In Denmark the sea embraces① people and cities. It accompanies them in their daily life. It marks them in history.
The Danish coastline is 7，313 kilometers long， so it’s no wonder that Denmark is one of the leading nations in the fishing industry. It’s one of the most important producers in the world with an annual catch of 2 million tons.
The Danes prefer the graceful and modest fishing boats to the bigger more modern factory ships. These small vessels don’t go too far out to sea and often come back to base to unload their catch.
One of the most famous authors of fairy tales in the world， Hans Christian Anderson， was born in Odense in the 19th century. This is the family home， where the author spent his childhood. His father was a modest cobbler and Hans had to struggle② to attract the world’s attention. Today he is highly regarded as one of the most sensitive③ writers of his time and was the most capable of touching the chords④ of the human spirit.
In the museum dedicated to him， which was set up in the house where the author was born， we find rare editions of his stories， letters， notes and manuscripts. The most interesting items in the museum are the writer’s personal effects， enabling us to picture him still at work in these rooms. Here we also find a series of original⑤ illustrations by famous artists， inspired by his fairy tales and his life.
Anderson’s works are staged in Odense， with children and visitors acting out the parts. Among his most famous stories are The Ugly Duckling， The Princess and the Pea. “The little Mermaid” went on to become the symbol⑥ of the city of Copenhagan.
The Royal family in Denmark have often made the world take notice of them. Decidedly unusual is the story linked to this type of porcelain， which is still produced by hand today， called Flora Danica， because it features more than 700 Danish wild flowers.
In 1789， Christina VII of Denmark set all the best craftsmen of the kingdom to work to create this collection in order to give it as a present to Catherine II of Russia. By the time the 1，800 pieces of the colossal work were finished， thirteen years later， Catherine II had already died.
Denmark is a beautiful and dreamlike place. Its beauty and serenity⑦ encourage people to create their own fairy tales.
① embracev. 拥抱，环绕
② strugglev. 努力，奋斗
③ sensitiveadj. 灵敏的，敏感的
④ chordn. 心弦，感情
⑤ originaladj. 原作的，原本的
⑥ symboln. 象征，标志
⑦ serenityn. 平静，沉着
丹麦
丹麦，大海拥抱着这里的城市和人民。它伴随着人们的生活。它记录着丹麦的历史。
丹麦的海岸线长达7，313公里。所以丹麦作为世界上最重要的渔业大国之一也就不足为奇了。200万吨的年捕捞量奠定了它作为最重要的生产国的地位。
比起现代化工厂生产的大型船只，丹麦人更青睐造型优雅、大小适中的渔船。这种小型渔船不能到远海，需要经常回到岸边卸货。
汉斯·安徒生是世界上最著名的童话作家之一。19世纪，他出生在欧登塞。作家在这所故居里度过了童年。他的父亲是位谦逊的鞋匠，安徒生要靠自己的努力得到世界的认同。今天，他被认为是当时最敏锐的作家之一，他的作品最能够触动人类的灵魂。
安徒生博物馆就建在他出生时的房间里，这里保存着珍贵的作家的故事、书信、笔记及创作手稿。博物馆中最有意思的是作家的个人财产，从中我们仿佛看到安徒生正在这里进行创作。这里还有一些著名艺术家留下的图画草稿。他们曾在作家的童话和生活中找到了灵感。
安徒生的作品正在欧登塞上演，孩子和游人分别扮演剧中的角色。他的代表作有《丑小鸭》、《豌豆公主》，“小美人鱼”甚至成了哥本哈根的城市象征。
丹麦的皇室曾经常引起世人的注意。他们最不同寻常的一件事和一种叫Flora Danica的瓷器有关，这种瓷器至今仍用手工制作，它描绘了700多种丹麦的野花。
1789年，为了给俄国沙皇凯瑟琳二世献礼，丹麦女皇克里斯蒂娜七世召集了国内所有的优秀工匠，专门制作了一套瓷器。13年后，当1，800件作品完成时，凯瑟琳二世早已去世了。
丹麦是个美丽的梦想之国。它的美丽与恬静赋予了人们灵感，创造他们自己的童话故事。
