美国学生世界地理教材 第26期:建于沼泽中的城市(5)

 It's like a giant finger, five hundred and fifty-five feet high. 它就像一根巨大的手指，有555英尺高，

It seemed a mile high,  看起来足有1英里高，

but it is really only about a tenth of a mile high—not even as high as a low mountain. 但它实际高度大概上只有1英里的十分之一—甚至还没有一座小山高。

No man has ever been able to build as high as God. 没有人能像上帝那样建造出高耸入云的东西。

Though there is an elevator,I used to run up the stairs,two steps at a time, to the top of the monument¹—just for fun 虽然有了电梯，我过去却经常自己登上纪念碑，一步两个台阶向上跑一这只是为了好玩

to see how quickly I could do it, and whether I could beat the elevator. 看看自己能有多快，能不能超过电梯。

Boys are like that. 男孩子就是这样，

They will run a race with anything. 跟什么都要比比速度。

I could beat the elevator down by jumping half a dozen steps at a time, but not up. 下来的时候我能一次跳六个台阶，比电梯还快，但是上去却比不过电梯；

My heart did the beating going up. 上的时候我心跳加速，只好败下阵来。

There is a long pool of water at the foot of the Washington² Monument in which you can see the monument as in a mirror. 华盛顿纪念碑前有一个长长的水池，就像一面镜子，里面可以看到纪念碑的倒影。

At the other end of this pool is a marble³ building with columns⁴ all around the four sides. 在池子的另一端有一个大理石的建筑，四周有圆柱环绕。

It was built in honor⁵ of Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President after Washington. 这是为了纪念美国的第十六任总统亚伯拉罕林肯而建的。

It is probably the most thrilling⁶ memorial⁷ ever built to a human being. 这也许是有史以来为个人而建的最激动人心的纪念堂了。

There is a picture of Lincoln on the 5 dollar bill and on the other side a picture of his Memorial. 5美元纸币上有林肯像，纸币另一面就是他的纪念堂。

Lincoln was born in a tiny house made of logs⁸, so small that the whole house could be put in one room of your home. 林肯出生在一个木头造的房子里，房子小得可怜，可以整个放进你们家任何一个房间里。

No boy was ever poorer, or had less money or less chance, and yet he became President of the United⁹ States. 没有人比他更卑微、更贫穷、更缺乏机会的了，然而他后来当了美国总统。

While he was President two parts of the United States fought a terrible war with each other and almost became un-United, but Lincoln kept the States together. 他任总统期间，美国 的南北两方爆发了激烈的战争，差一点就分裂了，但是林肯维护了美国的统一。

That's why this beautiful building was built in his honor. 这就是为什么要为他建造这座漂亮的纪念堂。

The only thing in the building is a statue of Lincoln sitting in a chair. 纪念堂里没有其他东西，只摆放着一尊坐在椅子上的林肯雕像。

He looks down on the crowds of people who visit him, as if his spirit were inside that figure of stone. 他向下注视着来瞻仰他的人群，好像他的精神还活在这石头的雕像里。

1 monument   

n.纪念碑；遗址，遗迹；有永久价值的作品，不朽的功业

参考例句：

• A monument was set up as a memorial to the dead soldiers.为阵亡将士立了一个纪念碑。
• The monument bears the mark of age.纪念碑上有年深日久的痕迹。

2 Washington   

n.华盛顿特区(是美国首都)

参考例句：

• His birthplace is Washington,but he lives in San Francisco.他出生于华盛顿，但住在旧金山。
• They, together with my father,have gone to Washington.他们和我父亲一起去华盛顿了。

3 marble   

n.大理石，石弹，雕刻品；adj.大理石的，冷酷无情的，坚硬的

参考例句：

• Marble is a precious stone.大理石是一种珍贵的石料。
• The statue was carved out of marble.这尊像是大理石雕成的。

4 columns   

n.柱( column的名词复数 )；纵队；栏；（舰队的）纵列

参考例句：

• The temple is supported by marble columns. 这座庙宇由大理石柱支撑。
• There are two columns on each page of this dictionary. 这本词典每一页有两栏。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 honor   

n.光荣；敬意；荣幸；vt.给…以荣誉；尊敬

参考例句：

• I take your visit as a great honor.您的来访是我莫大的光荣。
• It is a great honor to receive that prize.能拿到那个奖是无上的光荣。

6 thrilling   

adj.令人兴奋的；毛骨悚然的；颤动的；震颤的v.“thrill”的现在分词

参考例句：

• Her voice had a strange and thrilling resonance. 她的声音洪亮，有一种奇特的震撼人心的效果。
• It's a thrilling movie even though it lacks subtlety. 这部电影虽说不算精巧，但还是扣人心弦的。

7 memorial   

adj.记忆的；纪念的；n.纪念碑，纪念堂

参考例句：

• We visited the Lincoln Memorial.我们参观了林肯纪念堂。
• He wrote a memorial of the late author.他写了一篇纪念这位已故作家的文章。

8 logs   

n.练习用球瓶；原木，木材，木料( log的名词复数 )；航海[飞行]日志

参考例句：

• logs for the fire 烧火用的木材
• The logs were knocked together as they floated down the stream. 圆木顺流而下时互相碰撞着。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。