英格兰十大怪异景点

BBC安妮塔·爱萨斯卡（Anita Isalska）(2016年3月4日)

英格兰：皇家所在地，一个到处都是奶油茶点和绿油油草皮的国家？并不尽然。如果你走出英格兰宏伟的遗址和经典的地标去探索，你会发现多种多样的奇怪、出乎意料、甚至粗俗的景点——假如你知道往哪儿去的话。要从中挑选10个这样的景点很有难度，但是以下是英格兰一些有趣却又让人诧异的景点。

泰恩和威尔郡（Tyne and Wear）的北方天使（Angel of the North）

北方天使（Angel of the North），泰恩和威尔郡（Tyne and Wear）

这是一只鸟，一个天使，还是碍眼的东西？英国著名艺术家安东尼·戈姆利（Antony Gormley）1998年完成的这件钢铁雕塑让开车者禁不住嘀咕：“这是什么玩意儿？”雕塑54米长的翼展让它成为英格兰东北部启迪人心的地标——不过很多人也发现了它可能带有下流的暗示，它看起来像是一个赤裸的男人伸直臂膀，他们称它为盖茨黑德暴露狂（Gateshead Flasher）。在A167公路去往南盖茨黑德的出口就可以一睹这位天使的尊容。

约克郡（Yorkshire）的惠特比（Whitby）

耸立在海滨城镇之上的惠特比修道院（Whitby Abbey），侧影棱角分明。它给饱受折磨的布莱姆·斯托克（Bram Stoker）带来了吸血鬼的创作灵感。如今，爱好黑暗风格音乐的英国人会成群结队来到惠特比哥特周末（Whitby Goth Weekend）活动。如果你打算在节日时来这里参观，一定要提前订好住宿——你将有幸与亲切友好、奇装异服、眼线黑到可以遮蔽日光的另类摇滚迷分享炸鱼和薯条。

牛津（Oxfordshire）的号角石（Blowing Stone）

(图片来源：getty)

在牛津郡的绿色田野靠近小镇旺蒂奇（Wantage）的地方有一块看似低调其实有着光辉历史的岩石。根据传说，艾尔弗雷德王（King Alfred）吹响大石上的孔，发出洪亮的声音，召集了一支撒克逊军队打击海盗。你可以亲自重演这一历史时刻，但是如果你吹出的声音比放屁的声音还低的话请不要惊讶：神话中，能成功吹出纯音的人肯定能够登上王位。不妨用当地的其他一些景点来安慰自己，你可以到丘陵上欣赏阿芬顿白马（Uffington White Horse）的优雅轮廓，也可以在伊斯特波利（Eastbury）一个名叫“犁”（The Plough）的酒馆喝上几杯。

伦敦的一个哲学家的木乃伊

(图片来源：getty)

英国最伟大的思想家之一杰里米·边沁（Jeremy Bentham）非常喜爱伦敦大学学院（University College London），他甚至想死后都一直呆在那里。虽然他死后就失去了投票权，但是他的遗体仍然骄傲地陈列在那里。自助游的话，可以看到这具伟人遗体（不幸的是，遗体的头用蜡像替换了）。

多赛特（Dorset）的塞那阿巴斯巨人像（Cerne Abbas Giant），和东萨塞克斯（East Sussex）威尔明顿（Wilmington）的巨人（Long Man）

这两个巨人像刻印在英国山脉的白垩岩床中。其中的一个巨人位于多赛特的塞那阿巴斯村，在数英里以外就可以看到他的生殖器 （在A352路的观景点拍照）。东萨塞克斯威尔明顿不甘示弱的粗鄙居民在男性生殖崇拜雕像方面也不甘示弱，在他们自己的白垩巨人上画了一些皇冠宝石——这种娱乐方式（以及侮辱）像野火一样传播到很多地方。从伊斯特本（Eastbourne）向西北方向开一小段路，你就可以看到威尔明顿的巨人（现在已被阉割）。沿着路标你可以走到最佳观景区。

牛津郡的皮特河博物馆（Pitt Rivers Museum）

皮特河博物馆以其古怪、偏执和大量显示人类智慧的藏品得到了英国最著名的大学城牛津的精髓。排队去看缩小的头颅，不过记得花时间漫步欣赏人类学宝藏，比如用豪猪刺制作的衬衫和日本面具。

东萨塞克斯的布莱顿西码头（Brighton’s West Pier）

这里是被抛弃的悲伤象征，还是英国另类海边小镇的标志？布莱顿的当地居民对于西码头幽灵般的残骸存在分歧。那里有一个原本是海边凉亭，而现在已经变成生锈的金属框架，西码头像沉思的美女一样吸引着很多人来摄影，不逊于旁边仍在使用的布莱顿码头。住在镇上，你可以感受特色古怪的咖啡文化，海风以及喧闹的夜生活。

萨默塞特（Somerset）的伍基洞（Wookey Hole）

哪里可以将咯咯女巫与英国的最好吃的奶酪联系到一起？如果你看看旁边，在伍基洞引人入胜的西南洞穴中，有一处岩层看起来仿佛是一个女巫的化石。这块粗糙的石头开启了一个旅游胜地——令人印象深刻的地下洞穴系统的核心。一个真实的女巫（涂着品味高雅的黑色唇膏）带领儿童参观洞穴，但无神论游客就只能欣赏令人惊叹的钟乳石。来自附近切达峡谷（Cheddar Gorge）的奶酪会让你的旅行有滋有味。

多赛特（Dorset）的“厕所囤”（Shitterton）

这个镇拥有一个让人惊讶的名字，所以一小批游客会从化石丰富的多赛特侏罗纪海岸绕路来这里。有些人只是想在这个让人捧腹的路标旁摆姿势拍照，有些人曾试图偷走路牌。当地人甚至凑钱买了一块完全挪不动的石头路标来让小偷彻底绝望。

伦敦的交叉骨墓地（Cross Bones graveyard）

考古挖掘确认此处曾是中世纪妓女的墓地，现在这里成为一个怀念伦敦“已逝的被驱逐者”的聚集地。彩带、蜡烛和稀奇的祭品散落在各个角落。可以把参观日程安排在每月的烛光守夜或每年的万圣节游行时。

（责编：友义）

Ten of England’s oddest sights

By Anita Isalska,4 March 2024

England: seat of the royals, replete with cream teas and pastures green? Not quite. When you venture beyond England’s noble heritage and classic sights, there is a motley crew of eccentric, unexpected and even raunchy attractions – if you know where to look. Choosing a mere 10 is a challenge, but here are some delightful eyebrow-raisers of the sceptered isle.

Angel of the North, Tyne and Wear
Is it a bird, is it an angel, is it an eyesore? This steel sculpture by celebrated British artist Antony Gormley has been inspiring drivers to mutter “what the…?” since its completion in 1998. Its majestic  54m wingspan is an edifying landmark for northeast England – although many see lewd potential in its form, which looks similar to a male nude with arms outstretched, dubbing it the “Gateshead Flasher”. Take a peep at the Angel from the A167 road exit towards Gateshead South.

Whitby, Yorkshire
The craggy silhouette of Whitby Abbey, perched precariously above this seaside town, inspired Bram Stoker, the tortured soul behind Dracula. And today, it calls to Brits with dark tastes in music to descend in flocks for the Whitby Goth Weekend. Make sure you book accommodation well in advance if you are timing your visit for the festival – your reward will be sharing fish ‘n’ chips with amiable alternative rockers wearing frills, furbelows and enough black eyeliner to blot out the sun.

The Blowing Stone, Oxfordshire
Amid the green fields of Oxfordshire near the small town of Wantage lies an unassuming rock with a big history. According to legend, King Alfred blew through a hole in this very boulder to summon a Saxon army against the Vikings with a trumpeting call. Re-enact this historic moment yourself, but do not be surprised if you get little more than a low fart: myth says that anyone who succeeds in sounding a pure note is sure to ascend the throne. Console yourself with some other local sights, like the graceful outline of the Uffington White Horse that is carved into the rolling hillsides and a few drinks in local boozer The Plough in Eastbury.

A philosopher’s mummy, London
Jeremy Bentham, one of England’s greatest thinkers, so loved the University College London that he wanted to hang around long after his death. While his voting rights were revoked post mortem, his preserved body remains proudly on display. You can see the stuffed icon (the original head now sadly replaced with a wax model), on a self-guided tour.

Cerne Abbas Giant, Dorset and Long Man of Wilmington, East Sussex
These two enormous figures are carved into the chalk bedrock of the English hills. The Giant, just north of the Dorset village Cerne Abbas, has a phallus that can be seen for miles (snap your photos from the viewing point off the A352 road). Not to be outdone by this priapic monument, some cheeky residents of Wilmington in East Sussex, home to the other gargantuan carving, drew some crown jewels on their own chalk figure – amusement (and offence) spread like wildfire. See the (now castrated) Long Man of Wilmington on a short drive northwest from Eastbourne. There is a signposted walk to the best viewing areas.

Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxfordshire
Quaint, eccentric and bursting with intellectual treasures, the Pitt Rivers Museum captures the spirit of Oxford, England’s most famous university city. Make a beeline for the shrunken heads, but take time to dawdle amid anthropological treasures like porcupine-quill shirts and Japanese masks.

Brighton’s West Pier, East Sussex
Sad emblem of dereliction or alternative icon for England’s sauciest seaside town? Locals of Brighton are divided on the ghostly wreck of the West Pier. A rusted metal skeleton of a coastal pavilion, the brooding beauty of the West Pier attracts as many camera flashes as its functioning neighbour, Brighton Pier. Stay in town for the quirky cafe culture, bracing sea air and raucous nightlife.

Wookey Hole, Somerset
Where can you combine cackling witches with England’s tastiest cheese? If you squint a bit, one of the rock formations in these dramatic southwestern caves at Wookey Hole vaguely resembles an ossified witch. From this gnarly stone a tourist mecca was born in the heart of an impressive system of subterranean caverns. A real-life witch (in tasteful black lipstick) leads children’s tours into the caves, but superstition-free visitors can simply admire the awe-inspiring stalactites. Toast your visit with cheese from nearby Cheddar Gorge.

Shitterton, Dorset
The eyebrow-raising name of this town inspires a small stream of visitors to detour from the fossil riches of Dorset’s Jurassic coast. Some just want to pose by the chortle-inducing road sign, others have been moved to steal it. Shittertonians even clubbed together for a thoroughly immovable stone road sign to scupper the thieves.

Cross Bones graveyard, London
Excavations confirmed this site in London as a medieval prostitute graveyard, but the area has become a focal point for remembering London’s “outcast dead”. Ribbons, candles and curious offerings are strewn around the site. Time your visit for the monthly candlelit vigil or the annual Halloween procession.