Palace staff member walks thorugh the Rose Garden at The Garden of Buckingham Palace, during a preview day before it opens to the public, in London, Britain, July 8, 2021. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls
Visitors to Buckingham Palace now have the opportunity to explore the Queen's private garden, as the Queen has opened up the palace gardens to the public for the very first time.
白金汉宫的花园日前首度向公众开放，游客如今有机会到英国女王的私人花园一游了。
The royal palaces have suffered huge financial losses in the past year because of the pandemic-induced decline in tourists and visitors, and it is hoped that opening the splendid gardens will boost the number of visitors into the palace.
过去一年，疫情导致白金汉宫的游客数量剧减，从而让白金汉宫蒙受了巨大的经济损失。白金汉宫希望开放美丽的花园可以吸引更多人到白金汉宫来游玩。
In April self-guided tour tickets around the palace gardens went on sale, initially attracting “overwhelming” demand. For £16.50 per adult or £42 for a family of up to three children, they promised a chance to enjoy the “beauty and calm of this walled oasis”.
今年四月白金汉宫花园的自由行门票开始发售，单个成人票价16.5英镑（约合人民币148元），三孩以下家庭套票价格为42英镑。起初门票销售十分火爆，供不应求，因为白金汉宫承诺游客将有机会欣赏“这片围墙内绿洲的宁静与美丽”。
Visitors were also promised a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to picnic on the lawn”.
白金汉宫还承诺，游客将拥有“千载难逢的草地野餐机会”。
People sit together in The Garden of Buckingham Palace, during a preview day before it opens to the public, in London, Britain, July 8, 2021. REUTERS/Henry NichollsHowever, the gardens received a number of damning reviews on TripAdvisor, with some customers complaining about how much was available.
然而，白金汉宫花园在猫途鹰网站上却是恶评一片，有些游客抱怨性价比极低。
A number noted you had to pay an extra £6.50 for a tour of the rose garden and wildflower meadow, and this needed to be arranged in advance.
一些游客指出，如果想参观玫瑰园和野花草地必须额外支付6.5英镑，而且需要提前预约。
One disappointed visitor wrote: “Buckingham Palace has opened its gardens to the public for the first time this year – it really shouldn’t have bothered.
一名失望的游客写道：“白金汉宫今年首度向公众开放了花园——其实大可不必。”
"For your £16.50, you gain access to a large lawn with one herbaceous border. We expected the garden to be spectacular, but it was totally underwhelming.
“花了16.5英镑，你只能走进一片被围起来的大草地。我们以为花园景色会很美，结果真是没啥看头。”
herbaceous [hɜːˈbeɪʃəs]: adj. 草本的；绿色的
"The (potentially) more interesting parts of the garden were roped off and only accessible if you parted with yet more cash on a guided ‘tour’.
“花园里最有看头的部分都用绳索围起来了，你需要额外花钱购买导览服务才能进入。”
"Save your money and instead enjoy the much more interesting public royal parks – for free.”
“你不如省下这些钱，去游览风景更胜一筹的皇家公园，那都是免费的。”
A visitor walks past the herbaceous border at the The Garden of Buckingham Palace, during a preview day before it opens to the public, in London, Britain, July 8, 2021. REUTERS/Henry NichollsA second added: “Beware of this complete rip-off!
另一位游客补充道：“小心被宰！”
"I paid £16.50 for access to the gardens only hoping to lazy around, see beautiful flowers and trees and what I experienced was first a long queue to security check and then seeing a piece of lawn surrounded by standing stewards watching your every step and ropes segregating rest of the garden.
“我花16.5英镑进入花园，原本只希望慢悠悠地到处逛逛，看看美丽的花和树，结果我先是在安检口排大长队，然后看见的是一片草地，四周还有管理员站在那里时刻紧盯着自己的一举一动，花园的其余部分都被绳索围起来了。”
"This small fragment of the park that you have access to is easily walkable around in 10 minutes and nothing is interesting to see there.
“你所能游览的一小部分花园10分钟就能走完，而且也没啥看头。”
"You can’t even sit on the lake’s bank to watch wildlife because of those ropes everywhere. I am very disappointed and robbed by the royals.
“你甚至都不能坐在湖畔观赏野生动物，因为到处都拉起了绳索。我对王室十分失望，觉得被宰了。”
"Please choose any other London park to visit and you will save your hard earn monies and spent time in much better surroundings.”
“请你选择伦敦的其他任何一家公园，你不但能省下自己的血汗钱，还能在更好的环境中打发时光。”
A third complained: “Gardens are a waste of time and money. Large portions were cordoned off.
还有一名游客抱怨道：“去这个花园就是浪费时间和金钱。大部分都被围起来了。”
"Takes less than one hour to get around. Also expensive coffee and cake.”
“不到一个小时就能走完。咖啡和蛋糕也很贵。”
据英国《泰晤士报》15日报道，疫情之前，伊丽莎白二世位于伦敦的官邸白金汉宫每年都会定期向公众开放，游客可买票进入，由向导带领参观部分区域。疫情导致游客数量下降后，为减少经济损失，占地39英亩（约合16万平方米）的白金汉宫花园今年夏天首次向公众开放自由行和野餐，成人票价为每人16.5英镑，家庭票价（包含两名成人和3名儿童）为42英镑（1英镑约合9元人民币），具体可游览日期为今年7月9日至9月19日。门票于今年4月开始发售后，引发众多媒体关注和游客疯抢，官方购票网站一度有6000人在线排队购票，需求过多甚至导致售票不得不暂缓。
两百多年来，白金汉宫花园一直被英国王室用于官方娱乐和庆祝活动。据花园官网显示，参观游客“可沿着花园走一圈，在花园中购买美味点心，或自带食物和饮料，还在一片能俯瞰宫殿的草坪上享受野餐……是一次千载难逢的探索之旅”。然而，当游客们进入花园后，发现大片区域被限制，感到被欺骗。其中，玫瑰园和野花草地等区域须每人额外支付6.5英镑导览费用才可进入，且须提前预订，不接受“空降”。此外，酒精和玻璃器皿也被禁止带入花园野餐。有游客在点评网站上写道，“没什么特别的。一片巨大的草坪，一片未开垦的荒地，还有一个人工湖。就这些。”还有人吐槽园区内蛋糕、饮料、三明治和纪念品售价过高，“浪费时间和金钱”“非常失望”“被王室敲诈了”……不过在一片负面评论声中，也有一些参观者称赞园区内卫生间干净整洁。
白金汉宫方面回应称，有关花园之旅的所有具体信息，包括禁止携带玻璃器皿、6.5英镑的额外收费等都在官网上有详细的介绍说明，“我们很高兴在今年夏天收到许多游客的积极反馈，对我们来说，所有反馈都很重要，将在未来规划中予以考虑。”