Berlin 柏林之旅-1

Hello and welcome to discover Germany. Today we are in the German capital---- Berlin. But I imagine you'd already realized that because we've arranged to meet today's guests in front of one of Berlin's most famous sites, the Brandenburg Gate. Joining me this time are Margits and Tsi Jants Burma from Leipzig. We've put together a really great holiday program for them here in the capital, using the suggestions you send us. So let's get started on our tour of central Berlin as quickly as possible. But first of all we are going to meet our 2 guests. Let's do it.

Alexander Mater has to search for a while before he finds his guests among all the other visitors and the street artists, because the Brandenburg Gate is a real magnet for tourists.
Hello, Margits. Hello, Jants.
(not English)
What kind of weather did you bring along with you?
It's nice winter weather in spring. So what, it makes for a change.
Before we get started I've been wondering why you decided¹ to apply for this particular trip because as I understand it you two have actually lived in Berlin yourselves for a while, haven't you?
We were students in Berlin for a while in the mid² 1980s and that was really wild. Berlin's always worth a trip.
Well we are going to start the trip in two velo taxies which have become a very typical means of transport in Berlin in recent years. They are standing³ over there, light blue.
Margits is a teacher and Jants works in market research, together they want to discover some new aspects of the town they once studied in. And velo taxi is ideal for that, a very individual way of going sightseeing and a real alternative to a bus tour.
Our velo Taxi chauffeurs Gostoval Potentsial and Hasson Margy also double as guides. The covered rickshaws already afford some protection against the wintry weather but in addition Gostoval and Hasson tuck in their guests with a thick warm blanket before setting off on a bike tour through Berlin's government district.
So this is something special, isn't it?
Their first stop is the Reichstag. It is not only the seat of the Bundestag, the German parliament, but also a favorite among Berlin's sightseers. Long queues of visitors form here, whatever the weather. So you just have to wait your turn.
After the wall came down in 1989, the two halves of Berlin quickly grew together to become an international metropolis⁵.
These days only a few remnants of the wall between east and west are left standing. One of them is in the Wall Museum here in Bernauerstrasse.
The Gendarmen Markt on the other hand is renowned⁶ for its classical architecture. Together with the Schauspielhaus, the German and the French Cathedrals form an impressive ensemble⁷ of buildings. The German Cathedral remained a ruin for almost 40 years after World War Two until the church was renovated⁸ at last and turned into a museum.

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chauffeur: n. 司机
double as: v. 兼饰两角
rickshaw: n. 人力车
metropolis: n. 大城市
ensemble: n. 集合,全体

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 chauffeurs   

n.受雇于人的汽车司机( chauffeur的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Rich car buyers in China prefer to be driven by chauffeurs. 中国富裕的汽车购买者喜欢配备私人司机。 来自互联网
• Chauffeurs need to have good driving skills and know the roads well. 司机需要有好的驾驶技术并且对道路很熟悉。 来自互联网

5 metropolis   

n.首府；大城市

参考例句：

• Shanghai is a metropolis in China.上海是中国的大都市。
• He was dazzled by the gaiety and splendour of the metropolis.大都市的花花世界使他感到眼花缭乱。

6 renowned   

adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的

参考例句：

• He is one of the world's renowned writers.他是世界上知名的作家之一。
• She is renowned for her advocacy of human rights.她以提倡人权而闻名。

7 ensemble   

n.合奏(唱)组；全套服装；整体，总效果

参考例句：

• We should consider the buildings as an ensemble.我们应把那些建筑物视作一个整体。
• It is ensemble music for up to about ten players,with one player to a part.它是最多十人演奏的合奏音乐，每人担任一部分。

8 renovated   

翻新，修复，整修( renovate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He renovated his house. 他翻修了房子。
• The house has been renovated three years earlier. 这所房子三年前就已翻新。