澳门——赌徒的天堂

　　澳门是前葡萄牙殖民地，在中国的东南沿海，以发达的赌博业闻。我们已经习惯听到令人难以置信的增长率，在这个特别行政区中国（SAR）由于赌博业的蓬勃发展，但现在看来，即使是强大的澳门，目前经济也不甚不景气。

　　金光大道中的麦加赌场，连接了一些群岛，但现在在亚洲的拉斯维加斯金沙，最大的建筑地盘之一，也是怪异的沉默。从建成到目前为止，已建成了巨大的摩天大楼。许多熙熙攘攘的工人像蚂蚁一样在工地周围开工。

　　金沙集团坚持认为，他们感谢世界各地帮助了他们拖延债务，其建设项目不会取消。

　　澳门总被认为是赌徒的天堂，以前的市场是由当地大亨士丹利何（何淼鸿）控制垄断的，但自2002年以来，半岛已经历了一个壮观的热潮，这要感谢中国的经济增长的，澳门拥有的自主权，吸引了一些拉斯维加斯的博彩公司的大量投资的涌入。

　　与你之前去过的一些打折扣的赌场相比，有的一个新型的复杂的赌场即将2009年在这里开放：梦幻之城。这是新一代的联合创业，是由澳大利亚高滚动大亨凯瑞派克的儿子和地方游戏掌门人何鸿燊共同计划和建设的。澳门仍是国泰航空唯一的地方（西方老古村的名称），您可以合法赌博，而且它在地理上有一个巨大的优势。

　　所以，你想玩赌博游戏，那么应该选择澳门。我们认为，在澳门你会遇到从未有过的最好时机！澳门是位珠江三角洲，与香港毗邻，香港也是个著名的城市，值得你去参观。而事实上您往来澳门和香港的行程，有非常便利快捷的交通可以选择，例如快艇和飞机。留在澳门威尼斯人豪华套房之一，你只需支付一小部分的钱，你还可以享受到很好的美食。

　　澳门的历史非常简短。“澳门”之所以被称为“澳门，”多亏了一个叫马玲的中国女神。

　　传说，她在一场激烈的风暴中救了整个中国南海。可能是台风喜欢在亚洲阳光温暖的夏季登陆中国南海，袭击海岸的帆船。女神很愤怒暴风的肆虐。于是她优雅地走道本地的一座山的顶部，在山顶与暴风作战。葡萄牙水手很喜欢这个故事，并称呼这个半岛为Macao，后来成为澳门。

　　正是这种中国和葡萄牙文化的混合，使澳门成为一个有趣的地方。它是一个始终受欢迎香港人的周末度假胜地。脱离葡萄牙的影响后，经济速度曾经较慢，虽然在很大程度上与拉斯维加斯Vegaseque BUZZ有关，但它仍然保留了它的魅力。

　　你会发现，澳门还与中国东南沿海的广东省相邻，澳门位于香港以西40英里处，以及广东省省会以南90英里处。 澳门不是一个特别大的地方，它是有一个半岛和两个岛屿组成的。

　　澳门是在第一批人口是广东省迁移过来的渔民。葡萄牙水手在1513年上岸。得到中国皇帝的许可后，澳门和葡萄牙成立一个交易，以控制早年东方和西方之间的贸易。

　　澳门最好的天气在十月及十一月，澳门属于东北季风，干燥的风从北部扫过，天气普遍天晴及温暖。夏季炎热和潮湿，但这不会影响到赌场宫殿，澳门的一月和二月往往是凉爽和潮湿的。

　　译文：

　　Focus On Macau. Casino Mecca or Casino Mucka?

　　Macau- the former Portuguese colony on the south-east coast of China- is back in the news again, but this time for different reasons. We have become used to hearing the incredible growth rates in this Special Administrative Region of China （SAR） thanks to its booming gambling industry, but now it seems even the Mighty Macau has causght a cold in the current economic downturn.

　　The Cotai Strip is a man made casino mecca, linking two former islands in days gone by- but now the cranes on one of the biggest construction sites in Asia- the Las Vegas Sands’ have gone quiet and there is an eerie silence settling over the 3 huge skyscrapers that have been built so far. Many of the workers that have been bustling around the site like ants have gone and the weeds are starting to gain a grip in the dirt.

　　The Sands group- heavily in debt thanks to its construction projects around the globe （a mega casino complex is also planned for Singapore） insists that they are delaying the project, not cancelling it.

　　Macau has always been a gambler’s paradise- formerly the market was pretty much contolled by local tycoon Stanley Ho, but since 2002 the peninsular has experienced a spectacular boom thanks to the growing Chinese economy, more freedom of movement between the Mainland and the territory and a huge influx of investment from Las Vegas gaming corporations.

　　But before you comnpletely discount the place, remember that there’s a new mega complex opening up here in 2009: the City of Dreams which is a a joint venture from the new generation: planned and built by the sons of Australian high rolling tycoon Kerry Packer and local gaming supremo Stanley Ho. Macau is still the only place in Cathay （the old Occidental name for the Middle Kingdom） where you can legally gamble （and remember- China is still growing albeit more slowly） and it also has a huge advantage in terms of its geography.

　　So should you visit? Well, we reckon that there has never been a better time! Macau is situated across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong, （so that you can combine your trip with a visit to this famous city （it’s a short jet foil trip across the delta on one of Mr Ho’s fast boats.） And the fact that supply is outstripping demand at the moment means that there are some great deals to be had. Stay in one of the luxury suites at the Macau Venetian and you’ll pay a fraction of the money that you would in Las Vegas- and the Chinese food is better!

　　A Very Brief History of Macau

　　“Macau” is called “Macau” thansk to a Chinese goddess called A-Ma or Ling Ma.

　　Legend has it that she saved a junk sailing across the South China Sea that became trapped in a fierce storm- probably a Typhoon the likes of which hit these shores in the summer months as the fierce Asian sun warms up the South China Sea. A striking young woman boarded the ship at the last minute as it was setting off before the Typhoon and quietened the storm when it was at its most furious. When she got off the boat, she walked gracefully up to the top of a local hill and ascended into heaven in a blaze of light and incense. Portuguese sailors liked the story and called the peninsular A-Ma-Gao （Bay of A-Ma）， which subsequently became Macau.

　　It’s this mix of Chinese and Portuguese cultures that makes the place so interesting. It’s always been a popular weekend away for HongKongers- somehow the Portuguese influence has left a calming influence and slower pace on the place and although there’s a lot more Las Vegaseque buzz about, it has still managed to retain its charm.

　　You’ll find Macau on the south eastern coast of China in  Guangdong Province, 40 miles west of Hong Kong and 90 miles south of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province. Macua is not an especially big place- it’s a peninsula and two islands, but it does pack alot in.

　　Macau was at first populated by fishermen from Fujin and Guangdong. The Mediterranean influence began when Jorge Alvares stepped ashore in 1513. The Portuguese later set up a trading post which, with the permission of the Emperor of China, controlled the trade between east and west in the early years. Macau also served as the springboard for Christian missionaries setting up shop in China and Japan. Macau was eventualy lose out to Hong Kong in the trading wars but it contined to flourish alongside its sister city across the water.

　　Head to Macau in October and November for the best weather （during the north-east monsoon, dry winds sweep in from the north and the weather is generally sunny and warm.） The summers are hot and humid （which won’t bother you inside the casino palaces, and we’d avoid January and February which tends to be cool and damp.