【趣谈英语】1666年伦敦大火-The Great Fire Of London Had Few Recorded Casualties

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

• casualties: deaths caused by an accident or war
• devastate: cause major damage
• death toll¹: the number of related deaths
• recognition: the ability to know who someone is

The Great Fire Of London Had Few Recorded Casualties-1666年伦敦大火记载的死亡人数不对

 

In 1666, the Great Fire of London burnt for five days, devastating² England’s capital. Thousands of buildings and structures were destroyed, including homes, churches, and community halls. The fire started in a bakery, and quickly spread across the narrow streets and closely built wooden structures. The official death toll from the fire was only six people. Many historians believe that this number did not account for hundreds or even thousands of low or middle class Londoners who likely burnt beyond recognition. Stone and brick were used to rebuild the city.

1 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

2 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。