The Loire is the last freeflowing river in Europe. Unlike any other river in western Europe，other than in the far north，there are no dams or locks creating obstacles to its natural flow. As a result，the Loire is a very popular river for boating excusions，flowing through a pastoral countryside，past limestone cliffs and storybookstorybook n.故事书，小说 castles.
The Seine
塞纳河
去过巴黎的人，谁都会为巴黎的历史古迹和文化氛围而深深震撼；震撼之余，谁又能忘掉那生生不息、蜿蜒辗转、风情万种的塞纳河呢？可以说，没有塞纳河，就没有巴黎的兴旺繁荣，没有巴黎的湿润气候，没有巴黎的满目绿色，没有巴黎的浪漫风情，没有巴黎的文化底蕴，没有巴黎的人气指数，没有巴黎的……
塞纳河是流经巴黎市中心的法国第二大河，全长780公里，流域面积7.8万平方公里。塞纳河主流源头位于勃艮第地区，科多尔省的首府第戎西北30公里的朗格勒高原，流经奥布省的首府特鲁瓦，穿过巴黎市中心，经过诺曼底的鲁昂，到达勒阿弗尔入海，流入拉芒什海峡（英语称为英吉利海峡）。
北部支流有马恩河、瓦兹河、奥布河；南部支流有约纳河、厄尔河。通过17世纪~18世纪修建的运河，可以沟通莱茵河的支流默兹河，法国南部主要河流罗纳河的支流索恩河，以及法国第一大河卢瓦尔河，吃水浅的船只可以直接航行到比利时、德国和地中海。上游马恩河和奥布河流域是香槟酒的主要产区。
塞纳河像一条绿色的丝带，把许多光彩照人的珍珠穿在一起，这些珍珠是稀世之宝，惊世之作。不是吗？沿着塞纳河，巴黎最重要的景点，也可以说是全球的旅游亮点尽收眼底——雄伟壮丽、庄严神秘的巴黎圣母院，巴黎的象征、高达300公尺的埃菲尔铁塔，珍藏着好几个世纪古代文物的卢浮宫，“完全石头的”火车站式的奥赛博物馆，安葬拿破仑的荣军院……巴黎的历史，巴黎的文化，巴黎的艺术，巴黎的富庶，巴黎的傲慢，巴黎的浪漫，巴黎的潇洒，在这条河两岸洋洋洒洒，酣畅淋漓。
闪光的塞纳河天长地久。它像一位饱经沧桑的老人，目睹着巴黎历史的变化，目睹着兴与衰、贫与富、快乐与悲伤。它默默无语，却在潺潺不断地静静流淌。一到傍晚时分，“塞纳风情”的两层小楼从里到外洋溢着异国情调和典雅浪漫。
泛舟塞纳河，一座座桥梁，如同一个个巨型的牙雕；一幢幢楼房，如同一页页立体的历史。诗人感叹：“塞纳河，你是巴黎的母亲；巴黎，你是塞纳河的骄子！”
The Seine is a major river of northern France，and one of its commercial waterways. It is also a tourist attraction，particularly within the city of Paris.
Geography
The river is 780 km (485 miles) long，France，s secondlongest (after the Loire). Its main tributaries are the Aube，Marne and Oise rivers from the north and the Yonne and Eure rivers from the south. It is connected with canals to the Scheldt (also called the Escaut)，Meuse，Rhine，Saone and Loire rivers.
The Seine rises in the French région of Burgundy. The river then flows through Troyes to Paris.
In Paris，narrowed between high stone embankmentsembankment n.堤防，筑堤，the river carries commercial barges，waterbuses and large tourist boats (bateauxmouches). From the water，fine views are seen of the Cathedral of Notre Dame，the Louvre，the Musée d，Orsay (housing Paris，collection of Impressionist art)，the Conciergerie and the Eiffel Tower. The northern side of the river is described as the Right Bank (Rive Droite) and the southern side as the Left Bank (Rive Gauche)，because when facing the same direction that the river flows，these are the directions to the left and right.
The river then meanders in large loops through Normandy and Rouen，entering the English Channel (La Manche) in an estuary between Le Havre and Honfleur.
The Seine is dredged and oceangoingoceangoing adj.远洋航行的 vessels can dock at Rouen，120 km (75 miles) from the sea. Commercial riverboats can use the river from BarsurSeine，560 km (350 miles) from its mouth. At Paris，the river is only 24 metres (80 feet) above sea level，445 km (277 miles) from its mouth，making it slow flowing and thus easily navigable.
The water of the Seine is an important resource. Electric power stations，thermal and nuclear，pull their cooling water from the river. Half the water used in the Paris region，both for industry and for consumption，and three quarters of the water used in the area between Rouen and Le Havre，is taken from the river.
The Seine is artificially maintained at a level higher than its natural level，by dams and locks downstream. The river only drops about 30 metres on its 200kilometre journey to the Atlantic，and in the days when it flowed at its natural level (hundreds of years ago)，most of the riverbed was sand，with only a narrow stream of water flowing down the middle. Old pictures of the river in centuries past illustrate this clearly. In the nineteenth century，though，the aforementionedaforementioned adj.上述的，前述的 dams and locks were installed to raise the river level in Paris and elsewhere along its path，in order to make it navigable for boats. A side effect of this is that the river looks a lot prettier as well，since it always neatly fills the space between its banks as it flows through Paris now.
Loire Valley
卢瓦尔河谷
要完整领略法国风情，只消去两个地方，一是巴黎，一是卢瓦尔河谷。如果说多元文化汇聚的巴黎代表法国浪漫而前卫的一面，那么卢瓦尔河谷则是法国恬静古典的后花园。巴黎的美，美在各种文化风格的撞击和矛盾之间；而卢瓦尔河谷则美在她甜美纯粹的法兰西风情。
卢瓦尔河谷是位于法国中部、卢瓦尔河中游的平原流域，方圆27 500平方英里。古老的城堡掩映在绿树丛中。这些古堡大都建于中世纪和文艺复兴时期，幽深的古堡宅院，青苔斑驳，为这个法兰西花园增添了几分沧桑感。卢瓦尔河谷地区被誉为“法国花园”，与其邻近地区都出名盛产新鲜蔬果，包括爽甜结实的梨子、甜美多汁的苹果、红彤彤的士多啤梨。每逢秋季，这里便遍野紫色石南花，丛中长满野生蘑菇。很多巴黎人都喜欢在秋天南来打猎和捉野鸭。卢瓦尔河谷地区的餐厅一年四季都有新鲜河鱼供应，例如Sandre。可别忘了当地出产的羊酪芝士Chevre，乾酪和鲜酪一样可口，分为金字塔形和圆形，一顿盛菜没有它又怎叫完美！英法百年战争时期，法国王室曾经逃到卢瓦尔河谷避难，因此卢瓦尔河谷也被称作“帝王谷”，不少古堡都留下了皇室的奇闻轶事的传说，这使得城堡变得更加神秘起来。