奢華澳門，如何盡興窮游？

As we bumped along in the No. 25 bus on Estrada do Istmo, it was impossible not to notice the Venetian Macau, a mountain of steel and glass, shining in the distance in the afternoon sun. Opened in 2007, it’s home to one of the largest casinos on earth. And it’s not alone: Of the 10 biggest casinos in the world in 2014 (based on revenue), a staggering eight were in Macau, a tiny region on the southern coast of China, where over half a million people are packed into fewer than 12 square miles.

當我們坐在25路巴士上沿著路氹連貫公路顛簸前行時，很難去忽略遠處的澳門威尼斯人(Venetian Macau)。在午后的陽光下，這座由鋼鐵和玻璃組成的山峰閃閃發(fā)光。全球最大的賭場之一就設在2007年開業(yè)的該酒店內。并且并非孤例：2014年全球最大的10家賭場(按收入計算)中，多達八家位于中國南部海岸地區(qū)的彈丸之地澳門。在那里，不足12平方英里(約合32平方公里)的土地上容納了50多萬人。

But I wasn’t there to gamble. Following a precedent I’d established in my very first Frugal Traveler column, when I toured Las Vegas without going to the famed Strip, I was determined to break the shell of Macau’s opulent exterior and see what lay beneath the surface. During a quick two-night trip, taking the ferry across the Pearl River Estuary, I found it was the perfect place for a getaway from the noise and intense urban compactness of Hong Kong.

但我不是去賭博的。寫第一篇“窮游世界”(Frugal Traveler)專欄時，我曾去拉斯維加斯旅游，卻沒有去大名鼎鼎的長街(Strip)。遵循這個先例，我決定打破澳門奢華的外殼，看一看表象下面是什么。在短暫的兩夜游期間，我乘渡船穿過珠江口，發(fā)現澳門是擺脫香港的喧囂和嚴重的城市擁擠的絕佳去處。

Owing to its colonial past, Macau, with its cobblestone streets, old Catholic churches and narrow alleyways, has an almost European feel to it, along with an interesting local cuisine that fuses Portuguese and Chinese flavors. And my focus, naturally, was putting this trip together without causing undue strain on my budget.

因為曾是殖民地，有著鵝卵石街道、古老的天主教堂和狹窄的巷弄的澳門，幾乎有一種歐洲的感覺。當地的飲食也非常有趣，結合了葡萄牙和中國的風味。我的重點，自然是在完成這趟旅行的同時，不至于讓我的預算過于緊張。

Macau was one of the first Asian settlements to be forced into the yoke of European colonization and the last to shed it, achieving full independence from Portugal in 1999. As with Hong Kong, China administers Macau but employs a somewhat laissez-faire, capitalist-friendly approach. There are no visa requirements for Americans staying in Macau fewer than 30 days (you will need to bring your passport).

澳門是亞洲最早被迫卷入歐洲殖民統(tǒng)治的地區(qū)之一，也是最后一個擺脫殖民統(tǒng)治的地區(qū)，1999年才從葡萄牙完全分離出來。和香港一樣，澳門在中國治下，但后者采用了一種有些自由放任的、對資本主義友好的方式。美國人在澳門停留30天以內無需辦理簽證(但需帶上護照)。

The TurboJet ferry ride from Hong Kong (150 to 200 Hong Kong dollars for an economy fare, about $20 to $25) is reasonably quick and comfortable. Ferries leave from various spots in Hong Kong regularly, so if you miss one, there’s no need to worry. (Be more cautious when you’re leaving Macau — it’s easier to end up on the wrong ferry.)

從香港乘坐“噴射飛航”客輪(經濟艙150到200港幣，約合20到25美元)還算快捷、舒適?？洼喍〞r從香港多地發(fā)船，因此即便錯過一趟也不用擔心。(但離開澳門時要更加小心謹慎——因為比較容易上錯船。)

My attack plan was simple: to see as much as I could, by foot and by public transportation. Macau is traditionally divided into three sections: the peninsula and the islands of Coloane and Taipa. (A fourth “region” of land reclaimed from the ocean, Cotai, now connects Coloane and Taipa and is the home to many of the newer casinos.) I particularly had my eye on rustic Coloane Village in the south.

我的作戰(zhàn)計劃很簡單：用步行和乘坐公共交通的方式盡可能地多看一些東西。澳門傳統(tǒng)上分三個地區(qū)：澳門半島、路環(huán)島區(qū)和氹仔。(還有一個“地區(qū)”是填海造陸后形成的路氹，現在將路環(huán)和氹仔連接在了一起，那里有很多比較新的賭場。)我尤其關注澳門南部頗有鄉(xiāng)土氣息的路環(huán)村。

Though I had no plans to indulge in the casinos, one lesson I’ve learned in my travels is that where there’s gambling, cheap rooms follow — it’s how they lure you in. I was able to land a very comfortable, relatively luxurious room at the Sofitel on the western side of the peninsula for 650 Hong Kong dollars, a little over $80. Close to the center of the city, it was an ideal jumping-off point. I was able to check another essential off the list by walking to Yin He Dian Xun (roughly, Galaxy Telecommunications) and purchasing a 500-gigabyte SIM card from a very helpful young woman for 50 Macanese patacas (about $6).

盡管我不打算沉溺于賭場，但我從多次旅行中得出的一個經驗是，有賭博的地方就有便宜的房間——這是他們吸引你過去的方式。我得以在澳門半島西部的索菲特(Sofitel)酒店住進了一個非常舒適，并且相對豪華的房間，價格是650港幣，相當于80美元多一點。因為接近市中心，那里是理想的起點。我還買到了清單上列出的另一件必需品。我走到銀河電訊，以50澳門元的價格從一個非常樂于助人的年輕女士那里買了一張500G的SIM卡。

Ah, yes, the currency. The Macanese pataca and Hong Kong dollar are separate currencies but virtually interchangeable in Macau. Change will sometimes come in patacas, sometimes in Hong Kong dollars. A dollar is, however, slightly more valuable than a pataca. If you’re considering making a big souvenir purchase (like gold or jade jewelry, which is plentiful on the main drag of Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro) either use a credit card with no foreign transaction fee, or walk into a bank to exchange for patacas — I was able to do both without difficulty.

哦，對了，還有貨幣。澳門元和港幣是不同的貨幣，但在澳門幾乎可以互換。找的零錢有時候是澳門元，有時候是港幣。不過港幣比澳門元略微更值錢一些。如果考慮大手筆地購買紀念品(比如新馬路的主干道上應有盡有的金器或玉飾)，要么用信用卡，無外幣兌換費，要么去銀行換澳門元。我使用兩種方式時都沒遇到困難。

Senado Square, within walking distance of my hotel, was a good place to begin exploring. Beautiful old yellow and pink pastel buildings with arched doorways and green shuttered windows frame the historic square, which is paved with small tiles. It was a perfect place to stroll and enjoy the egg tart I’d purchased for 9 dollars from Koi Kei Bakery.

從我住的酒店步行可達的議事廳前地是一個開始探索的好地方。具有歷史意義的廣場上鋪了小地磚，四周坐落著漂亮的黃色和粉色建筑，帶有拱形門廊和綠色百葉窗，風格淡雅。這里很適合一邊散步，一邊品嘗我花9澳門元從鉅記手信買的蛋撻。

The egg tart is one of Macau’s signature delicacies, a local interpretation of the Portuguese pastel de nata — perfectly creamy custard with a pleasantly caramelized top, encased within a delicate, flaky pastry cup.

蛋撻是澳門的標志性美食之一，是當地對葡萄牙蛋撻的演繹——光滑細膩的奶油蛋羹上面是一層漂亮的焦糖，包裹在脆薄的杯狀酥餅里。

Another distinctive item is the pork chop bun. I stopped into the celebrated Tai Lei Loi Kei, a nearly 50-year-old Macanese chain, and paid 48 dollars for a small, bone-in pork chop that had been slapped somewhat unceremoniously onto a buttered white roll. Fortunately the meat was simply seasoned and well cooked (just be careful not to break a tooth).

另一款特色美食是豬扒包。我停下腳步，走進澳門有近50年歷史的知名連鎖大利來記，花48澳門元買了一小份帶骨豬扒。豬扒被隨意地放在了一塊涂有黃油的白色小圓面包上。不錯的是，肉經過了簡單地調味，并且是十成熟(務必小心，不要咬掉牙)。

In addition to its cuisine, Macau has memorable architecture. Catholic influence is still very much present, at least aesthetically. St. Dominic’s Church, a beautifully restored, custard-colored 16th-century structure, is free to enter, as is a three-story art museum housed in the church’s bell tower. I looked over the icons and relics of the church on display, including beautiful old wooden carvings.

除了飲食外，澳門還有令人難忘的建筑。天主教的影響依然非常明顯，至少在審美上如此。經過精心修復后，蛋奶色的16世紀建筑玫瑰堂免費開放，位于教堂鐘樓里的三層藝術博物館也是免費的。我仔細欣賞了展出的玫瑰堂的圣象和圣人遺物，包括古老的精美木雕。

Other worthy architectural attractions include the Ruins of St. Paul, a grand stone facade that is one of the few remaining pieces of a centuries-old complex. While there, I made the steep hike up to the adjacent Fortaleza do Monte, which provided an excellent view of the city.

其他值得一看的建筑景觀包括大三巴牌坊。這是一面宏偉的石壁，是一處有幾百年歷史的建筑物的正面外墻，也是其留存下來的少許殘垣斷壁之一。在那里，我沿著陡坡爬上了旁邊的大炮臺，一覽全市盛景。

I could walk to the ruins and St. Dominic’s from my hotel, but despite Macau’s compact size, not everything is walkable. I would not recommend driving in Macau, nor riding one of the city’s ubiquitous scooters. I found a bike rental shop called Si Toi in Taipa that charged 20 dollars per hour (only $2.50, remember) but I ultimately decided on the bus: I found it cheap and fairly reliable.

我可以從酒店走路去大三巴牌坊和玫瑰堂，但盡管澳門很袖珍，卻不是哪里都適合步行的。在澳門，我不建議開車，也不建議騎當地隨處可見的電動摩托車。我在氹仔找到了一個叫“時代”的摩托車租賃行，每小時20澳門元(記住，僅2.50美元)，但我最終決定坐巴士：我覺得巴士便宜并且相當可靠。

Unless you have something called a Macaupass (which I did not, and purchase locations are annoyingly scarce), you will need coins. Lots of coins. And they don’t make change on the buses, so get used to walking around with a pocketful of patacas. (Local businesses and banks can help you make change if you’re hard up.) I hopped the 26A bus to Coloane, eager to see the rustic, more peaceful side of Macau.

除非你有一種叫澳門通的東西(我沒有，能買到的地方少得令人惱火)，否則需準備硬幣。大量硬幣。澳門的巴士不找零，因此要習慣四處溜達時口袋里裝滿澳門元。(如果手頭硬幣不夠，當地的商家和銀行能幫你換。)我跳上開往路環(huán)的26A路巴士，急切地想看看澳門鄉(xiāng)村的、更平靜的一面。

(A quick note on signage: Every official sign in Macau will be in both Portuguese and Chinese. I found this somewhat curious, as I didn’t hear a word of Portuguese my entire stay. I asked Neal, a server at the cute Cafe Cheri, if he spoke Portuguese or knew anyone who did. “Well,” he hesitated, “No, not really.” Did anyone in Macau speak Portuguese? “Yes, I think in some restaurants.”)

(快速說一下指示牌：澳門所有正式的指示牌都是中葡雙語的。我覺得有點奇怪，因為在整個澳門之旅期間，我沒聽到一個葡萄牙詞語。我問在小巧精致的餐廳常喜當服務員的尼爾(Neal)會不會說葡語，或者認不認識說葡語的人。“嗯，”他有些猶豫，“不會，不太會。”澳門有人說葡語嗎?“有，我想在有些餐廳有。”

Coloane Village was quiet, almost sleepy, when I hopped off the bus by the roundabout near Eanes Park. It was, in other words, exactly what I was seeking. I began walking north up the coast, stopping for another excellent 9-dollar egg tart at Lord Stow’s Bakery. Colorfully painted houses stood on stilts in the bay, China a mere 1,000 feet to the west. Fishermen hung their catch outside their homes, and every now and then there was the distinctive clack of mah-jongg tiles.

當我在恩尼斯花園附近的環(huán)島旁邊跳下巴士時，路環(huán)村一片安靜，幾乎算是人跡罕至了。換句話說，這正是我想要的。我開始沿著海岸一路往北走，并在安德魯餅店停下，又買了9元的蛋撻。海灣地區(qū)，刷成五顏六色的房屋被用木柱支撐著，僅1000英尺(約合300米)以西便是中國大陸。漁民將捕到的魚晾曬在屋外，偶爾還會聽到麻將牌發(fā)出的獨特的啪嗒聲。

I wound my way down Avenida de Cinco de Outubro, in the shade of thick-trunked ficus rumphii trees with aerial roots, like banyan trees. I eventually found myself in a beautiful cobblestone plaza with a fountain on one end and the beautiful, bright yellow Chapel of St. Francis on the other. I dined al fresco at Cafe Nga Tim on a 58-dollar dish of rice and curried prawns and watched evening set in.

我頂著樹干粗壯的心葉榕的樹蔭，沿十月初五日街朝南走。心葉榕根系發(fā)達，很像菩提樹。最后，我發(fā)現自己來到了一處美麗的鵝卵石廣場，廣場的一頭是一座噴泉，另一頭是圣方濟各圣堂。在雅憩花園餐廳，我花58元吃了一頓米飯搭配咖喱蝦的戶外晚餐，靜觀夜幕降臨。

The casinos? Didn’t need them. They do provide a useful benefit, though: When it came time to head back to the ferry terminal, I happily used the hotel’s free shuttle bus.

賭場?根本不需要。不過它們的確提供了一個便利：到要返回輪渡碼頭時，我開心地乘坐了酒店的免費穿梭巴士。