A name for an imaginary place of great beauty, luxury and peace — a kind of earthly paradise that is always slightly out of reach. Say it "ZAN-a-doo"; the X at the front sounds like a z.

A name for指 an imaginary place of great beauty, luxury and peace一個想像中極其美麗、奢華又安詳的地方 — a kind of earthly paradise that is always slightly out of reach一種總是有點可望而不可及的人間仙境Say it "ZAN-a-doo"唸作「ZAN-a-doo」; the X at the front sounds like a z開頭的X唸起來像z

It comes from Coleridge's poem Kubla Khan, which opens with a great pleasure-palace built at Xanadu, and the poem's dreamlike feeling is what the word carries with it: not just a lovely place, but a place too lovely to be quite real, or one that vanishes when you wake.

It comes from Coleridge's poem Kubla Khan它出自柯立芝的詩《忽必烈汗》, which opens with a great pleasure-palace built at Xanadu開頭就是在Xanadu（上都）建了一座宏偉的享樂宮殿, and the poem's dreamlike feeling is what the word carries with it而這首詩夢幻般的感覺正是這個字所帶著的: not just a lovely place不只是一個美麗的地方, but a place too lovely to be quite real而是美麗到不太真實的地方, or one that vanishes when you wake或是一醒來就會消失的地方

English speakers use it in two ways. Sometimes it is straightforward praise, a rich or beautiful place described as a Xanadu. More often there is a hint of irony or sadness — someone's private Xanadu is a paradise built for one person, a little grand and a little foolish, as with the enormous house called Xanadu in the film Citizen Kane.

English speakers use it英語使用者用這個字 in two ways有兩種方式Sometimes it is straightforward praise有時候是很直接的稱讚, a rich or beautiful place described as a Xanadu把一個富麗或美麗的地方形容成a XanaduMore often there is a hint of irony or sadness更常見的是帶點諷刺或哀傷 — someone's private Xanadu is a paradise built for one person某人的private Xanadu是專為一個人打造的天堂, a little grand and a little foolish有點浮誇也有點傻, as with the enormous house called Xanadu in the film Citizen Kane就像電影《大國民》裡那棟叫Xanadu的巨宅

It is a literary word, not everyday speech; you meet it in newspapers, travel writing, and film and book titles rather than in conversation.

It is a literary word, not everyday speech這是個文學用字，不是日常說的話; you meet it in newspapers, travel writing, and film and book titles你會在報紙、旅遊寫作、電影和書名裡看到它, rather than in conversation而不是在對話裡

Worth knowing for students here: the real place existed. Xanadu was Kublai Khan's summer capital in Inner Mongolia, and Marco Polo wrote about it, so the fairy-tale name is a real Chinese city seen through several layers of retelling.

Worth knowing for students here這裡有件事值得學生知道: the real place existed這個地方真實存在過XanaduXanadu was Kublai Khan's summer capital in Inner Mongolia是忽必烈在內蒙古的夏都, and Marco Polo wrote about it馬可波羅還寫過它, so the fairy-tale name is a real Chinese city seen through several layers of retelling所以這個童話般的名字其實是經過好幾層轉述的真實中國城市