Chapter 55 garden

garden Britain is a country that respects freedom, as can be seen from Hyde Park in London.People who study politics must know this name; in recent years, this park has occasionally appeared in the overseas telecommunications of daily newspapers.Every Sunday afternoon, people of all parties and factions come here to preach their truth.The public says that the public is right, and the mother-in-law says that the old woman is right, and the well water does not violate the river water.From Christianity to the Communist Party, there are almost everything.Everywhere there is always one person speaking.He stands on a table, a chair, or something else, just to show his face among the audience; these tables and chairs can be prepared by themselves, and the benches in the park are only for people to rest. .More or less people listen.Once a man who taught Jesus taught no one to listen, but he still cheered up to talk; he hoped that among the tourists coming and going, there might be one, two, three, four, five or six... Those who want to listen to him, as long as someone stays With one kick, his tongue is not in vain.

I saw a Communist Party demonstration once, and the speeches were both east and west; some stood on carts, quite majestic.It is said that horse-drawn carts are usually not allowed to enter the park, but this time there was probably a special permit.Among them was a woman of about forty, with the loudest voice and the longest utterance; she spoke Cockney dialect, and always opened her mouth as far as it could go, and used her arms to help her.After talking about it, my voice became hoarse, but I continued to yell meticulously.It was getting dark, and they came out of the garden in a whole team, shouting slogans, and the slogans and flags were also colorful.On both sides of the team, tall and big horse patrols followed slowly, without speaking.It is the north gate, and the bustling Oxford Street is outside.

There is an open sand field at the north gate, which is most suitable for open-air speakers, and the most people come here.Maybe right after the Communist Party left, someone here talked about China and Japan; it was not long after "128" at that time, and he was quite aggrieved by us.He also praised Gandhi, but compared him to Jabolin, saying that Jabolin also fought for the common people.This comparison made the audience laugh; more than one person argued with him, and an old lady even turned away muttering.Even if the speaker is not the Communist Party, he is probably not a "high-class" Englishman.There was also a major incident in the park: the Congressional reform riot in 1866 (laborers fighting for suffrage), the surrounding iron fences destroyed more than half a mile of road, and 250 policemen were injured.

The park is surrounded by iron railings, nine car gates, and countless gates for tourists to enter and exit. It covers an area of ​​more than 2,200 acres and surrounds the park for nine miles. It is the largest park in London and attracts the most visitors.The north and south of the garden are busy, but the center of the garden is quiet.All kinds of wild birds in the bushes, the clear and chaotic voices, and the silhouettes of white sheep on the green grass in summer, remind people that they have gone to the countryside and forgotten that they are in the big city of the world.The grassland is a misty green, a piece of lush green, like water, like smoke, like a dream; rare, even in winter.There is a snake water meandering in the southwest corner, which covers an area of ​​300 mu, and there are many water birds, such as herons.You can rock the boat and swim; there is also a lifeguard meeting, so that those who enter the water can feel at ease and bold.This water is where Shelley's lover, Lady Harri Det Westbro#k, sank, a hundred and twenty years ago.

Inside the south gate is a statue of Byron, which was donated by the Greek government fifty years ago; there is also a statue of the ancient hero Achilles, which was built by the Duke of Wellington in his hometown to commemorate him, using twelve French cannons. copper, but now there are more than one hundred years.There is also the wall sculpture of the famous British sculptor Epstein, which commemorates the naturalist Hudson.A person who seems to be flying, with arms outstretched, head raised, and hair scattered, has a primitive and rough air, showing the embodiment of the spirit of nature; four birds are flying on the left and right, with different sizes and sides , There is also a wild energy.The value of this carving has aroused many discussions.Tourists are most popular in the area from the south gate to the snake water.In summer, there is a brass band playing every morning; listening outside the stalls is considered white, but entering the stalls costs a little fare, but there are chairs to sit on.Naturally, many tourists walk, and there are also sports cars and horseback riders; there is another "horse" road for horseback riders.

This garden was originally a deer park, where hunting was carried out; in 1635, King Charles the First of England opened it for horse racing and walking.Later it became a duel arena.The first World Exposition in 1851 was held here, and the venue was covered with glass and iron; after the meeting, it was dismantled and covered elsewhere for exhibitions, which is the famous Crystal Palace.There is no snake water at all, only six pools; it was only opened in the early eighteenth century. Almost adjacent to the southeast of Hyde Park is St. James's Park (St. James's Park), which covers about 5670 acres.It was originally a meadow, but King Henry VIII pumped water, built a wall, and turned it into a deer park.Charles II expanded the site, paved the road, and turned it into a place for play; in the next hundred years, it became the most fashionable promenade in London.It was transformed into the current park at the beginning of the nineteenth century.There are lakes and hanging bridges; there are the most pelicans in the lake, and you can pass the time by leaning on the bridge rails and watching them play in the water.Surrounded by Buckingham Palace, the West Temple, the National Assembly, and various government offices, they are the busiest places; those who lean on the bridge railing are lucky to be able to take a leisurely look at the outlines of the Gorcy-style spires of the West Temple and the National Assembly.

To the northeast of Hyde Park is Regent's Park, which was originally a deer garden; it was not until the beginning of the 19th century that the "Regent" (later King George IV) was built into its present form.There is also a lake, and the rocking boat is the best; there are small wheels under the seat, which can move forward and backward freely, and rolling around is very fun.There are many wild pigeons and wild birds, and there are also many squirrels.The squirrels were originally released from the zoo, only a few pairs; but now they have bred.It is common for old men to bring food to the garden to feed sparrows, pigeons, and squirrels.These little things have become acquainted with people, and they come to people's hands to eat openly; they look very affectionate.There are people like this in other parks too.This seems to be more interesting than carrying a birdcage.

The zoo is located on the northeast corner of the Regent's Garden. It belongs to the Zoological Society and has a history of more than 100 years.The collection is the most complete, with 4,000 animals, including 800 mammals and 2,400 birds.It is said that more than two million people go shopping every year.Needless to say, there must be a lot of children; they are much closer and more concerned about animals than adults.It is enough to see colorful animal pictures in textbooks or dictionaries, without mentioning the real things.Even adults, wouldn’t you be willing to open your eyes and see things you haven’t seen before, things from mountains, seas, exotic lands, rare birds, strange beasts, strange fish?If there is no zoo, maybe I will never see these things in my life.Besides, like lions and tigers, how can they meet casually!Unless you're hunting or watching a circus.But when hunting and encountering these things, it is the time of desperate life, how can there be time to savor their living conditions?In the circus troupe, they only perform tricky things, and the time is short, and the distance is far away; how can there be nature in the zoo, you have to watch it?This is only for curious people; artists can observe and study carefully, and successfully create new creations, such as paintings and sculptures. Since the 19th century, many animals have been used as themes.In recent years, the interest in animals in movies has been cultivated in this way; but that is beyond the limit of zoos.

Londoners are very interested in zoos, and some newspapers specially send zoo visitors to make daily notes on the animals in the park and report on new arrivals; some of their correspondence is like fairy tales.People who go to the zoo are most willing to watch the feeding, that is, the time when animals and people are closest.Feeding sometimes requires diplomacy, such as fish ponds, if you throw food down casually and let everyone grab it, the fast swimmers and the powerful ones will take advantage of it, and the rest will starve to death.This is of course unfair, and the manager who treats everyone equally will definitely not want it.He had to find a way, for example, to feed them in batches, and when the fast ones and powerful ones were finished eating, he would use a net to keep them aside and take care of the others.There are certain hours for feeding all kinds of animals, and there is a section dedicated to this in the famous "Guide to London" by Pei Zike.Children are most happy to ride elephants and camels (camels are also considered exotic in London).Furthermore, if tourists can chat with the workers who manage the animals, they will kindly tell you the stories of this or that animal, like a fragment of a biography; then it will be more interesting to read what he said up.

The most fun things in the garden are the chimpanzee tea party and the white bear taking a bath.The tea party is held at 5:30 p.m. every day in summer, with tea and bread and butter.They will use two front feet, like a human.Sometimes "novice" joins in, but they often only use one front foot, which also comes from the butter and bread; although this is natural, it is funny to the people watching.Polar bears are polar bears, they come from the world of ice and snow, but they like summer best; the hotter the merrier, they can lie in the sun at noon in the scorching sun.I also like to bathe in the water, and my body is always white.They stay on the bear platform, bounded by a deep ditch; there is a pool beside the platform, and they bathe in the pool.On one side of the pool, through a layer of glass, you can see their floating and sinking postures.But once it got colder than 50 degrees Fahrenheit, I refused to go into the water, and the snow on my body was gradually covered by dust.

The penguins in southern Africa are also people are particularly happy to see.It is as big as a one-and-a-half-year-old baby, it can't fly, it can dive into the water, it has black wings, its gray chest stands tall, and it walks slowly with its head held high, as if no one else is around.Its special feature lies in standing upright.It's not much bigger than a goose, much smaller than an ostrich or a crane, but it's popular all the time, so you should look at it differently.Of course, other birds also stand upright, but they are too small to be called.Penguins are clumsy, and modern decorative patterns are useful for them.It's just that it is not cold-tolerant, and when winter comes, it will be listless. The fish house and bird house are also particularly worth seeing.The fish room is divided into fresh water room, sea water room and tropical room (also fresh water).The room is dark, with a row of mirror-like glass embedded in the wall, which is horizontal and rectangular.There is a kind of fish in each frame, swimming around in the water, all illuminated by electric lights, like a painting.There are two bird houses, the tropical room has the richest colors and sounds, and the freshest; there is a kind of bird that is crisp blue on the top and maroon on the bottom, flying up and down and croaking non-stop. The air and light in all parts of this zoo are good, and there is a cold room, which gives animals a very thoughtful design.It's only 200 mu of land, and it really can't be opened up. Small things are fine, like lions and tigers are always locked in the house, it is a grievance to the hero, even though white bears and other things have special stands, they are still very awkward; The difference between birdcage and birdcage is limited.Of course, if these animals are allowed to be completely free, then there is no need for a zoo; but if they can be given greater freedom and let them live more naturally, wouldn't people who watch them want to see it more.So in 1927, the Zoological Society established a zoo in Whipsnad e, Bedfordshire, northwest of London, with an area of ​​more than 3,000 acres; Much happier. The above gardens are all in the city, all on the North Thames River.There is a very famous Kew Gardens (Kew Gardens) in the west of Henan.But outside the city.Kew Gardens is named "Royal Botanical Garden", one of the most important and beautiful botanical gardens in the world; it covers an area of ​​1,750 mu and has more than 24,000 species of plants.This garden is now under the management of the Ministry of Agriculture, and it was originally the property of the royal family. It was donated to the state in 1841;They compiled the Flora of the British Empire.They also transplanted useful new plants into the territory of the empire-such as jackfruit in the West Indies and cinchona in India, all of which were introduced by them.There are four museums in the garden; the second Museum of Economic Botany was established in 1848, which is the earliest one in Europe. But laymen can only appreciate the scenery of flowers and trees.There are the most daffodils, and there is a so-called "Narcissus Sunday" at the end of April, which is very popular with tourists.There are also many strange flowers in the greenhouse.What kind of flowers are blooming in the garden, and the notice board at the door lists the list every day.The heating room is the largest, divided into three parts: the Himalayan room has heather and camellia, and Chinese heather, which is smaller; in the middle, there are some big phoenix trees and palm trees in front; the phoenix tree is so big that you have to look up your neck to see it , stretching out two arms is not wide enough for it.Surrounded by some flowers and shrubs and the like.The other is the Mexican room, which doesn't seem to have anything special. There is a tower on the southeast corner, but you can't go up; it has ten floors, 155 feet, and it was built in the middle of the eighteenth century, when Chinese culture was popular in Europe, maybe it was influenced by China.It is said that there is also a small Confucius Temple, but after searching for a long time, I couldn't find it.Not far away, there is a painted Japanese torii, the so-called "Imperial Envoy Gate", but it was built only twenty years ago.From the bottom of the pagoda to an artificial lake, there is a path of cypress trees, which also has a sense of forest; it is a pity that the trees are too thin, and compared with our Zhongshan Park, they are really nothing.The so-called "bamboo gardens" are even more pitiful, not many, not big, not beautiful, and not as good as those of Xishan Dabei Nunnery. ①The gate of the temple, where the imperial envoys go when they visit. Made on December 12, 1935. (Originally published in Literature, Volume 6, Issue 2, February 1, 1936)