姐姐一家來紐約度周末。周日下午一起去了在79街第五大道的Albertine, Books in French and English. 這是法國大使館文化部對紐約的貢獻，匯集法文和英文出版物開的書店。2014年9月26日剛剛開放。書店有兩層樓，店堂不大，但布置的非常法國化。我們在書店逗留了一個多小時，買了幾本書後去了對街的中央公園，散步半個多小時後又回到書店。下午三點有一講座，是著名的美國數學家、諾貝爾經濟獎得主John Nash(電影“A Beautiful Mind""美麗心靈”就是講他的故事)和法國2010年Fields Medal (菲爾茲獎)得主Cédric Villani的非正式對話：Mathematical Styles & the Process of Discovery. 非常有意思。這個書店有常年的各類講座，主題涉及文化、醫學衛生健康、時裝、曆史、現時政治經濟國際局勢，等等，幾乎無所不包，免費向公眾開放。這絕對是一個學習的好去處。
鑲在大理石牆上的門牌：
鑲在大理石牆上的門牌：
書店是開在法國大使館文化服務部在紐約的辦事處大樓，一進門廳，就是雍容華貴的大理石地麵，牆壁，門廊，石柱和雕像。
在側麵，有兩小間布置成法國革命前皇室的展覽室。
充滿法國味道的書店店堂。
典型的法國藍和法國黃，太美了！想像一下坐在這樣的屋頂和燈光下閱讀是件何等賞心悅目的事。
在中央公園散了一會兒步。我永遠走不厭拍不盡的公園：
當天下午三點在Albertine的講座：Mathematical Style & the Process of Discovery. 兩大國際數學界巨人 － 著名的美國數學家、諾貝爾經濟獎得主John Nash Jr. (電影“A Beautiful Mind""美麗心靈”就是講他的故事)和法國2010年Fields Medal (菲爾茲獎)得主Cédric Villani的非正式對話，非常有意思。由法國駐美使館文化參讚主持。小小的廳裏擠滿了聽眾，連兩邊暖氣片上都坐滿了，後麵還有不少人站著。對話進行了一個多小時，有由主持人提問兩位嘉賓回答，也有兩嘉賓互相問答，最後聽眾提問。Cédric Villani非常會表達，與常人想象中木納的數學家大相徑庭。他最近剛出版了一本書“Theory of Life/Life in Theory",法文版；英文版2015年出版。
我們回到書店，正遇到John Nash Jr.和他夫人抵達：
我們回到書店二樓，穿過走廊進入講座大廳。
窗外秋色漸濃：
對話開始，精彩繼續：
John Nash Jr.
Cédric Villani，非常法國人！
以下是關於Albertine, Books in French and English 以及Festival Albertine 的信息：
www.albertine.com
以下來自它的網站：
Tucked inside the historic Payne Whitney mansion, Albertine is the only reading room and bookshop in New York devoted solely to books in French and English with more than 14,000 contemporary and classic titles from 30 French-speaking countries.
A project of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, the Albertine bookshop brings to life French-American intellectual exchange. The space reflects its belief in the power of literature and the humanities to increase understanding and friendship across borders, and in the power of books as a common good for a better world. In this spirit, Albertine hosts free debats and discussions exploring popular and classical culture through a modern and global lens.
Albertine is housed in the official landmark Payne Whitney mansion in Manhattan. In 1902, former Standard Oil Company treasurer Oliver Hazard Payne commissioned the Italian Renaissance mansion as a wedding gift to his nephew Payne Whitney. Between 1902 and 1906, Stanford White, the famed architect of the Washington Square Arch, designed and oversaw construction of the mansion. Since 1952, the mansion has housed the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. The bookshop within the mansion was born in 2014, and its interiors were created by celebrated French designer Jacques Garcia (Chateau du Champ de Bataille in Normandy, France and The NoMad Hotel in New York City).
Albertine’s ceiling is painted with a mural of constellations and planets inspired by the ceilings of Lorenzo de Medici created in the 1500s that capture “the knowledge of the world.” View photos of the ceiling painting in progress here. Busts of great figures from French and French-American culture including Voltaire, Benjamin Franklin, Tocqueville and Descartes will be on display.
The centerpiece of the entrance of the building is a replica of Michelangelo’s Young Archer. The original had been in the lobby of the mansion for decades until it was discovered to be a Michelangelo in 2009. To our knowledge, it is the only Michelangelo statue on American soil. It is currently on loan at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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