Central Library

How cool can libraries be in an era of iPads and Kindles? More than you think. Only if you know where to go.
在iPad和Kindle的時代，圖書館能有多酷？其實遠(yuǎn)超你的想象，只要你知道該去哪兒。

1. Central Library: Seattle, Washington, United States
中央圖書館：美國華盛頓州西雅圖市

The Central Library in Seattle is sleek, modern and sophisticated and has tourists from around the world paying visits and taking tours. Yes, actual tours.
西雅圖的中央圖書館時尚現(xiàn)代而且精致，吸引了來自世界各地的游客前來觀光。沒錯，真正的觀光。

In its first year, more than 2 million tourists visited the library, which was designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and American designer Joshua Ramus. Tours began in 2006, two years after its opening.
這座圖書館建成的第一年，就迎來了超過200萬游客前來參觀。圖書館的設(shè)計者是荷蘭建筑師雷姆·庫哈斯和美國設(shè)計師喬舒亞·拉莫斯。在2006年也就是圖書館開放兩年后，開始正式接受游客參觀。

The library was voted onto the American Institute of Architects 150 favorite structures in the United States.
在美國建筑師學(xué)會票選出的美國人150座最喜愛的建筑中，這座圖書館榜上有名。

The library holds various art exhibitions, book signings and other events throughout the year, while visitors can stop by the Chocolati cart for a coffee and browse through the gift shop anytime.
中央圖書館一年到頭舉辦各類藝術(shù)展、圖書簽售會等活動，不論何時，游客都可以在Chocolati 咖啡吧里停下來喝杯咖啡，瀏覽一下禮品店。?

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Trinity College Library

2. Trinity College Library: Dublin, Ireland
圣三一學(xué)院圖書館：愛爾蘭都柏林

The Trinity College Library in Dublin is the oldest library in Ireland, founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I.
位于都柏林的圣三一學(xué)院圖書館是愛爾蘭最古老的圖書館，由伊麗莎白一世女王主持建于1592年。

Not only is the exterior impressive, it boasts the largest single chamber library in the world, also known as the Long Room, which contains more than 200,000 of the library's oldest books.
圖書館不僅是外形讓人印象深刻，它還是世界上最大的單體圖書館，被稱為“長廳”，收藏了20萬本圖書館最古老的書。

The Long Room houses one of the oldest harps in Ireland. Dating to the 15th century, the oak harp is the model for the emblem of Ireland.
愛爾蘭最古老的豎琴之一也存放于“長廳”。這架豎琴誕生于15世紀(jì)，是愛爾蘭象征的標(biāo)志。?

Geisel Library University of California

3. Geisel Library, University of California: San Diego, United States
加州大學(xué)蓋澤爾圖書館：美國圣地亞哥

At first glance, it looks like a spaceship.
第一眼看上去，這座圖書館好像一艘宇宙飛船。

Architect William Pereira, who helped design actual space launch facilities at Cape Canaveral in Houston, Texas, designed the library in 1970. It has been featured in sci-fi films, short stories and novels.
這座圖書館是建筑師威廉姆·佩雷拉在1970年設(shè)計的，他曾協(xié)助設(shè)計位于德克薩斯州休斯敦市卡納維拉爾角的空間發(fā)射站。這座圖書館在許多科幻電影、短篇故事和小說里出現(xiàn)過。

If you need a hint of which film, think of Leonardo DeCaprio, dreams and a lot of snow.
如果你想知道是哪部電影，提示是萊昂納多、夢和很多雪花。

Yes, the snow fortress in the film "Inception" looks a lot like the Geisel Library.
沒錯，《盜夢空間》里雪地里的堡壘那個場景，看起來就很像是蓋澤爾圖書館。

But of course, it's not just the exterior that's interesting. The library also hosts "Dinner in the Library," which invites readers for cocktails, a silent auction and also a special speech from prominent authors.
當(dāng)然這座圖書館并不止是外表有趣。它還舉辦“圖書館晚宴”，邀請讀者來喝雞尾酒，同時還有一場無聲拍賣會和杰出作家的特別演講。?

TU Delft Library

4. TU Delft Library: The Netherlands
代爾夫特理工大學(xué)圖書館：荷蘭

he library at the Delft University of Technology was constructed in 1997 and has more than 862,000 books, 16,000 magazine subscriptions and its own museum. But it will only take a glance to be mesmerized, as it is a sight to remember.
代爾夫特理工大學(xué)的圖書館建于1997年，有86.2萬本藏書，1萬6千份雜志和自己的博物館。但你只需要看上一眼就會對它印象深刻。

The building itself exists beneath the ground, so you can't really see the actual library. What makes it interesting is the roof, which is a grassy hill.
這座建筑位于地下，因此你無法真正看見它。有意思的是：它的屋頂是一座長滿草的山坡。

A huge cone pierces the grass roof, which symbolizes technology.
一個象征科技的巨大圓錐體穿過這片青草屋頂。

The roof covers 5,500 square meters. Construction of the roof posed several difficulties in terms of maintenence and leakage, but it has become one of the most striking and greenest structures in the area.
屋頂有5500平方米。它的修建曾經(jīng)面臨一些維護和漏水的難題，但現(xiàn)在它已經(jīng)是該地區(qū)最顯眼也最綠色的建筑之一。?

Bibliotheca Alexandrina

5. Bibliotheca Alexandrina: Alexandria, Egypt
亞歷山大圖書館：埃及亞歷山大

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is the revival of the ancient Royal Library of Alexandria, which was the largest and most influential library in the Greek world. It was built by Alexander the Great some 2,300 years ago.
亞歷山大圖書館是在古代亞歷山大圖書館基礎(chǔ)上進(jìn)心的重建，古亞歷山大圖書館曾是希臘語世界最大最具影響力的圖書館，由亞歷山大大帝建于約2300年前。

The new library was reborn in 2002 on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea after 10 years of designing, planning and construction.
新圖書館2002年在地中海岸建成，歷經(jīng)了10年的設(shè)計、計劃和建設(shè)。

Along with the standard libraries with books, there are four museums covering antiquities, manuscripts and science, and also 15 permanent exhibitions, including "Impressions of Alexandria," "Arabic Calligraphy" and "The History of Printing."
除了藏書之外，這座圖書館還有四座博物館，收藏了文物、手稿和一些科學(xué)展品，還有15場永久展覽，包括“亞歷山大印象”，“阿拉伯書法” 和 “印刷的歷史” 等書畫。

With its circular yet tilting form, the library looks like a modern painting. Various carvings and alphabetic inscriptions decorate the flatter side of the building, which the designers explain is "a careful display of the library's basic proviso: language."
圖書館的外形呈圓形且有傾斜度，好像一副現(xiàn)代繪畫。較平的一面裝飾有各種雕刻和字母碑文，設(shè)計師解釋說是“對圖書館的基礎(chǔ)也就是語言的展示”。?

Stuttgart City Library

6. Stuttgart City Library: Stuttgart, Germany
斯圖加特城市圖書館：德國斯圖加特

The Stuttgart City Library is controversial. Some say it's innovative, while others say it doesn't match its environment.
斯圖加特城市圖書館富有爭議。有人說它非常創(chuàng)新，有人說它和環(huán)境格格不入。

Nevertheless, the library is one of the most interesting buildings in the area, along with the Porsche Museum nearby.
不管怎么說，這座圖書館和它附近的保時捷博物館一樣，都是它所在區(qū)域內(nèi)最有趣的建筑之一。

Designed by Korean-born, Germany-based architect Yi Eun-young, the design of the cubic facility was influenced by the ancient Pantheon in Rome. It features a linear-shaped "heart," which serves as a multi-story meeting space that draws natural sunlight through the roof.
設(shè)計師是成長在德國的韓裔建筑師Yi Eun-young，立方體的造型設(shè)計受到了羅馬古萬神殿的影響。在多層樓交匯的空間有一個流線型的“心”，收集著從屋頂照進(jìn)來的自然陽光。

The space throws various events, including book signings, readings and exhibitions.
這一片空間用來舉辦各種活動，包括圖書簽售會、讀書會和展覽。

The white and silver library may not fit perfectly with the green trees and red-roofed houses around the city, but it does stand out.
這座銀白色的圖書館也許和這座城市的綠樹還有紅屋頂?shù)姆孔硬惶珔f(xié)調(diào)，但它確實很顯眼。
?

Bishan Public Library

7. Bishan Public Library, Singapore
璧山公共圖書館：新加坡

Located in the heart of Bishan, the award-winning Bishan Community Library spans 4,000 square meters.
這座得過獎的社區(qū)圖書館位于璧山中心地帶，占地4000平方米。

Simple and sophisticated, it was designed to look like a tree house.
它的設(shè)計簡約而又精致，看起來像一座樹上小屋。

The colorful pods that stick out of one side of the building represent books protruding from a bookshelf. Inside the library, these pods offer private spaces for reading. Not to mention a perfect place to hold seminars, readings and workshops.
那些從建筑的一面伸出來的彩色部分，代表了從書架上抽出的書。而在圖書館內(nèi)部，這些部分為閱讀者提供了私人空間。這也是舉辦研討會、讀書會和工作坊的完美地點。

Its ceiling-high glass windows also make it fun to watch people walking and reading from inside the building.
天花板高度的玻璃窗可以讓你看著人們在圖書館內(nèi)行走和閱讀，十分有趣。?