How to Find Peace and Silence in Western Cities如何在西部城市尋求安寧

達科塔·金

If your ears need a break from constant noise， head to these serenely quiet spots.如果你的耳朵需要遠離紛擾不斷的噪聲，那就前往這些靜謐之地吧！

One of the major advantages of living in the West is that its quiet by comparison with the East. Were lucky to enjoy lower noise pollution levels， especially in the Rockies and farther from the California coast. East of the Californian coastal cities， past the mountains， background noise hovers low， between 21 and 26 decibels.

與生活在東部相比，生活在西部的一大好處就在于那份安寧。我們是幸運的，因為這里的噪聲污染較小，尤其是落基山脈和離加利福尼亞海岸更遠的腹地。在加利福尼亞海岸各城市以東，越過山脈，背景噪聲很低，在21到26分貝之間波動。

Still， in our cities， we often struggle to find peace and quiet. For those who work on the Las Vegas Strip or in Hollywood， afternoons may be filled with the background noise of honking cars and street vendors instead of calm and focus. And loud urban noise has an effect on our health， resulting in hearing loss， stress and lack of sleep; heart disease， high blood pressure， and low birth weight; and physical， emotional， and cognitive problems. Seeking out quiet and protecting others quiet is the goal of new anti-noise activists.

但是，在城市里，我們往往很難找到平靜與安寧。在拉斯維加斯大道或好萊塢工作的人，每個下午都會淹沒在汽車喇叭聲和街頭攤販帶來的背景噪聲中，無法達到內(nèi)心的平靜與專注。喧鬧的城市噪聲會影響我們的健康，導致以下問題：聽覺受損、精神壓力和睡眠不足;心臟病、高血壓、低出生體重;各種身體、情緒和認知問題。新一代抗噪聲活動人士的目標是尋求安寧并保護其他人的安寧。

Finding that precious quiet in the city can mean going deep into a garden， or finding yourself at the top of a hill by a church. Wherever you head for quiet， the trip will improve your health. So instead of putting your noise-canceling earbuds in， escape to our favorite urban nooks and hideaways for maximum aural isolation.

要在城市中找到難得的靜謐，你可以置身花園深處，或登上教堂旁邊的小山。無論在哪里尋找安寧，旅途總對健康有益。所以，不必佩戴消音耳塞，來我們所青睞的城市“謐境”吧，讓耳朵逃離喧囂、盡享安寧。

Descanso Gardens， La Ca?ada Flintridge， CA

Camellia lovers can marvel at their favorite flower in relative silence at this 150-acre botanical garden just 20 minutes from Downtown Los Angeles. The varied topography at this hilly former estate， purchased by Los Angeles County from Los Angeles Daily News owner E. Manchester Boddy， allows you to own your own little piece of paradise. To find your peace and quiet， head to the most unpopulated areas. Stroll amongst ancient ferns and oaks， then hike up the hill to see the stately， snow-covered San Gabriel mountains. Pause in silence at the amphitheater to imagine the weddings and celebrations past. Grab a book and sit inside the Lakeside Lookouts open-air house， or park yourself in the Adirondack chairs1 facing the serenely green lake and close your eyes for a moment.

德斯康索花園，加利福尼亞州拉肯納達石嶺

德斯康索花園是一座占地150英畝的植物園，距洛杉磯市中心僅20分鐘車程。在這里，山茶花愛好者可以在賞花的同時，享受相對的寧靜。這里曾是《洛杉磯每日新聞》老板E.曼徹斯特·博迪的地產(chǎn)，后由洛杉磯縣政府買下。園內(nèi)屬丘陵地貌，地形多變，能夠為你營造出屬于自己的一處小小天堂。要想尋找平靜與安寧，就去人最少的地方。漫步在古老的蕨類植物和橡樹間，然后徒步上山，一覽白雪皚皚、威嚴雄偉的圣蓋博山脈?；蛘哽o靜地站在露天劇場，遙想過去在這里舉行過的婚禮和慶典。又或拿上一本書，坐在湖邊觀景臺的露天小屋內(nèi)，或慵懶地坐在戶外靠椅上，面對寧靜的綠色湖面，閉上眼睛，休息片刻。

Boise River Greenbelt， Boise， ID

If youre lucky enough to work near the Greenbelt， its your perfect pre-work， post-work， lunch break spot to unwind amongst maple trees and the soothing sounds of the Boise River. Though joggers and cyclists use the 46-mile， mostly-flat path， youll find a lot of quiet to yourself as you stroll its length. Mostly paved except for a 1.5-mile section from Barber Park downstream， this pleasant trail offers views of geese， birds， and ducks， as well as access to a dozen parks it connects to， so your options for perambulating quietly are endless.

博伊西河綠地，愛達荷州博伊西

如果你足夠幸運，能在博伊西河綠地附近工作，這里將是你上班前、午休時和下班后的絕佳去處。走在楓樹林中，聆聽著博伊西河舒緩的水聲，放松而愜意。這條46英里長的步道多為平路，盡管道上有很多慢跑和騎行的人，但當你沿著它悠然漫步時，你會發(fā)現(xiàn)屬于自己的寧靜。除了從巴伯公園往下游的1.5英里路段外，大部分綠道的路面都鋪砌完好。走在這條宜人的小徑上，你可以看到成群的大雁、小鳥和野鴨，還有與十多個公園的連通道，為你閑適漫步、尋找內(nèi)心寧靜提供了無限的選擇。

Japanese Friendship Garden， San Diego， CA

This serene garden， a symbol of the sister city bond between Yokohama and San Jose， is the perfect place to contemplate koi over a quiet cup of Sencha. Though the garden etiquette specifically requests quiet voices and no shouting， come early still to find peace in the 12 acres of meticulously-maintained bamboo and black pine groves. Skip the crowds of the Cherry Blossom Festival and come on a weekday morning to lie underneath a lusciously-blooming pink canopy， reading a book or writing in your journal. Stone lanterns and bronze statues dot the lush landscape， and numerous benches and sitting locations allow for pauses to take in the natural beauty.

日本友好園，加利福尼亞州圣迭戈

這座寧靜的花園象征著橫濱與圣荷西之間“姐妹城市”的情誼，也是邊悠然地喝著一杯煎茶、邊觀賞錦鯉的絕佳之地。園內(nèi)有一片片得到精心照護的竹林和黑松林，占地12英畝。雖然依照游園的具體規(guī)定，人們要輕聲輕語，不可大聲喧嘩，但最好還是早點來，在黑松林里找到那份寧靜。避開櫻花節(jié)的人潮，選一個工作日的早晨來到這里。櫻花開得正盛，好似粉色華蓋，躺在樹下，看看書、寫寫日記。石燈籠和銅像點綴著郁郁蔥蔥的風景，數(shù)不清的長凳和就坐之處，可以讓你停下腳步，領(lǐng)略自然美景。

Central Library at the Los Angeles Public Library， Los Angeles， CA

Youll be pleasantly surprised at the calm of the second floor of this main library downtown， where a museum-like hush falls over viewers as they stand in awe of the murals by Dean Cornwell2. Take a gander around the library to find your perfect spot. Ride the escalator up and admire the colorful floral and bird sculptures in the atrium. Stop into the Getty Gallery or the First Floor Galleries to view interesting exhibits on writers and artists. Hunt for ghosts of Ghostbusters past， if you dare. All areas except the childrens areas should be fairly quiet， but if youre really looking to find your own space， head down one， two， three and even four levels subterranean， where youll find scholars quietly researching in the history and genealogy section.

洛杉磯公共圖書館中央圖書館，加利福尼亞州洛杉磯

市中心中央圖書館二樓就像博物館一般靜謐，人們心懷敬畏地站在迪安·康韋爾的壁畫前欣賞時也都安安靜靜，這種氛圍定會令你驚喜。在圖書館內(nèi)閑步，找一個舒適的座位，或者乘自動扶梯而上，去欣賞中庭五彩繽紛的花鳥雕塑，抑或駐足蓋蒂畫廊或一樓畫廊，觀賞和作家、藝術(shù)家有關(guān)的有趣展品。如果你膽子夠大，還可去捉拿舊版《捉鬼敢死隊》中的鬼怪。除了兒童區(qū)，其他區(qū)域應該都比較安靜，但如果你真的想找一個屬于自己的空間，可以往地下一、二、三層甚至地下四層走，在這里，你會發(fā)現(xiàn)許多學者在歷史和族譜區(qū)安靜地做著研究。