『閃閃發亮的並不都是金子』「All that glitters is not gold」外表華麗漂亮的東西未必都是想像中的那麼美好。出自《威尼斯商人》
“All that glitters is not gold,” from The Merchant of Venice, reminds us that not everything shiny is as wonderful as it seems.
搭乘歐洲之星從法國巴黎到達英國倫敦後，居住於海德公園(Hyde Park)的帕丁頓車站(Paddington Station)附近，帕丁頓車站站是倫敦市區到達希斯洛國際機場的機場Heathrow Connect 及Heathrow Express火車的必經轉運站。
After taking the Eurostar from Paris to London, I stayed near Paddington Station, close to Hyde Park. Paddington is a key hub for Heathrow Connect and Heathrow Express trains to Heathrow International Airport.
帕丁頓車站是倫敦主要的火車站之一，吸引眾多觀光旅客入住，周邊街頭巷尾遍布各式旅館。帕丁頓車站區域的治安屬中上水平，但作為觀光區，車站附近仍偶有遊牧民族或怪異人士徘徊，需保持警惕。
Paddington Station, one of London’s major railway hubs, draws many tourists, with a variety of hotels scattered throughout its surrounding streets. The area’s safety is above average, but as a tourist hotspot, the station vicinity occasionally sees nomadic groups or odd individuals lingering, so caution is advised.
雖然帕丁頓車站周邊可能不如維多利亞車站（Victoria Station）熱鬧，但作為交通樞紐，步行即可到達海德公園（Hyde Park）、威廉王子與凱特王妃的肯辛頓花園寓所（Kensington Garden），也靠近購物天堂牛津街（Oxford Street）、攝政街（Regent Street）及氣派非凡的白金漢宮（Buckingham Palace）。
While Paddington Station’s surroundings may not be as bustling as Victoria Station’s, its role as a transport hub offers easy walking access to Hyde Park, the Kensington Garden residence of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and proximity to the shopping havens of Oxford Street, Regent Street, and the majestic Buckingham Palace.
帕丁頓車站周邊的超商與小店林立，屬於相對平價的消費區域，街頭隨處可見國際連鎖餐飲品牌。然而，即便稱為平價，價格也不算低，一份麥當勞、肯德基或漢堡王的漢堡套餐通常需6-10英鎊（約300-500元台幣）。
Paddington Station is surrounded by numerous convenience stores and small shops, making it a relatively affordable area with major global fast-food chains on every corner. However, “affordable” is relative—a McDonald’s, KFC, or Burger King meal typically costs 6-10 GBP (around 300-500 TWD).
在倫敦的雜貨超商和小店，貨架上通常只有冷藏三明治和沙拉，一個普通的三明治價格高達3-4英鎊（約120-200元台幣），且缺乏亞洲超商常見的多樣熟食便當。
在帕丁頓車站區域觀察到一個有趣現象：同一條街上100公尺內的4間不同雜貨超商，一罐500ml可口可樂的價格竟各不相同，介於1.2-2英鎊（約50-100元台幣）。
旅人習慣台灣超商的統一定價，但在英國倫敦，同一商品常有不同價格。可想而知，在倫敦這樣高消費的城市，生活壓力頗大。台灣食物的多樣性與價格合理性，也讓人感受到身處台灣的幸福。
In London’s convenience stores and small shops, shelves typically offer only cold sandwiches and salads, with a basic sandwich costing 3-4 GBP (about 120-200 TWD), and no variety of hot bento meals common in Asian convenience stores.
An interesting observation in the Paddington Station area: within 100 meters on the same street, four different convenience stores sold a 500ml Coca-Cola at varying prices, ranging from 1.2-2 GBP (about 50-100 TWD).
Travelers are used to Taiwan’s standardized pricing in convenience stores, but in London, the same item often varies in price. It’s easy to imagine the subtle pressures of living in such a high-cost city. The variety and affordability of food in Taiwan highlight one of the joys of living there.
閃閃發亮的古城倫敦很美，但並非處處美好。
The glittering ancient city of London is beautiful, but not everything is perfect.
