Dear Joey,
I was right. Kyoto is much more mellow than Tokyo. It’s not as busy, and I don’t have to fight the crowds to see the sights. And there are so many sights to see here!
This used to be the capital of Japan, and it’s filled with huge, beautiful temples. Unlike Tokyo, there are many parks and hills. It’s a very green, peaceful city. There are also many teahouses in beautiful gardens. I’ve been spending a lot oftime at these eahouses trying to perfect the Japanese Tea Ceremony. It’s great seeing a side3 of Japan that is different from the huge metropolis of Tokyo! Can’t wait to hear how your trip is going!
Austin
亲爱的乔伊：
我说对了，京都比东京让人轻松多了，这里没有那么繁忙，我不必为了看风景，而在人群中挤来挤去的。而且，这里有好多风景可以看！
京都以前是日本的首都，有很多大型美丽的寺庙。这里和东京不一样，有很多公园和山丘，真是一个很碧绿、很宁静的城市。美丽的庭园里也有很多茶馆，很多时间我都待在茶馆练习日本茶道。看到日本的另一面，与大都会东京很不同，真棒！
期待你的消息！
奥斯汀
Reading Passage
Kyoto, a city of temples, was the capital of Japan from 794 to 1868. Though it is no longer the nation’s capital, it is a major tourist destination and is a wonderful place to explore for its temples, gardens, and traditional Japanese culture that can sometimes be hard to find in the bigger cities of the country.
Japanese temples are famous for their simplicity and lack the color and decoration of Chinese temples. They are still considered beautiful and are more known for their elegance rather than their ornamentation. The Enryaku-ji complex of temples is one sight not to be missed in Kyoto. Built in 788 A. D, it consists of 120 temples and three beautiful pagodas. It’s on top of Mt. Hiei-zan and offers hiking opportunities and stunning views of all of Kyoto.
京都是寺庙之城，公元794到1868年的时期是日本的首都。虽然现在不再是首都，但仍是主要的观光胜地，也是探索寺庙、花园和传统日本文化的好地方，因为传统日本文化有时很难在较大的城市中看到。
日本寺庙以简单闻名，没有中国寺庙那么多的颜色和装饰，但它们还是很美，没有太多装饰，以典雅闻名。延历寺寺庙区是去京都不可错过的景点，它于公元788年建立，共包含了120座庙宇和三座美丽的塔。延历寺座落在比叡山山顶，人们能在里面健行，可以看到全京都令人惊艳的美景。
The Nishi-Hongan-ji Temple contains five buildings that are examples of the most beautiful artistic and architectural achievement of the Momoyama period which is when Kyoto was the capital of Japan. This temple is still the headquarters of the Jodo
Shinshu religious school which is a sect of Zen Buddhism. What used to be the retirement villa for Emperor Kameyama is now the Nanzenji Temple. It is one of the most famous Zen temples in the world, and if you visit it, you can see people meditating and paying respects to Buddha.
The San-mon Gate stands at the entrance to the temple and is impressive in both its beauty and immense size.Decorated with murals of birds and angels, it’s a wonderful way to enter the temple. The Leaping Tiger Garden is a classic Japanese garden. With a waterfall to gaze at and straw mats to sit on, it’s an ideal place to partake in the Japanese Tea Ceremony.
在西本愿寺里，有五座建筑，是以京都为首都的时期，安土桃山时代中最美的艺术作品和建筑成就。现在这座寺庙仍然是净土真宗教学院的总部，净土真宗是佛教禅宗的一个派别。而现在的南禅寺是以前龟山天皇退位之后住的别墅，是世界上最有名的禅教寺庙，参观时会看到很多人在静思以及礼佛。
山门位在寺庙入口，令人印象深刻。山门庄严巨大，以画有鸟儿和天使的壁画来装饰，进入庙宇时便能有不同感受。跳虎园是古典的日本庭园，有瀑布可观赏以及麦草做的草席垫可坐，是参与日本茶道的好地方。
摘自《寄英文明信片给你——我的亚洲之旅》 寂天文化 提供◇
(http://www.dajiyuan.com)
