If you walk along the River Thames, there are lots of interesting buildings to see. Running through the heart of London, there are also many galleries, markets, shops and activities to keep you busy along its banks. You will also see a strange round building. It looks very old and very different from all the others, This is Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (莎士比亚环球剧场).
The Globe Theatre was first built here in 1599. William Shakespeare was one of the most famous writers that ever lived. His plays were performed in the theatre for many years. However, in 1613, a fire broke out during a performance. The theatre was destroyed (毁坏), but the second was built the following year. It remained a theatre until 1644, and then it was pulled down to build houses. The modern (and also the third) Globe Theatre was completed in 1997, over 350 years later. This was done to honor Shakespeare, the most famous English writer. To this day, his many plays are performed there daily. He wrote around thirty-eight plays. They are comedies (funny stories), histories (about historical events and people), and tragedies (serious and sad stories). People come from all over the world to watch them at the Globe Theatre. They are performed in exactly the same way as they were hundreds of years ago.
The building is round and made mostly of wood. There are simple seats on three different levels all around the sides. Everyone can see the stage (舞台). However, there is no roof (屋顶) in the middle! The cheapest tickets are standing tickets. You stand in the middle, right in front of the actors, but if it rains, you will get wet!
