改变成为大理石的罗马而感到自豪。
法兰克王皮平于756年向教皇捐赠了土地。这就是教皇领地的开端。从此以后，罗马作为意大利中部教会国家的首都，它的命运与教皇权力的盛衰联系在了一起。
从古代的伊达拉里亚时代到罗马帝国时代，残酷迫害基督教徒传道的时代，再到作为基督教中心的黄金时期，从意大利统一到墨索里尼的上台，经历了各种历史变迁的罗马人养成了独特的气质。而从意大利各地汇集到罗马来追求梦想的各种各样的人也很耐人寻味。能包容这些性格各异的人，正说明这座永恒的都市的自信。毕竟罗马从古代罗马帝国时代起就作为首都繁荣至今。
罗马是一个沉淀了数千年历史遗迹的古老城市，有着丰富的古建筑文化遗产。 罗马在任何时代对异乡客来说都是一座充满感官刺激的城市。经过2500年的历史舞台留下的各种各样的遗迹，足以让旅游者大饱眼福。
罗马是一座历尽沧桑的古城，名胜古迹众多。万神殿、恺撒庙、君士坦丁大帝凯旋门以及古罗马大圆形竞技场是其中的佼佼者。其他如遍布城内的各种雕塑、喷泉，随处可见的教堂、修道院都令人流连忘返。
罗马还是一座艺术宝库、文化名城，“古城酷似一座巨型的露天历史博物馆”。在罗马古都遗址上，矗立着帝国元老院、凯旋门、纪功柱、万神殿和大竞技场等世界闻名的古迹；这里还有文艺复兴时期的许多精美建筑和艺术精品。此外，市政厅前台阶旁自古以来就安放在那里的兽笼，罗马城徽上的母狼形象，以及这座城市名称的由来等，都是一些神奇的谜。
Rome is the capital city of Italy and of its Latium region. It is located on the Tiber and Aniene rivers， near the Mediterranean Sea. The Vatican City， a sovereignsovereign n.君主， 统治 adj.至高无上的， 君主的， 独立自主的， 完全的 enclave within Rome， is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church and the home of the Pope.
Rome is the largest city in Italy and its municipality is one of the largest in Europe with an area of 1290 square kilometers (it could easily encircleencircle vt.环绕， 围绕， 包围， 绕……行一周 the nine italian cities following Rome in size： Milan， Naples， Turin， Bologna， Palermo， Catania， Florence， Genoa and Bari). It has a population of 2，546，807 (2004) with almost 4 million living in the metropolitan area. The current mayor of Rome is Walter Veltroni.
With a GDP of 75 billion (higher than New Zealand，s and equivalent to Singapore，s)， in the year 2001 Rome，s municipalitymunicipality n.市政当局， 自治市 produced 6.5% of Italy，s total GDP， the highest rate among all of Italy，s cities.
The city，s history extends nearly 2，800 years， during which time it has been the seat of the ancient Rome (the Roman Kingdom， Roman Republic， Roman Empire)， and later the Papal States， Kingdom of Italy and Italian Republic.
Economy
Today Rome has a dynamicdynamic adj.动力的， 动力学的， 动态的 and diversified economy， bent on innovation， technologies， communication and tertiary， which produces 6.5% of the national GDP (more than any other city in the country) and continues to grow at higher rates than that of the rest of Italy. Tourism is one of Rome，s chief industries， but he city is also a centre of the banking， publishing， insurance， fashion， high tech， housing， cinematographiccinematographic adj.电影的， 电影摄影术的 (built on the large Cinecittà studios， often called Hollywood on the Tiber) and aerospace industries.
Many international headquarters are located in Rome，s principal business/office districts： the EUR (Esposizione Universale di Roma)， which is as well one of the most exclusiveexclusive adj.排外的， 孤高的， 唯我独尊的， 独占的， 唯一的， 高级的 residential area in southwest of Rome (with government ministries， conference and trade centers， parks， an artificial lake， sports venues， museums， gardened villas and apartment complexes)； the Torrino (further south from the EUR)， the Magliana (with the new Toyota Italia headquarter)， the Parco de， MediciLaurentina area， the socalled “Tiburtinavalley” along the ancient Via Tiburtina etc.
Visit the City
“All roads lead to Rome” or so the antiquatedantiquated adj.陈旧的 saying goes. One reason perhaps is the heady blend of art and architecture， the classical ruins and extravagant baroque churches and piazzas， not forgetting the fact that it is after all， the capital of the country.
Rome is Italy，s treasure trove， packed with masterpieces from more than two millennia of artistic achievements. It，s hard to say what you，ll find most breathtakingbreathtaking adj.惊人的， 惊险的 about the eternal city the arrogant opulence of the Vatican， the timelessness of the Forum， the millions of cats in the Colosseum， trying to cross a major intersection， or the phenomenalphenomenal adj.显着的， 现象的， 能知觉的 concentration of people. Whatever it is， Rome is one place you are bound to enjoy visiting. Discover it in more depth via these pages before you go.
Rome is a good choice for a visit in this country. If you are a newcomer to the area or haven，t visited for a while， the information provided on this and related pages will prove invaluable in assisting you to make your holiday or business venture here， as simple as a stroll down your local street back home.
Rome， the capital of Italy， is a heady blend of artistic and architectural masterpiecesmasterpiece n.杰作， 名着， classical ruins， and extravagant baroque churches and piazzas.
Rome is Italy，s treasure trove， packed with two millennia of artistic achievement. It，s here that a metropolis once bustled around the carved marble monuments of the Roman Forum， where centuries later Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475~1564) painted Christian history in the Sistine Chapel， where Gian Lorenzo Bernini，s nymphsnymph n.［希神］［罗神］居于山林水泽的仙女， 美丽的少女 and naiadsnaiad n.水中的仙女， 女游泳家 danced in their fountains， and where an empire of gold was worked into the crowns of rulers for centuries.
For culture seekers and historians this city simply oozes with possibilities for discovery， a chance to step back in time yet have one foot firmly in the present. Its one city where you can have an espresso in a square designed by Bernini， then take modern metro (train) back to your hotel room in a renovatedrenovate vt.革新， 刷新， 修复 Renaissance palace.
