美国学生世界地理教材 第189期:白象(2)

 In the capital of Burma—a city called Rangoon—is one of the largest and most wonderful of these pagodas². 在缅甸的首都——一个名叫“仰光”的城市，有全世界最大最美的佛塔之一，

This pagoda¹ is called the Shwe Dagon Pagoda. 这个塔叫“大金宝塔”。

It looks like a giant ice cream cone³ turned upside down and is nearly as high as the Washington Monument. 它看起来就像一个倒置的巨大的冰激凌蛋卷，几乎和华盛顿纪念碑一样高。

It is built of brick, but the outside is covered with sheets of solid gold—a glorious, dazzling sight in the sunlight. 此塔用砖建成，但是外面覆以片片纯金——阳光下，金碧辉煌，耀眼夺目。

Around the bottom of the pagoda are little cell-like rooms in each of which is an idol⁴, 塔的底座四周有一些像单人间的小房间，每个房间里都有一尊佛像。

and underneath⁵ the center of the pagoda is a box in which, it is said, there are eight hairs from the head of Buddha⁶. 在塔的中心下面有一个盒子，据说里面装有佛陀的八根头发。

On the tip top of the pagoda is—what do you suppose? 你猜猜塔的顶上有什么东西？

A church would have a cross, a mosque⁷ a crescent, but the pagoda has an umbrella!—with little tinkling⁸ bells hanging to it. 教堂上面有一个十字架，清真寺上面有一弯新月，但是塔顶上却是一把伞！——上面挂有一些叮当响的小铃铛。

Rice is the chief and almost the only food of most of the people in Asia. 大米是亚洲大多数人主要的、也几乎是唯一的食物，

They eat boiled rice just so, without sugar or cream, and they eat it for breakfast, luncheon⁹, and dinner. 他们吃煮熟的大米，不放糖也不放奶油，早餐吃米，中餐、晚餐还吃米。

Rangoon is the chief rice market of the World. 仰光是世界上主要的大米市场。

The people in Burma and Thailand are more like the Chinese than like the people in India. 缅甸人和泰国人长得不像印度人，而像中国人。

Burma is a republic but Thailand is a kingdom. 缅甸是共和国，泰国是王国。

Until after World War II, Thailand was named Siam. Then the people changed the name of this country of Siam to Thailand. 第二次世界大战之前，泰国被称为暹罗，“二战”结束后才改名为泰国。

If a man suddenly changed his name from Mr. Jones to Mr. Baker¹⁰ 如果一个人突然将自己的名字从琼斯改成贝克，

some people would still think of him as Mr. Jones and call him Mr. Jones instead of Mr. Baker. 一些人仍然认为他就是琼斯，还叫他琼斯先生，而不是贝克先生，

Many people still call Thailand, Siam. 所以，现在很多人仍然称泰国为暹罗。

Once, the King of Siam could do anything he wanted with his people. 过去，暹罗的国王可以对他的人民为所欲为，

That is what is called an absolute monarchy¹¹. 这就是所谓的君主专制。

When-I-was-a-boy, if any one acted very "bossy¹²" or ordered others around, we used to say, "Who do you think you are? The King of Siam?" 我小时候，如果有人非常专横或者以命令的口气叫别人干这干那，我们就会说，“你以为你是谁啊？是暹罗的国王吗？”

But now the King of Thailand has to rule according to the laws of the country  但是，现在泰国的国王必须按照法律统治国家，

and cannot do just as he pleases the way his ancestors used to do. 不能像他的祖先那样为所欲为了。

1 pagoda   

n.宝塔（尤指印度和远东的多层宝塔），（印度教或佛教的）塔式庙宇

参考例句：

• The ancient pagoda is undergoing repairs.那座古塔正在修缮中。
• The pagoda is reflected upside down in the water.宝塔影子倒立在水里。

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 cone   

n.圆锥体，圆锥形东西，球果

参考例句：

• Saw-dust piled up in a great cone.锯屑堆积如山。
• The police have sectioned off part of the road with traffic cone.警察用锥形路标把部分路面分隔开来。

4 idol   

n.偶像，红人，宠儿

参考例句：

• As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。
• Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。

5 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

6 Buddha   

n.佛；佛像；佛陀

参考例句：

• Several women knelt down before the statue of Buddha and prayed.几个妇女跪在佛像前祈祷。
• He has kept the figure of Buddha for luck.为了图吉利他一直保存着这尊佛像。

7 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

8 tinkling   

n.丁当作响声

参考例句：

• I could hear bells tinkling in the distance. 我能听到远处叮当铃响。
• To talk to him was like listening to the tinkling of a worn-out musical-box. 跟他说话，犹如听一架老掉牙的八音盒子丁冬响。 来自英汉文学

9 luncheon   

n.午宴，午餐，便宴

参考例句：

• We have luncheon at twelve o'clock.我们十二点钟用午餐。
• I have a luncheon engagement.我午饭有约。

10 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

11 monarchy   

n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国

参考例句：

• The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
• The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的，无甚实际意义。

12 bossy   

adj.爱发号施令的，作威作福的

参考例句：

• She turned me off with her bossy manner.她态度专橫很讨我嫌。
• She moved out because her mother-in-law is too bossy.她的婆婆爱指使人,所以她搬出去住了。