One thing about London which every visitor from abroad admires① is the large number of parks. These “lungs” of London， as they have been called， are like green islands of peace and quiet in the middle of a noisy sea. They play an important part in helping to form the City’s character.
The best-known parks are， of course， the central ones： St James’s park， Hyde Park， Regent’s Park， and Kensington Gardens. They have many attractions.
Hyde Park has the Serpentine—a little lake， where， if one feels inclined， one may take a swim or go for a row， and Speakers’ Corner where one may get up and say anything one pleases. In Regent’s Park there are the Zoo and the Open-Air Theatre. Kensington Gardens has the Round Pond where ”dry land sailors“ of all ages sail every kind of model yacht St James’s Park boasts a truly elegant② lake on which lives a great variety of wild duck.
And， apart from these individual③ attractions， each park has a greater or lesser expanse of well-kept grass. Here， in fine weather， can be seen hundreds of lucky people who have escaped for a while from the noise and bustle④ of the town； some sitting on chairs， some lying full length on the ground， some strolling aimlessly around.
But the central parks of London are not necessarily the most popular. Every district of London has its parks， great or small. In the north there is Hampstead Heath， famous for its summer and winter fairs. In the south there is Richmond Park， where deer and sheep still roam⑤ and where one can get the impression of being deep in the country. In the south， too， are the Botanical Gardens at Kew， where almost every kind of tree and plant is carefully tended， in large greenhouses or in the open air. Just over Chelse a Bridge， along the south bank of the Thames， is Battersea Park， one of London’s largest， complete with its pleasure gardens and Fun-Fair. In the east， there is the large Victoria Park and a host of smaller ones.
In fact， there are so many parks in London that even for a Londoner it is difficult to know and enjoy them all. Visitors to London may be confident⑥ that wherever they are， they are not far away from a park of some sort. They can enjoy the beauty and relax⑦ themselves in one of these parks.
① admirev. 赞美，钦佩，羡慕
② elegantadj. 文雅的，端庄的，雅致的
③ individualadj. 个别的，单独的，个人的
④ bustlen. 忙乱，喧嚣 v. 匆忙，使忙碌
⑤ roamv. 漫步，漫游
⑥ confidentadj. 自信的， 确信的
⑦ relaxv. 松弛， 放松； 缓和
伦敦的公园
每个来伦敦旅游的客人无不对这儿有大量的公园感到羡慕。这些被称为“伦敦之肺”的地方，就像在喧闹的海洋中间一个个安宁而怡静的绿岛。它们在构成这座城市的格局方面起到了很重要的作用。
当然，最著名的公园是市中心的几个：圣詹姆斯公园、海德公园、摄政王公园和肯辛顿公园。它们都具有许多引人注意的东西。
海德公园曲折蜿蜒的水池——一条小湖，你要是感兴趣，可以小湖中游泳或划船，你也可以登上演讲角就任何问题发表见解。摄政王公园有动物园和露天剧场。肯辛顿花园有个圆池塘，各种年龄的“陆地水手”围在园池塘边驾驶着各种快艇模型。圣詹姆公园可以夸耀的是有一条真正优美的湖，湖上生活着多种野鸭。
除了这些各自的魅力外，每个公园都有或大或小而且保持得很好的草坪。阳光明媚时，可以看到许许多多的人暂时避开了城市的喧闹和熙攘，在此享受着恬静。有的坐在椅子上，有的全身伸平地躺在草地上，有的则在附近闲逛。
但伦敦市中心的公园未必是最受欢迎的。伦敦每个区都有大大小小的公园。在北区有汉帕斯台德·汉斯公园，以其在夏季和冬季的贸易市场而闻名。在南区有瑞区蒙达公园，那里的鹿和绵羊到处在闲逛，使人有身临乡野之感。在南区还有克由植物园。这里，几乎各种树和植物，不管在温室里的还是在露天的，都受到精心的管理。过彻西桥，沿泰晤士河南岸有个白特西公园，是伦敦最大的公园之一，内有游乐场和娱乐园。在东区有最大的维多利亚公园和许多小一点的公园。
事实上，伦敦有许许多多的公园，即便是伦敦人也很难将这些公园的名字一一倒来或是游遍所有的公园。来伦敦的访客可能会认为无论他们去哪，他们都会离某一个公园很近。在任何一个公园，他们都能享受美景，放松自己。
