【話當年: 里斯本條約 ~ 簽署在何地? (提示: 一重要旅遊景點)】
【The past: Where was the Treaty of Lisbon signed? (Hint: an important tourist attraction)】

2007年12月13日, 27個歐洲國家領導人共同簽署了「里斯本條約」, 新條約的誕生, 旨在進一步改革歐盟機構, 簡化歐盟的決策過程; 並針對全球氣候暖化、天然能源等政策, 提高歐盟全球競爭力和影響力。大家可知道, 「里斯本條約」是在那裡簽署的呢? :-)

Signed by the heads of state and government of the 27 EU Member States, 'Treaty of Lisbon' was signed on 13 December 2007, intending to reform the functioning of the European Union. Do you know where the signing of Treaty of Lisbon took place? :-)

簽署地就是在里斯本貝倫區的著名建築物 - 在1983年已被聯合國教科文組織列為「世界文化遺產」的哲羅尼莫斯修道院裡面啊! 時任的歐盟輪值主席國正是葡萄牙, 總理是蘇格拉底, 他在《里斯本條約》簽署儀式上首先發表講話。

請大家留意兩張我在網路上找到借用到此的圖片: 1) 國家元首們在哲羅尼莫斯修道院的南大門前大合照, 南大門雖是側門, 卻盡是手工精細繁複的浮雕, 極之華麗。大門高32米, 建於1516-1518年間, 有眾多有意思的浮雕 (另行再談)。2) 簽署儀式在哲羅尼莫斯修道院內的迴廊舉行, 兩層高的迴廊完成於1544年, 是曼努埃爾建築中的不朽之作。迴廊呈拱形天花和四邊形格局, 每根柱子和每個大小拱門是不同款式、雕刻豐富精采的浮雕, 是絕大部分來哲羅尼莫斯修道院參觀的旅客不會錯過的景點。

The Treaty of Lisbon was signed in Belém, at the famous monument called Mosteiro dos Jerónimos - a UNESCO World Heritage Site which was constructed in the 16th century. The then Portuguese Prime Minister and the President of the Council of the European Union José Sócrates gave a welcoming speech prior to the official signing ceremony.

Enclosed in this post are two photos that I found on the internet. They captured some of the most important scenes of the signing ceremony of the Treaty of Lisbon. 1) The first photo shows that the heads of the 27 EU Member States stood and took a group photo in front of the South Portal of Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. Built in years 1516-1518, the South Portal - though not the main portal - is decorated with a large amount of stunning and beautiful carved religious and marital images. 2) The second picture shows where the signing ceremony took place. It's at the cloisters of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, completed in 1544. The magnificent and elaborate sculptural details and carvings on each column in the cloister are perfect examples of the unique Manueline architecture. This is a must-see place when one visits the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos.

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詳細有關里斯本條約的內容和意義等, 大家可參考歐盟為里斯本條約所建立的官方網站: http://www.lisbon-treaty.org/wcm/the-lisbon-treaty.html

For details of the structure and aims of the Treaty of Lisbon, you may want to visit the official Treaty of Lisbon website managed by the European Union. http://www.lisbon-treaty.org/wcm/the-lisbon-treaty.html