美国学生世界地理教材 第3期:前言(3)

 Casually I asked if any one could tell me why it was called the Bridge of Sighs. 我随口问了一句：有谁知道它为什么叫叹息桥吗？

One boy said, Because it is of big size A little girl scorning his ignorance, said, Because it has sides.  一个男孩说：因为它很大。一个小女孩对他的无知嗤之以鼻，说：因为它有几个边。

A boy from the country, with a far-fetched imagination, suggested it might be because they used scythes;  另一个乡下来的男孩的想象更加牵强附会，他说可能是因为那些囚犯用大镰刀。

and a fourth child said, Because it belonged to a man named Cy. 第四个孩子说：因为它属于一个名叫赛伊的男人。

A study of maps is interesting to almost all children. A map is like a puzzle picture  研究地图对所有的孩子都是一件很有趣的事。地图就像拼图游戏一样，

but new names are hard. And yet geography without either name or place is not geography at all.  但是新地名很难学。然而没有名字或地点的地理就不能称其为地理了，

It is only fairyland.  那只是童话故事中的仙境。

The study of maps and names is therefore absolutely essential and large wall maps most desirable. 因此研究地图和地名是绝对必要的，挂在墙上的大幅地图是最受欢迎的。

Geography lends itself admirably to research on the part of the child.  小孩子学地理很容易不知不觉地自己去探索。

A large scrap-book arranged by countries may easily be filled with current pictorial¹ news,  按国家分类的大剪贴本很容易就被贴得满满的，有时事图片新闻，

clippings from magazines and Sunday newspapers, and from the circulars of travel bureaus.  取自杂志和星期日报上的剪报以及旅游局的宣传广告。

There is a wealth of such scrap-book material almost constantly being published-pictures of temples in India,  大量适合剪贴的材料几乎不断地发行出来—有各种各样的图片：印度的寺庙、

pagodas² in China, wild animal hunts in Africa, parks in Paris-from which the child can compile his own Geographic³ Magazine.  中国的宝塔、非洲野生动物的追猎和巴黎的公园。从这些材料中，孩子可以编一本自己的地理杂志。

Furthermore, the collection of stamps offers a most attractive field,  除此以外，集邮也提供了一个非常有吸引力的领域，

particularly for the boy just reaching the age when such collections are as absorbing as an adult hobby. 尤其是对到了一定年龄的男孩，这样的收藏就像成年人的爱好一样有吸引力。

Of course, the best way to learn geography is by travel but not like that of the business man who landed in Rome with one hour to see the city.  当然学习地理的最好方式是旅行，但不是像商人那样旅行，商人到了罗马，只有一个小时的时间去游览这个城市。

Jumping into a taxi and referring to a slip of paper, he said:  他跳上一辆出租车，一边看着手里的纸条一边对司机说：

There are only two things I want to see here 我只想去看两个地方

St.Peter's and the Colosseum. Drive to them as fast as you can and back to the station.  圣彼得大教堂和罗马斗兽场。以最快的速度带我到那里去然后送我回车站。

He was accordingly driven to St. Peter' s. Sticking his head out of the window he said to the driver,Well, which is this? 于是他被带到了圣彼得大教堂，他把头伸出车窗外问司机：嗳，这是我说的两个地方中的哪一个？

1 pictorial   

adj.绘画的；图片的；n．画报

参考例句：

• The had insisted on a full pictorial coverage of the event.他们坚持要对那一事件做详尽的图片报道。
• China Pictorial usually sells out soon after it hits the stands.《人民画报》往往一到报摊就销售一空。

2 pagodas   

塔，宝塔( pagoda的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A dream is more romantic than scarlet pagodas by a silver sea. 梦中的风光比银白海洋旁边绯红的宝塔更加旖旎艳丽。
• Tabinshwehti placed new spires on the chief Mon pagodas. 莽瑞体在孟人的主要佛塔上加建了新的塔顶。

3 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法