20100323 Enjoying the Netherlands (2)

Enjoying the Netherlands

Tulips, tulips, tulips
A short distance from Amsterdam sits the charming town of Leiden, home to the oldest Dutch university. If museums captivate you, You'll love this town - it's loaded with them. That should be no surprise as Leiden is the great painter Rembrandt's birthplace. Enjoy wandering the streets, and if you have time, take a boat trip on Leiden's scenic canals. Not far from Leiden lie the Keukenhof gardens, a riot of color in the spring. The gardens were once the hunting area and kitchen gardens of a countess, hence the name Keukenhof (keuken is kitchen).


Millions of tulips and other flowers bloom here each spring, and the gardens are advertised as the greatest flower show on earth. Fifteen km of walking trails take visitors past beds of blooms, each more glorious than the last. The gardens are open from mid-March to mid-May. The tulips that bloom in the garden are actually on loan.
Different growers loan their flower bulbs to the garden to flaunt their latest hybrids. While there, be sure to see Europe's largest fountain and a charming pond with beautiful white swans.



captivate v. 使入迷/使著迷
eg: Mark is captivated by Sandra's beauty.
=> Mark完全被Sandra的美貌給迷住了。
eg: Computer games captivate children easily with their visual and sound effects.
=> 電腦游戲透過視覺和音效很容易讓孩子們入迷。


riot n. 暴亂/騷亂
riot n. (本課為)色彩的豐富
eg: The festive decoration of the town plaza is a riot of color.
=> 城鎮的廣場中歡樂的裝飾真是色彩繽紛。
eg: The designer's summer collection is a riot of color.
=> 這位服裝設計師夏天的系列色彩極其熱鬧。

flaunt v. 炫耀
eg: Nancy flaunts her wealth by driving fancy cars and wearing expensive designers' clothes.
=> Nancy 用開名車和穿昂貴的名牌來炫耀她的財富。
eg: Patrick never flaunts himself even though he's rich and successful.
雖然patrick即富有又成功,但他從來不炫耀他自己。


scenic adj. 風景的


//== Chat room ==//

load n. 負荷/負載

be loaded with something 裝滿或充滿某樣東西
eg: My bag is loaded with books.
eg: The books are loaded with helpful information.
eg: He is loaded with money 他很有錢
eg: He is loaded. (口語)他很闊


load n. 負擔/重擔

take a load off 卸貨/放下重擔，休息一下

take a load off my mind 放下心中的重擔/可以安心了