点评:After visiting the Museum of Free Derry (a must for all visitors to Derry) it was with some relief that we were led a light-hearted tour of the Guild Hall by our informative guide, Chris. Although his message necessarily included a darker side - the fire, the two bombings and the explanation of how Queen Victoria lost her smile - Chris kept his narrative light and amusing, albeit it with a nod to the many ironies and human failings that accompany any enterprise or achievement. From the vast Hall and its stained glass windows to the Council Meeting Room, Chris offered myriad insights into the history of the Guild Gall and the people who built, populated and ultimately damaged and rebuilt it. The building itself is a wonderful example of Victorian opulence, rivalled only by Kelvin Grove in Glasgow. (Both are thoroughly recommended.)
Thank you, Chris, for guiding us through Derry Guild Hall and making our visit both informative and an opportunity to reflect on the vagaries of the human condition.
翻译:参观完自由德里博物馆(所有来德里的游客都必去之地)后,我们如释重负地跟随博学的导游克里斯,轻松愉快地游览了市政厅。虽然他的讲解不可避免地会涉及一些较为沉重的话题——比如火灾、两次轰炸以及维多利亚女王为何失去笑容——但克里斯的叙述始终轻松诙谐,同时也不忘提及任何事业或成就都难免伴随的种种讽刺和人性的弱点。从宏伟的大厅及其彩色玻璃窗到市政会议室,克里斯为我们详细讲解了市政厅的历史,以及建造、居住、最终损毁并重建它的人们的故事。市政厅本身就是维多利亚时代奢华建筑的典范,其辉煌程度堪与格拉斯哥的凯尔文格罗夫相媲美。(这两处都值得强烈推荐。)
感谢克里斯带领我们参观德里市政厅,让我们的旅程既增长了见识,又让我们有机会反思人生的无常。