A unique form of water transportation, the gondola has been used to carry passengers along Venice's waterways for centuries.
贡多拉是威尼斯独特的水上运输船，贡多拉在威尼斯古代就开始流行，至今已近有几个世纪的历史了。
A Bit of History
关于贡多拉的历史资料
Gondolas were once the chief form of transportation through the canals of Venice. Today, they are generally used as sightseeing vessels for tourists willing to shell out quite a few euros for a ride on these historic rowing boats.
贡多拉曾经是威尼斯运河上主要的水上运输工具。今天，来自世界各地的观光客们更愿意坐上贡多拉去有体验一下穿越的感觉。
Some experts believe gondolas date all the way back to the 7th century, but the most common belief is that they originated around 1100. Designed to deal with the shallows and mud flats of the canals, early gondolas had 12 oars. A few centuries later, they were much smaller in size but had acquired a "felze" or cabin. In the 16th century, they had become so covered with ornamentation that a law eventually banned such ostentatiousness. From that point on, and still today, the vessels were permitted to only include a curly tail, a pair of seahorses, and a multi-pronged prow.
一些专家认为，贡多拉的历史可以追溯到公元7世纪，但多数人认为贡多拉开始的时间是公元1100年。为了在狭窄的运河里穿梭，以及在泥泞的浅滩上停泊，贡多拉从最开始出现到今天也有很多演变。最开始的贡多拉设计了十二个桨手，几个世纪以后，贡多拉的体积小了很多，但有了船篷的设计。到了16世纪，贡多拉被装饰得很花哨，但最后法律禁止这样招摇的装饰。从那以后，贡多拉就演变成只有一个翘起的船尾、一对海马做装饰，然后就是多管齐下的船首。
Gondolas are built at one of just three remaining boatyards, of which the Squero di San Trovaso is the most famous. All gondolas are built in the same manner by experienced builders,
建造贡多拉的船厂只有三个，去中最著名的是 Squero di San Trovaso。所有的贡多拉船都被技术精湛的工人建造得一模一样。
they are composed of 280 separate pieces. The left side is longer than the right, which allows it to resist the tendency to turn to the left during a forward stroke by the gondolier.
贡多拉船由280个不同的部件组成。左边比右边要长一些，这是为了船夫们可以在向左转的行进中提档水流的冲击。
Not everyone can be a gondolier. In Venice, it is considered a noble profession that has been passed down from generation to generation through the centuries.
想成为贡多拉船夫？也不是那么简单的事。在威尼斯，贡多拉船夫被誉为崇高的职业，而且是世袭制的。
Nearly every visitor to Venice wants to enjoy a gondola ride while visiting the city. However, gondolas aren't the normal form of transportation around the canals. That task falls to the vaporetti, or water taxis. Gondolas, instead, are tourist vehicles that visitors can hire for sightseeing purposes or purely for the opportunity to say they rode on one of these historic vessels. Many hire them for a romantic journey and, each year, hundreds of couples become engaged while sailing through Venice's canals.
几乎每个去威尼斯的游客都想坐上贡多拉船欣赏一下这个水上王国的魅力。但是你要知道，贡多拉在今天可不是真正的运输船哦，不是你认为的拉客从一个点到另一个点的水上巴士。如今的贡多拉只为了让游客坐上来看看美景和体会历史的工具，当然，也有许多人觉得和爱人同船渡是极其浪漫的事，每年，在贡多拉求婚的人很多。
Gondola rides are offered at a fixed cost set by the city government, though experienced travelers will tell you that many gondoliers do not always adhere to these costs. That's why it can be necessary to negotiate the price and length of ride before you board the gondola. Don't expect the ride to be cheap, especially during peak tourist season when the demand is great. In addition, rates are higher after a certain hour of the day, so a nighttime ride will be more expensive.
威尼斯政府对贡多拉收费有相关规定，然而，经验丰富的游客会告诉你，很多船夫不会老老实实按规矩办事。所以，在上船以前，你可以你可以和贡多拉船夫讨价还价，也可以要求多在船上呆一会。不要期待贡多拉会很便宜，特别是在旅游旺季，旺盛的需求会让贡多拉更贵。另外，在某些时间段价格估计也会高出平均，比如晚上，就会比平常贵。
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