9 reasons Cologne is better than Berlin 9個科隆比柏林好的理由
(CNN)Berlin
these days seems to have everything: a thrilling creative and club scene, a
laissez-faire attitude and an abundance of history.
柏林近年來好像什麼都有：有令人激動的創作、俱樂部景觀，自由愜意的態度及豐富的歷史。
But the world must be getting tired of hearing how great Berlin
is.
And is it really that great?
但世人一定聽柏林有多棒聽到煩了，而它真的有那麼棒嗎？
Maybe, just maybe, western Germany has something better on
offer.
Behold, the mighty city of Cologne.
或許，只是或許，西德有更多更好的東西，瞧瞧科隆這個大城市。
While Cologne has plenty of great features,
what it doesn't have is hype.
Berlin enjoys massive media coverage all over
the world, while Cologne has remained refreshingly low-key and down to earth.
雖然科隆有許多很棒的特色，但他們沒有大肆宣傳，柏林沈浸在全世界的各大媒體，但科隆保持清爽的低調和實際。
Yes, Cologne did generate some very bad headlines on New
Year's Eve with a spate of sexual assaults and robberies that fueled
debate about asylum seekers in Germany.
是的，科隆的確有在除夕夜的時候發生一些壞頭條，一些性侵和搶劫事件讓關於再德國尋求庇護的人的（難民）爭論再起。
After some criticism of police for their
handling of the attacks, it looks like the city has addressed the issue.
在警察對於這些攻擊的處理遭受批評後，這城市似乎已經開始著手處理這些事情。
So here are 9 reasons why Cologne is even
better than the German capital.
所以以下是為什麼科隆比德國首都還要棒的九個原因。
1. Location, location, location地點，地點，還是地點。
OK, so Berlin is surrounded by wonderful lakes and after four or
five hours on the train, travelers can make it to Prague or Warsaw.
好，所以柏林被很美的湖泊所圍繞，搭火車大約四或五小時，旅客就可以到達布拉格（捷克）或是華沙（波蘭）。
Otherwise, it's pretty isolated.
此外，它完全被獨立。
Cologne not so much: There are four major cities in four other
countries not far from its doorstep.
科隆沒有這麼多城市：在另外四個國家有四個主要的城市都距離這不遠，布魯塞爾、阿姆斯特丹、盧森堡和巴黎距離這都是搭火車或開車四小時就可以抵達的距離。
Want a shopping trip to three EU countries in one day? Only 90
minutes from Cologne is Dreiländereck, the corner where the Netherlands,
Germany and Belgium meet. Let's gloss over Berlin's airport for now (more about this
later). At least Cologne has one that works properly.
想要在一天內在三個歐洲國家血拼之旅嗎？科隆距離三邊交界（Dreiländereck）也就是荷蘭、德國和比利時相接的邊界。讓我們現在先遮住柏林機場（後面還會談論更多）至少科隆有一座機場運作良好。
2. The Beer啤酒
Yes, yes, Berlin may have a ton of new craft breweries, with new
pale ale creations filtered through the socks of brew masters invented on a
daily basis.
是的是的。柏林可能有很多新的工藝啤酒廠，有每天透過釀酒師襪子過濾製造的新愛爾淡啤酒。
But the quality and heritage of traditional Berlin beer brands
is debatable.
The local beer in Cologne, the lager-style Kölsch, enjoys such a
pedigree that it's guarded by law.
但是論品質跟傳統的工法，柏林的啤酒品牌具有爭議，而在科隆當地的啤酒，Kölsch拉格啤酒（lager-style
Kölsch）是具有法律保護的家族血統的。
Served since World War II, Kölsch was given "protected
geographical indication" status in 1997, meaning it can only be produced
in Cologne.
To underscore its heritage, Kölsch comes complete with its own
serving traditions.
自從第二次世界大戰就開始從業，Kölsch是在1997年以「保護土地指示」的地位命名，表示這只能在科隆釀造，強調他的傳統，伴隨Kölsch品牌的是他完全特有的傳統。
It must always be served in small, 0.2 liter glasses. When
drinkers have had their fill, they must put a coaster on top of the empty
glass, otherwise waiters will keep the beer flowing without asking.
它一定要用0.2公升的小杯子喝，當飲酒者覺得飽了，他們一定要將茶杯墊放在空玻璃杯的頂端，否則服務生不會問你，會繼續加滿啤酒。
That's something the average Berlin hipster waiter won't do.
這是些柏林的服務生不會做的事。
3. Carnival 嘉年華會
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Cologne's annual Rose Monday Parade sees more than a million
costumed inhabitants and visitors partying like there's no tomorrow.
就如同前面講的，最棒的嘉年華會在德國，科隆的年度玫瑰星期一遊行可以看到超過百萬個穿著奇裝的居民及遊客像是沒有明天般地舉辦派對。
To make this a proper heathen affair, Cologne's pub owners
install straw effigies called Nubbel above their doors to bear the guilt of any
sins committed during the festivities.
為了讓這個活動讓不信教的人也適合參加，科隆的酒吧老闆放置了叫尼貝爾（Nubbel）做稻草人像娃娃在他們的門上，替人們承擔在慶祝活動中犯下的任何罪過。
On Ash Wednesday, when celebrations end, the Nubbels are burned
or thrown in the Rhine River, taking the sins with them.
In Berlin, the celebrations end when the nightclub bouncer
decides they do.
喔，聖灰星期三，當慶祝來到尾聲，這些尼貝爾都要燒掉或是丟進萊茵河，讓他們一起帶走這些承受的罪。而你的罪會跟著你一起回家，並佔據你價格過度昂貴的公寓空間。
Berliners would beg to differ about Cologne's superiority --
celebratory and otherwise.
"Well, I think it is quite provincial," born Berliner
Andreas Koetter said of Cologne.
柏林人可能會對科隆的優越持不同的意見，慶祝和除此之外。「嗯，我想那還蠻鄉下的」在柏林土生土長的Andreas
Koetter談起科隆。
"Just look at their carnival. It's like they are only
allowed to have fun during that time -- whereas in Berlin you can go out every
night of the week, and everyone is allowed to celebrate their personal carnival
any time they want."
「只看他們的嘉年華會，他們就像是能在慶祝活動期間玩得開心，而柏林是你可以在一週的每天晚上都出門，而且任何人都可以在任何他們想要的時間慶祝個人的嘉年華會。」
4. The Romans liked it early 羅馬人以前也喜歡這裏
Cologne already was a powerful city when the medieval Prussian
tribes were paddling their barges along the empty shoreline of Berlin's Spree
River.
After all, it was founded in 50 B.C. by the Romans, and it's one
of the oldest cities in Germany.
在中古世紀科普魯士種族沿著柏林施普雷河滑著他們的駁船時，科隆就已經是一個強大的城市，畢竟它是在公元前五時前由羅馬人所創立，他也是德國最古老的城市之一。
That fact is even reflected in the name. Cologne is abbreviated
from Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium.
事實甚至也反映在名字裡，科隆是「克勞蒂亞·阿格里皮娜的殖民地」的縮寫。
There still are Roman leftovers strewn around the city, like the
excellently preserved Praetorium and parts of the Roman city wall.
還有其他羅馬人遺留的事物散落在這個城市中，像是被保存完整的科隆總督府（Praetorium）和部分的羅馬城牆。
Find something in Berlin that is older than 1,200 years, and
we'll buy you a Kölsch.
如果你在找比柏林老一千兩百歲的東西，那就是非科隆啤酒（Kölsch）莫屬了！
5. Green demilitarized zones 綠色的非軍事區域
OK, we admit it, Berlin is pretty green.
好，我們承認柏林是非常綠化的城市。
However, this is mostly due to the Cold War division of the city
and the post-Berlin Wall transformation of barren strips into common land like
the Mauerpark.
然而，這多半是因為冷戰將這個城市劃分為二，而將柏林圍牆前身的貧瘠狹長地帶轉變為像貓耳朵公園（Mauerpark）一般的土地。
In Cologne, they made former military grounds available to
citizens way before. The old Prussian fortresses that surrounded Cologne were
all turned into what is known today as Green Belt, or Grüngürtel, by 1925.
在科隆，他們之前把前軍事用地開放給平民使用。環繞科隆的過去1925年之前的普魯士堡壘，都被變成現在大家所知道的綠化地帶或是外環綠化地（德文Grüngürtel）。
Today, the citizens of Cologne enjoy almost 1,000 hectares of
parkland that was formerly verboten military territory.
現在，科隆的平民享受將近1000公頃的公共用地，過去是嚴格禁止使用的軍事領域。
6. Artistic superiority 藝術優勢
Berlin is all about creativity and art, but what's the use if it
doesn't have the buyers and collectors?
Cologne has both.
柏林充斥著創造力與藝術，但是如果沒有這些買家和收藏家，能幹嘛用呢？
科隆兩者兼具。
Not only has the city always played a leading role in the German
contemporary and visual arts scene; it also boasts a thriving landscape of
galleries.
這城市不只是扮演德國當代與視覺藝術景觀的領導角色，它也以驚人的美術館景觀引以為傲。
It has one of Germany's best contemporary art museum (the Museum
Ludwig) plus the world's oldest art fair, Art Cologne, and its own biennale. "Cologne
is excellent for the arts." says Jochen Heufelder, director of the Cologne
arts biennale New Talents.
它有德國最棒的當代藝術博物館之一（路德維希博物館）加上世界上最古老的藝術大展，兩年舉辦一次的「科隆藝術博覽會」。「科隆的藝術非常棒」兩年舉辦一次的科隆新秀藝術博覽會的董事Jochen Heufelder這麼說。
"Not only do we have an established network of artists,
collectors and arts academies, there also is a long history of creativity in
the city." By all means go to Berlin to dream about becoming a painter. Or come to Cologne and do it for real.
「我們不只創立藝術家、收藏家和藝術學會的網絡，在這個城市裡創作也有很長一段歷史。」不論如何也要去柏林，夢想成為一名畫家，或是來科隆,讓畫家夢成真。
7. The Cathedral 大教堂
Berlin has the unfinished saga of its new airport -- one that's
been under construction since 2006, was supposed to open in 2010 and will now
take a least another three years to complete.
柏林有著未結束的新機場事蹟，一座從2006年開始建造的機場，原本預計2010年開幕，而現在情況將會需要至少再三年才能完成。
But dear Berlin, to Cologne this unfinished business is just
child's play.
When it comes to monumental celebrations of laissez-faire and
failed planning, little beats Cologne Cathedral, among Germany's most-visited
landmarks.
但高貴的柏林，對於科隆，這個未完成的事蹟只是兒戲罷了，當講到放任主義和計劃失敗的紀念慶祝象徵，在德國最多人造訪地標中，很少有地方能夠打敗科隆大教堂。
Construction began in 1248, was paused in 1473, and was finally
completed in 1880. One wooden crane involved in building its south tower sat
there from 1450 to 1868 -- more than 400 years.
從西元1248年開始建造，在1473年停工，最後並在1880年完成。有一座木製起重機參與了南側塔的興建，並從1450年到1868年都豎立在那，超過四百年的歷史。
The machines constructing the new Berlin airport won't make it
that long.
And the building called Berlin Cathedral? That's from 1905. Come
on.
用機器建造新柏林機場並不會使它長久，而柏林大教堂的建築？它是從1905年才完成的，拜託！
8. The Rhine 萊茵河
Berlin might have the Spree, a few canals and more bridges than
Venice, but Cologne is built on the banks of the second longest European river.
The Rhine is a proper river, not a teeny rivulet for pleasure
boats like the Spree.
柏林或許有施普雷河，有一些獨木舟和比維也納還多的橋樑，但是科隆是建在歐洲第二長的河的河岸上，萊茵河是一條很獨特的河，並不像施普雷河是一條給娛樂小船漂泊的小河。
Its narrowest section in the city is still a whopping 300 meters
wide.
Cologne also has Germany's second biggest inland harbor and is a
favorite stop for river cruises.
即使是在科隆城市裡，最窄的區域也有300公尺寬。科隆也有歐洲第二大的內陸海港，而且這個海港是許多河上渡輪最愛的停靠站。
It's impossible to imagine the famous Cologne city panorama with
cathedral and Hohenzollern train bridge without the impressive band of river
beneath?
很難想像有著大教堂和霍亨索倫橋的著名大城市科隆地下沒有令人印象深刻的這條河。
9. It's Italy's northernmost city 他是義大利最北的城市
Ah, winter in Berlin, when it's -20 degrees
Celsius for weeks on end, the streets are covered in layers of dirty ice and
everyone's hugging their old ovens or hiding in dimly-lit cafes.
Not so in Cologne.
啊，柏林的冬季，當週末溫度在攝氏負20度，街上覆蓋著層層髒髒的冰，而大家都圍在老舊的火爐邊，或是窩在燈光微亮的咖啡店內時，在科隆的情景可不是這樣。
Thanks to its position on the Rhine, it
actually has one of the mildest city climates in Germany.
Summers here are long, and in winter it hardly
ever gets below zero.
多虧科隆在萊茵河上的位置，實際上它擁有德國最溫和的氣候；這兒的夏季很長，冬季幾乎沒有零下的溫度。
Going hand-in-hand with that is a distinct al
fresco dining and drinking culture, and the city even has a population of wild parrots
that thrive in the mild climate.
No wonder the Romans ended up in Cologne
first.
這樣的條件正好適合一個不同的室外用餐、飲酒文化，而且這座城市甚至有很多野生的鸚鵡在這樣溫和的氣候下成長茁壯，怪不得羅馬人最先攻下科隆。
