时光穿梭类的爱情电影很多,《时光倒流七十年》(Somewhere in Time, 1980)就是个中经典。凄美的爱情故事、俊男美女的组合,加上唯美的画面和动听的主题曲(本文配乐),不知触动了多少男女的心。如果你也想体验时光倒流的感觉,不妨到美国密歇根州的麦基诺岛走走——那里保留着古老的建筑,一草一木都和一百年前一样,生活节奏也与外界截然不同。最不能错过的当属岛上的大饭店——《时光倒流七十年》中很多场景就是在那里拍摄的哦!
Calling for a taxi can be a gamble. You never know who will show up. Yet for all the strange taxi rides in my past, nothing can top the cabs on Mackinac Island, Michigan. When you call for a taxi here, a horse-drawn carriage shows up at your door.
Call me crazy, but this is not the type of cab I’m used to. Still, I’m 1)intrigued as my family and I crawl up onto the wooden seats behind the driver. She moves the 2)reins slightly, and a pair of 1,800-pound Belgians respond, bringing new meaning to the term “horse power.”
Within seconds I begin to relax, 3)soaking in the slow-paced nature of Mackinac Island. Sure, the modes of transport are unusual here, but then again, there is nothing usual about Mackinac Island.
4)Accessible only by boat or plane, the island lives by its own rules. Automobiles have been banned on the island since 1898, so people get around by bike, horse and 5)buggy, or on foot. The result is that no one rushes anywhere, and the island moves on its own time.
Only 600 people live here year round. The winter months can be cold and cruel. Freezing winds 6)whip across the Great Lakes注1. When the water freezes, supplies can be brought in only by air.
叫计程车也可以是一次冒险,因为你永远不知道谁会出现在你面前。然而相较于我过去经历过的所有古怪的计程车之旅来说,没有什么比位于(美国)密歇根州麦基诺岛上的计程车更奇特的了。在这里,当你叫了计程车,出现在门口的将是一架马车。
你可以说我疯了,但这真不是我习以为常的那种计程车。不过,当我和家人一起爬进赶车人后面的木制座椅时,我就深深为之着迷。她轻轻抖了抖缰绳,一对重达1800磅(816公斤)的比利时马应声而动,为“马力”这个词带来了全新的含义。
我很快就开始放松下来,沉浸在麦基诺岛的慢节奏生活之中。这里的交通方式确实很不寻常,不过话说回来,在麦基诺岛上没有什么是寻常的。
由于人们只能乘坐船只或飞机上岛,这座岛上的一切都按照自己的规则来进行。自1898年开始,岛上禁止使用汽车,因此人们出行都是靠自行车、轻便马车或步行。所以无论在什么地方,人们都不紧不慢,这座小岛依照自己的时间缓缓前行。
这里一年到头只住着六百人。冬天寒冷而严酷,刺骨的寒风在五大湖上呼啸而过。当湖水结冰时,只能靠空运输送物资到岛上。
But each May, the island transforms into a 7)lush, green world. Mackinac is covered in tree-sized 8)lilacs, many of them more than a century old. The sweet scent of their blooms 9)mingles with the earthy smell of horses and the ever-present 10)aroma of 11)fudge.
Fudge is the island’s only export. The tradition started with one shop back in the 1920s. Now some 17 candy shops create these sugary treats.
With such an 12)idyllic nature, one could easily forget the island’s war-ridden past. Once home to the Great Lakes American Indians, Mackinac Island has seen its share of soldiers. During the American Revolution, the British moved their 13)garrison to Mackinac Island. With its steep hills, the island offered a perfect location for their fort.
But their strategy was short-lived, and Mackinac Island became the territory of the new American nation. When war broke out again in 1812, the British recaptured Fort Mackinac and more struggle 14)ensued. American peace negotiators finally secured the island’s return after the war.
Today, historic Fort Mackinac is all that remains of those bloody times, and the fort’s high location provides a beautiful view of the bay and town below.
但是每年五月,这座小岛就会变成一个枝繁叶茂的绿色世界。麦基诺岛上到处都是足有一树高的紫丁香花,其中许多都超过百年树龄。紫丁香开花时散发的甜香夹杂着马匹的泥土气息,以及经久不散的牛奶软糖的芬芳。
牛奶软糖是这座小岛唯一的出口物,其传统要追溯至20世纪20年代的一间小店。现在,大约有17间糖果铺在制作这些甜蜜的美食。
在这种田园诗般的自然环境里,人们很容易就会忘记这座小岛过去曾遭受的战乱。麦基诺岛曾是五大湖区美洲印第安人的家园,它见证了战争的印记。在美国独立战争期间,英国人在麦基诺岛驻军。由于此地山丘陡峭,这座小岛为他们的堡垒提供了完美的战略位置。
可是他们的策略很短命,麦基诺岛不久便成了新兴美国的领土。1812年战争再次爆发,英国人重新占领了麦基诺要塞,引发了更多的抗争。战后,美国的和谈代表最终让小岛回归。
如今,历史上有名的麦基诺要塞成了那些血腥时代的唯一遗证。此处居高临下,是俯瞰下方海湾和城镇美景的绝佳地点。
Besides Fort Mackinac, the island is famous for the Grand Hotel. Built in 1887 during the Gilded Age注2, the Grand Hotel was a popular destination for that era’s rich and famous.
They arrived by lake steamer from Detroit, Montreal and Chicago, and dined on the finest 15)cuisine, danced to top musicians, and played 16)croquet in fashionable hats on the lawn.
And it’s easy to see what drew them. The luxury 385-room hotel stretches so far 17)from end to end that it’s hard to fit into one photograph. A 600-foot-long front 18)porch is lined with white rocking chairs and some 2,500 19)geraniums in 260 flower boxes.
We can’t help but be awed as our carriage pulls up to the hotel’s red-carpeted entrance. A doorman helps us from the coach, and I feel like I’ve stepped into the 19th century.
The lobby is tall, decorated with fine antiques from yesteryear. Indeed, the whole scene is familiar to me. The 1980 romantic film Somewhere in Time was filmed at the Grand Hotel.
Yet the Grand Hotel was no fake film set; the historic hotel has held on to her grace and 20)elegance from years gone by. The hotel experience includes dressing for dinner, and evening wear is required after 6 p.m. This is a foreign concept to my three 21st-century children, and they complain as they straighten newly-purchased ties and 21)pull on fancy dresses.
My eight-year-old son looks uncomfortable as we walk into the grand dining room. Yet his awkwardness is soon forgotten when we begin our five-22)course dinner, served by waiters wearing 23)tuxedos.
After dinner, we head to the ballroom, where we dance to the tunes that entertained those of the early 20th century.
除了麦基诺要塞,小岛上的大饭店也十分有名。酒店建于镀金时代的1887年,极受当时富人和名流的追捧。
他们从底特律、蒙特利尔和芝加哥乘坐汽船抵达岛上,享用最丰盛的美食,在最优秀的音乐家的伴奏下翩翩起舞,戴着时髦的帽子在草坪上玩槌球。
他们被吸引到此地的原因显而易见——这座拥有385间房间的豪华酒店从一端到另一端的距离遥远得一张照片也拍不完它的全景。在长达600英尺(183米)的前廊上,白色的摇椅一字排开,260个花箱中种着2500多株天竺葵。
马车停在酒店铺着红地毯的入口前时,我们都不禁惊叹起来。一位门童帮我们下车,我觉得自己仿佛踏入了19世纪。
酒店的大堂很高,装饰着旧时精美的古玩。事实上,我对整个场景很熟悉,因为1980年的浪漫爱情片《时光倒流七十年》就在大饭店拍摄。
但大饭店并不是虚构的电影布景。这间历史悠久的酒店固守着过去的优雅风度。我们的酒店体验包括穿礼服进餐,而下午6点后则要换上晚礼服。对于我那三个生长于21世纪的孩子来说,这简直是天方夜谭。他们一边弄直新买的领带,穿上礼服,一边不停地抱怨。
当我们走进豪华的餐厅时,我那8岁的儿子似乎有点不自在。然而在身穿燕尾服的侍者服侍我们享用五道菜的晚餐时,他的拘束感很快就被抛诸脑后了。
晚餐后,我们来到舞厅,随着20世纪早期风靡一时的旋律翩翩起舞。
The Grand Hotel is a comfortable place to stay. No room is alike, but each reflects the warm colors of the 24)flower beds that fill the hotel gardens. More than a ton of 25)bulbs and 125,000 bedding plants are used to create the gardens each year. Such gardens are usually 26)reserved for kings and queens, but here they are a part of everyday life, as they have been for more than a century.
Mackinac Island is an easy place for families to explore. Flat roads and no automobiles make it perfect for biking. The summer morning air is filled with the scent of 27)damp earth as we 28)pedal through the forest and out onto the streets of Mackinac Island the next day. Watching for the occasional horse and carriage, we soar up and down the streets, stopping to look in small shops or at historic buildings.
But we really gather speed when we head our bikes onto the 8-mile loop that encircles the island. At first the path follows the lake front. The water calls, and we soon 29)pull over to skip the perfectly smooth white stones that line the beach.
From there, we head into Mackinac Island State Park, with 1,800 acres to explore and 70 miles of natural and paved trails. I admire the wildflowers, 30)cedars and 31)birches that fill the forests.
But our kids find a little roadside stand that sells fried 32)pickles served with ranch 33)dip. It sounds 34)disgusting, but I give it a try. Not bad, I admit. The kids 35)devour them, proclaiming the pickles the best find of our bike outing.
As we head our bikes back onto the trail, I can’t help but 36)chuckle. Children experience new places through their own unique eyes. While my husband and I ooh and aah over fascinating history, luxurious 37)accommodations and fine dining, the kids will remember skipping smooth white stones, pedaling fast along the lake, and eating fried pickles in the forest.
Such are the family treasures to be found on Mackinac Island. For all of us, the island is a memory 38)in the making.
大饭店是一个适合居住的地方。没有一间房间是相同的,但是每一间都呼应着酒店花园的花圃中满溢的温暖色彩。每年,酒店都会用超过一吨鳞茎植物和12.5万株花坛植物来妆点花园。在别处,这样的花园通常是国王和王后的专属。但在这里,它们是日常生活的一部分,自它们开始出现一个多世纪以来一直如此。
麦基诺岛也很适合一家人探险。平坦的大路上没有汽车行驶,很适合骑自行车。第二天,我们骑车穿越森林,在麦基诺岛的大街小巷中穿行。夏季清晨空气中洋溢着潮湿泥土的芬芳。看着偶尔经过的马匹和马车,我们在街道上来回飞驰,偶尔停下来看看街边的小店或历史建筑。
但骑车走上8英里(12.9千米)的环岛小道时,我们逐渐加快了速度。一开始,小道沿湖岸而筑。在湖水的召唤下,我们很快就在路边停下来,避开湖滨非常光滑的白色石块。
我们从那里向麦基诺岛州立公园进发,去探索那片1800英亩(728公顷)的土地和70英里(113千米)长的天然小路和铺平的小径。我钟爱遍布树林的野花、雪松和白桦树。
而孩子们却找到了一个小小的路边摊,售卖配牧场酱的炸咸菜。这听起来挺恶心的,不过我还是试了一下。我得承认,味道还不坏。孩子们倒是狼吞虎咽,还宣称这些咸菜是我们此次自行车之旅的最佳发现。
当我们骑车重回小路时,我不禁轻声笑了起来。孩子们通过他们独特的视角体验着新的地方。当丈夫和我为迷人的历史、奢华的住宿和精致的晚餐惊叹不已的时候,孩子们则会记住如何避开光滑的白色石块,沿湖踩车疾驶和在树林中吃炸咸菜。
这些就是在麦基诺岛上找到的属于一家人的宝贵时光。对于我们所有人来说,这座小岛就是我们正在创造的回忆。
注1:北美洲五大湖是位于加拿大与美国交界处的五个大型淡水湖泊,分别是苏必利尔湖(Lake Superior)、休伦湖(Lake Huron)、密歇根湖(Lake Michigan)、伊利湖(Lake Erie)和安大略湖(Lake Ontario)。除密歇根湖全属于美国之外,其它四湖为加拿大和美国共有。
注2:1873年,马克·吐温与C·D·华纳(Charles Dudley Warner)共同创作了《镀金时代》(The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today)。从此,人们用这个词来形容从南北战争结束到20世纪初的那一段美国历史。南北战争为美国资本主义发展扫清了道路,加上不断涌入的移民和西部新发现的矿藏,使美国的工业化极速发展,国家财富迅速增长。
