荷兰：传统象征土气吗

荷兰：传统象征土气吗

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Windmills, tulips and wooden shoes may be among the most beloved emblems of the Netherlands, but they are symbols the Dutch government is trying to avoid as it takes up the EU presidency, local media said on Tuesday.

The government decided such symbols were too "corny" and would detract from the image of the Netherlands that Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende wants to project.

A spokesman for Dutch European Affairs Minister Atzo Nicolai was quoted as saying that tulips and wooden shoes might be seen as "nice, but totally nutty". In place of those symbols, the Dutch emblem for the EU presidency will incorporate the letters "NL" and the national colors -- red, white, blue and orange -- in a design that spells out "EU".

Balkenende's government, however, has decided to embrace at least one traditional Dutch symbol. As thank-you gifts to journalists and others, it will hand out painted tins of stroopwafels, sweets made of waffles and caramel, and a Dutch favorite.




风车、郁金香和木鞋：传统是土气吗
阿姆斯特丹:风车、郁金香和木鞋恐怕是荷兰最可爱的象征,但荷兰政府在担任了欧盟轮值主席后却不想提到它们,当地媒体于本周二这样报道。

政府认为这些象征太"老套土气",会在7月1日荷兰担任25国机构的轮值主席后减弱荷兰总理杨·培特·巴尔肯恩德想树立的荷兰形象。

荷兰欧洲事务部长的发言人阿挫·尼果莱的话被报纸所引用,他说郁金香和木鞋可能看上去"很美好,但却很傻。"

荷兰在欧盟任职期间用以替代传统象征的新象征包括字母NL(荷兰的英文缩写)以及用代表荷兰的红白蓝橙四种颜色拼出的EU(欧盟)。

但政府决定至少使用一种传统象征。作为对记者和他人的小礼物,荷兰将奉送彩色甜点盒———一种由蛋奶烘饼和焦糖制成的黏甜点,这是荷兰人最喜欢吃的。