美国学生世界地理教材 第208期:人造山(4)

 This mud is very rich soil in which the Egyptians grow wheat and a very fine kind of cotton. 这种泥土成了非常肥沃的土壤，埃及人就在上面种植小麦和一种优质棉花。

In the olden times the Nile used to overflow¹ the banks only once a year, 过去，尼罗河每年只泛滥一次，

and the rest of the year the land would be dry and the people would have to climb down the banks to get water. 其他时候，土地非常干燥，人们不得不走下河岸去取水。

Not so long ago a huge dam was built far up the Nile at a place called Assuan. 就在不久以前，人们在尼罗河上游一个叫阿斯旺的地方修建了一座巨大的水坝。

This dam holds the water back and forms a deep lake. 大坝拦住河水，形成了一个很深的湖。

So now the Nile does not flood lower Egypt all at once; 所以，现在尼罗河下游就不会突发洪灾了。

the water is let out by doors in the bottom of the dam as needed. 需要的时候，大坝底部的闸门会打开放水。

One of the most beautiful of the old temples in Egypt was right in the way when the Assuan Dam was built, 阿斯旺水坝在修建的时候，埃及最漂亮的古老寺庙之一正好在大坝内，

but it could not be moved from there, so now the water almost covers it up. 但是又没法将它搬走，所以，现在河水几乎将它淹没了。

There was once a boy named Aleck. 曾经有个叫亚历克的小男孩。

You may know a boy named Aleck too, but this Aleck lived two thousand years ago. 你也许也认识一个叫亚历克的小男孩。但这个亚历克生活在两千年前。

He was a great Greek king whose full name was Alexander. 他是一位伟大的希腊国王，全名叫亚历山大。

He built a city where the Nile flows into the sea and called the city after himself, Alexandria. 他在尼罗河入海口建立了一座城市，并用他自己的名字来命名它——亚历山大市。

Alexander has been dead more than two thousand years, but his city still lives and is the chief seaport² of Egypt. 亚历山大去世已经两千多年了，但他的城市依然屹立在那儿，现在是埃及主要的海港城市。

Near the beginning of the delta³, up the river from Alexandria, is a city called Cairo. 在三角洲的起点附近，从亚历山大港，沿尼罗河向上游有一座城市叫开罗，

It is the largest city in Egypt and also the largest city in the whole of Africa. 它是埃及最大的城市，也是非洲最大的城市。

Even if you were flying over Cairo in an airplane you would know that most of the people there were not Christians⁵ but Mohammedans. 即使你乘飞机在开罗上空飞过，你也会知道大多数开罗人不是基督徒，而是伊斯兰教徒。

Can you guess how? In a Christian⁴ city you would see church steeples, 你能猜出原因吗？在一个基督教城市，你会看到教堂的尖塔，

but in Cairo you see saucer-shaped domes⁶ and candle-shaped minarets⁷, for some of the most beautiful mosques⁸ in the World are there. 但是在开罗，你看到的是蝶状的圆顶和蜡烛状的光塔，因为世界上最漂亮的一些清真寺就在开罗。

1 overflow   

v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出

参考例句：

• The overflow from the bath ran on to the floor.浴缸里的水溢到了地板上。
• After a long period of rain,the river may overflow its banks.长时间的下雨天后，河水可能溢出岸来。

2 seaport   

n.海港，港口，港市

参考例句：

• Ostend is the most important seaport in Belgium.奥斯坦德是比利时最重要的海港。
• A seaport where ships can take on supplies of coal.轮船能够补充煤炭的海港。

3 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

4 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

5 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

6 domes   

n.圆屋顶( dome的名词复数 )；像圆屋顶一样的东西；圆顶体育场

参考例句：

• The domes are circular or ovoid in cross-section. 穹丘的横断面为圆形或卵圆形。 来自辞典例句
• Parks. The facilities highlighted in text include sport complexes and fabric domes. 本书重点讲的设施包括运动场所和顶棚式结构。 来自互联网

7 minarets   

n.（清真寺旁由报告祈祷时刻的人使用的）光塔( minaret的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Remind you of a mosque, red baked bricks, the minarets. 红砖和尖塔都会使你联想到伊斯兰教的礼拜寺。 来自互联网
• These purchases usually went along with embellishments such as minarets. 这些购置通常也伴随着注入尖塔等的装饰。 来自互联网

8 mosques   

清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why make us believe that this tunnel runs underneath the mosques? 为什么要让我们相信这条隧洞是在清真寺下？
• The city's three biggest mosques, long fallen into disrepair, have been renovated. 城里最大的三座清真寺，过去年久失修，现在已经修复。