Always in Season

一年四季都是当令时节

“蓝草州”一年四季都是当令时节，这里有克尔维特跑车、猛犸洞和丘吉尔当斯。

肯塔基州（Kentucky）以蓝草（Bluegrass)著称。这种牧场植物不仅喂养了该州同样出名的骏马，而且滋养了蓬勃发展的农业，并孕育了美国的一些最美丽的风景区。

有关肯塔基州的详情请见探索美国网站DiscoverAmerica.com。

首府：法兰克福（Frankfort）

人口：有4300多万人居住在肯塔基州。

地理位置：肯塔基州是美国高地南部地区（Upland South)的一部分，与7个州交界，北边是俄亥俄州（Ohio），东边是西弗吉尼亚州（West Virginia），东南是弗吉尼亚州（Virginia），南边是田纳西州（Tennessee），西边是密苏里州（Missouri），西北为伊利诺伊州（Illinois）和印第安纳州（Indiana）。

高等教育：肯塔基大学（University of Kentucky）是该州的公立大学，也是该州最大的高等学府，其商学院、医学院和传媒研究学院都享有盛誉。建于1780年的特兰西瓦尼亚大学（Transylvania University)是一所私立文科大学，设置了38个专业。 它在美国历史最悠久的大学中排名第16位。肯塔基州另一个颇有名气的私立大学是伯里亚学院（Berea College)。这所基督教学院成立于1855年，是南方的第一所种族融合及男女同校的大学。它也因不收取学费而扬名。

主要产业：大多数人一谈到肯塔基州的产业便会想到马匹、威士忌和烟草，但肯塔基州的经济远不止这些。“蓝草州”是玉米、大豆和小麦等谷物还有猪和牛的主要产地。它也制造汽车、铝制品、机械和钢铁制品。肯塔基州派克县（Pike County)是世界上最大的煤炭生产地。

肯塔基州名人：美国总统亚伯拉罕·林肯（Abraham Lincoln)和扎卡里·泰勒(Zachary Taylor)，美国最高法院大法官路易斯·布兰代斯（Louis Brandeis)，废奴主义者卡修斯·马塞勒斯·克雷（Cassius Marcellus Clay）,电视记者黛安·索耶(Diane Sawyer)，《拉斯维加斯的恐惧和厌恶》（Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas)的作者亨特·汤普森（Hunter S. Thompson)，奥斯卡获奖演员乔治·克鲁尼（George Clooney)，《加勒比海海盗》的主演约翰尼·德普（Johnny Depp)，音乐家比利·雷·塞勒斯(Billy Ray Cyrus)，怀诺娜·嘉得（Wynonna Judd)和尼克·勒舍（Nick Lachey)，拳王阿里（Muhammad Ali)，短跑运动员泰森·盖伊（Tyson Gay），篮球运动员拉疆·朗多（Rajon Rondo)和NASCAR赛车手迈克尔·沃尔特利普（Michael Waltrip）， 他们都出生在“蓝草州”！

大众文化：詹姆斯·邦德（James Bond）系列电影的第3部《金手指》（Goldfinger）部分拍摄于肯塔基州，还有阿尔·帕西诺（Al Pacino)和拉塞尔·克劳（Russel Crowe)主演的《内幕》（The Insider）也在该州拍摄。达斯汀·霍夫曼（Dustin Hoffman)和汤姆·克鲁斯（Tom Cruise)在肯塔基州拍摄了1988年的电影《雨人》（Rain Man），2010年的传记电影《一代骄马》（Secretariat）也是以“蓝草州”为背景的。

特色美食：肯塔基州保持南方传统，当地菜肴包括炸鲶鱼和炸玉米球，烧烤加玉米面包，炸鸡和秋葵等。“蓝草州”自诩发明了几种美食，如热布朗（Hot Brown)——夹有培根或火鸡肉的淋上奶酪汁的开口三明治，德比派（Derby Pie)——以肯塔基赛马会（Kentucky Derby）命名的巧克力和核桃甜饼。

国际联系：肯塔基州最大的城市是路易斯维尔（Louisville），与法国的蒙彼利埃（Montpellier)、厄瓜多尔的基多（Quito)、德国的美因茨（Mainz)、阿根廷的拉普拉塔（La Plata)、加纳的塔马利（Tamale)、俄罗斯的彼尔姆（Perm)和中国九江结为友好城市。

趣闻轶事：

•肯塔基赛马会是美国持续举办的历史最悠久的体育盛会，每年5月的第一个星期六在路易斯维尔的丘吉尔当斯（Churchill Downs)举行。

•肯塔基州的猛犸洞（Mammoth Cave)是美国第二古老的旅游景点，也是世界上最长的洞穴。

•雪佛兰（Chevrolet）克尔维特（Corvette)跑车只在一个地方制造：肯塔基州的鲍灵格林（Bowling Green)。

探险活动：探索世界上已知的最长的地下洞穴系统以躲避酷暑。肯塔基州的猛犸洞绵延625公里，全年温度保持在摄氏14度左右。

Corvettes, caves and Churchill Downs: Just a few reasons why the Bluegrass State is “Always in Season.”

Kentucky is known for its bluegrass. Not only does this pasture plant feed the state’s equally famous horses, it also fuels its robust agricultural industry and lays the foundation for some of the most beautiful landscapes in the United States.

Find out more about Kentucky at DiscoverAmerica.com.

Capital: Frankfort

Population: More than 4.3 million people live in Kentucky.

Geography: Part of the Upland South region of the United States, Kentucky shares a border with seven states. Ohio sits to the north, West Virginia to the east, Virginia to the southeast, Tennessee to the south, Missouri to the west, with Illinois and Indiana to the northwest.

Higher Education: The University of Kentucky is the state’s public option. The largest institution of higher learning in the state, the University of Kentucky’s colleges of business, medicine and communication studies are all highly regarded. Founded in 1780, Transylvania University is a private liberal arts college providing courses in 38 majors. It is the 16th oldest college in the United States. Another private university with distinction is Kentucky’s Berea College. Founded in 1855, this Christian school was the first interracial and coeducational college in the South. It is also known for not charging tuition fees.

Major Industries: When most people think of Kentucky’s industries, they think of horses, whiskey and tobacco, but Kentucky’s economy runs on more than that. The Bluegrass State is a major producer of grains such as corn, soybeans and wheat along with hogs and cattle. It also manufactures motor vehicles, aluminum ware, machinery, iron and steel products. Kentucky’s Pike County is the world’s largest producer of coal.

Famous Kentuckians: U.S. Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Zachary Taylor, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, abolitionist Cassius Marcellus Clay, broadcast journalist Diane Sawyer, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas author Hunter S. Thompson, Academy Award–winning actor George Clooney, Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp, musicians Billy Ray Cyrus, Wynonna Judd and Nick Lachey, boxer Muhammad Ali, runner Tyson Gay, basketball player Rajon Rondo and NASCAR driver Michael Waltrip were all born in the Bluegrass State!

Pop Culture: The third film in the James Bond series, Goldfinger, was partially filmed in Kentucky along with The Insider starring Al Pacino and Russell Crowe. Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise were in Kentucky to film the 1988 drama Rain Man, and the 2010 biographical film Secretariat also used the Bluegrass State as a backdrop.

Culinary Specialties: Sticking to its southern roots, Kentucky serves up dishes like fried catfish and hush puppies, barbecue with cornbread, and fried chicken and okra. The Bluegrass State claims some unique concoctions like Hot Brown, an open-faced sandwich with bacon or turkey topped with cheese sauce, and Derby Pie, a chocolate-and-walnut pie named for the Kentucky Derby.

International connection: Louisville, Kentucky, the state’s largest city, is a sister to Montpellier, France; Quito, Ecuador; Mainz, Germany; La Plata, Argentina; Tamale, Ghana; Perm, Russia; and Jiujiang, China.

Fun facts:

• The Kentucky Derby horse race is the oldest continuously held sporting event in the country. It is held at Churchill Downs in Louisville on the first Saturday of May.

• The second oldest tourist attraction in the United States, Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave, is the world's longest cave.

• Chevrolet Corvettes are manufactured in only one place: Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Adventure idea: Escape the heat with an underground exploration of the world’s longest known cave system. Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave extends for more than 625 kilometers and stays about 14 degrees Celsius all year long.