别特摩尔大厦
       
安得广厦千万间
大庇天下寒士俱欢颜
                        ──杜甫〈茅屋为秋风所破歌〉

这间比皇宫还广的广厦
虽然庇不了
天下所有的寒士
真要庇上个千百人
却绰有余裕

但今天外头风和日暖
而这些手持门票
在名贵家具与摆饰的屋内
鱼贯瞻仰的观光客
看样子也不像是什么寒士
他们啧啧赞叹的
是时间的帏幕后
女主人的美丽倩影
以及灯烛辉煌仆役穿梭的宴会上
袅袅飘出的鬓香与酒肉香

他们可能压根儿没听过
杜甫这个名字
或竟把它同近年日渐风行
淡而无味却有减肥作用的豆腐
混为一谈

附注：北卡州阿许维尔(Asheville)的别特摩尔大厦(Biltmore Mansion)，座落于8000
（原为125,000）英亩的土地上，是美国最大的私人住宅。它是富家子弟George Vanderbilt 动员了1000个工人，历时六年于1895年建成的。全屋占地4英亩，面宽390英尺，用102级的大理石旋梯连接四层楼，共有250个房间，65个壁炉，43个浴室，34个卧房，以及3个厨房。富丽堂皇的餐厅里有可容纳64位宾客欢宴的大餐桌。另设有室内保龄球场，撞球间，运动室，游泳池，音乐室以及各式各样的游乐场所与设备。屋外则有250英亩的林园及10英亩的花园，牧场，鱼池，小瀑布以及让我们那天走迷了路的林间小道等等。近年更增建了酿酒厂，礼品店以及几个餐馆。自1930年起开放让公众参观，门票约美金30元。



Biltmore Mansion

where can I find thousands of spacious buildings
to house the world's poor scholars and make them happy
--Tu Fu,"Song of The Thatched Hut Blown Down by Autumn Wind"

This mansion, more spacious than a royal palace
might not be able to house all the world's poor scholars
but it can easily make a few hundred of them
less unhappy

This morning the wind is calm and the sun bright
and these people holding tickets in their hands
with their heads high on their shoulders
sure don't look like any poor scholars to me
they move around the ornate furniture and decoration
admiring the beautiful image
of the hostess behind the curtains of time
and sniffing at the still-permeating aroma
of perfumed hair and wine and food
from banquets a hundred years ago

Besides, they probably have never heard
of the name Tu Fu
in fact they might even confuse it
with Tofu, the weight-reducing health food
also from China

Biltmore House, the largest private home built in America at the end of
the 19th century,  is situated on 8,000 acres in Asheville, North Carolina.
It has 250 rooms, 65 fireplaces, 43 bathrooms, 34 bedrooms, and 3 kitchens.

非马有“广厦”照片吗？

真高产啊!又一双语!!

杜甫和豆腐. 联想丰富！

近来忙于过节，心有些散漫，伊甸的原创好文章看不过来，罪过呀罪过！

先顶再读，权且算赎罪吧！

谢谢非马。伉俪合影真棒真棒！

晚上我也上两个“广厦”凑趣。

抱歉找不到只有广厦没有人的照片.等着看WEILI 的广厦.

非马知道这个吗？请猜猜。

还有这个，在多伦多。

照片照得很好!

非常好的联想！学习！

WEILI 考倒我了!这些广厦竟都没见过.多伦多我多年前曾开车经过,停留了一两天,只在唐人街附近活动.
问金凤,冰花,THESUNLOVER,舞曼西楼诸位朋友们好!

http://www.willowwinds.com/biltmore-estate-guide.htm

The Biltmore House

So, just how big is America’s larges private residence? Consider these numbers: • Four acres under one roof • 175,000 square feet • 250 rooms, 65 fireplaces, one indoor pool and a bowling alley. In addition to the sheer size, the architectural excellence remains a draw for many. The American Institute of Architects ranked the house eighth among 150 buildings in its America’s Favorite Architecture feature. Perhaps most remarkable, however, is what the house contains. Thousands of original furnishings decorate the rooms, including original art from masters such as Renoir, magnificent 16th-century tapestries, more than 40 bronze sculptures, Napoleon’s chess set, and a library with 10,000 volumes. Biltmore House has room after room of art, history, and luxury, including a banquet hall with a 70-foot ceiling. Although the scale and grandeur is almost overwhelming, the estate has gone to great lengths to make it surprisingly welcoming and comfortable. Visitors can take self-guided tours at their leisure, but we recommend taking advantage of the audio tour on a first visit. This virtual tour from the official website will also prepare visitors for what’s in store.

The Biltmore Gardens

No serious gardener should fail to visit the beautiful Biltmore Gardens, which begin displaying their gorgeous blooms in April and continue to exhibit an ever-changing display of nature’s beauty until the leaves fall in October. These wondrous gardens are the legacy of Fredrick Law Olmsted, described in the March 2005 edition of National Geographic Magazine as the maker of our nation’s first great urban parks and the founding father of landscape architecture in America. The Biltmore Estate still nurtures these gardens, as evidenced by this virtual tour . The estate’s garden experts, using their years of observations, have also developed a Bloom Calendar to help Biltmore guests schedule visits to the gardens. The schedule varies according to the weather, of course, but offers a general idea as to which species bloom when. The Bloom Report and Fall Color Report also offer up-to-date information on where to find blossoms and changing leaves.

The Biltmore Winery

No tour of the Biltmore Estate would be complete without a stop at the most visited winery in America, Biltmore Wines. Long a dream of William A. V. Cecil, the modern winery completes the vision of George Washington Vanderbilt in creating a self-sustaining estate with vineyards and a winery in the tradition of France’s Loire Valley. Biltmore Wines grows several varieties of vinifera grapes on 94 acres at the estate and imports other grapes as needed. The former dairy complex now houses the winery, which produces 75,000 cases each year in about 15 varieties. They have been awarded gold and double-gold medals in prestigious national and international competitions. Best of all, a self-guided tour and wine tasting is included in estate admission. Wine experts will be on hand to pour samples and discuss the merits of each varietal and vintage. Afterward, visitors can purchase bottles at discounted prices at the gift shop. In addition, the winery hosts special events, has an outdoors dining area and occasionally features live music.

The American Institute of Architects ranked the house eighth among 150 buildings in its America’s Favorite Architecture feature.

http://favoritearchitecture.org/afa150.php

千岛湖另一个著名的景点是心型岛上的爱情古堡。1900年，纽约旅业大王乔治·博尔特买下这个岛屿，并投资2500万美元预在此兴建一座莱茵式古堡（rhineland castle）献给他的爱妻louise做情人节的礼物，城堡耗时4年，高6层，有120个房间，并有意大利式花园，小桥以及鸽子房。但是还没有等到他们入住城堡，一场不幸发生了，1904年博尔特先生突然电报通知岛上的施工队伍停止一切工作。因为他的爱妻突然离开了人间。伤心欲绝的博尔特先生不愿意让城堡失去她的女主人。他再也没有回到小岛，未完工的城堡成了他爱情的纪念碑。
1977年，数百万的资金重新投入到城堡的重建和完善工作中。如今城堡为美国政府所有并对外开放。

Touching. More detailing please.