【英语时差8,16】布伦海姆宫

Blenheim Palace Helen: Today we’re taking you to a huge and stunning¹ palace about two hours north-west of London. It’s called Blenheim Palace. First John told us why the house was built. It was due to a battle that happened over 300 years ago. The huge palace was built in the 18th century for the first Duke of Marlborough in 1704. He inflicted² a huge defeat, unexpected defeat on the armies of France. Queen Anne wanted to give him a gift, but she also wanted the future to remember the victory. So she built him this house, this palace, to live in and the dukes still live here to this day, on the left where I’m gesturing. The whole house is built on such a splendid, dramatic scale, that it stands as a monument and that’s what it’s about. As we look out there, that’s the other feature of Blenheim. That’s the park, totally man made, landscaped by Capability³ Brown in the 1760s. Now that magnificent landscape there and this wonderful Baroque building contributed both of them to Blenheim being chosen as the United Nations, in the 1980s, as a world heritage site. If I tell you other world heritage sites are the Pyramids, the Great Wall of China, you realise what a stately home this is. It’s the only one in the country, the only stately home, which is a world heritage site. Helen: So this is definitely a very prestigious⁴ title to have. And if you are interested in Winston Churchill,then you’ve got to visit Blenheim, because this is where Winston Churchill was born and buried!

1 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

2 inflicted   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. 他们使主队吃了一场很没面子的败仗。
• Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。

3 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

4 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。