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英语新闻视频:伦敦城跟伦敦的区别

时间:2013-11-13 13:06:26

(单词翻译:单击)

The Great City of London,

  伟大的伦敦城

  known for its historical landmarks1, modern skyscrapers2, ancient markets and famous bridges.

  以其历史地标 现代摩天大楼 古代集市和著名大桥而闻名

  It's arguably the financial capital of the world

  它无疑可以称得上是全世界的金融中心

  and home to over eleven thousand people.

  也是一个属于超过一万一千名民众的家园

  Wait, what? Eleven... thousand?

  慢着 什么? 一万……一千名?

  That's right: but the City of London is a different place from London,

  没错 不过伦敦城跟伦敦是两个不同的地方

  though London is also known for its historical landmarks, modern skyscrapers, ancient markets, famous bridges

  尽管伦敦也是以其历史地标 现代摩天大楼 古代集市和著名大桥而闻名

  and is home to the government, royal family and seven million people.

  但它还是英国政府 英国王室和七百万民众共同的家园

  But, if you look map of London crafted by a careful cartographer

  如果你去看看由严谨的制图师制作的伦敦地图

  that map will have a 1-square-mile hole near the middle.

  你会发现那个地图接近中央的位置会有一个一平方英里大的洞

  It's here where the City of London lives inside of the city named London.

  那就是伦敦城 位于一个名叫伦敦的城市里面

  Despite these confusingly close names

  尽管这两个名字相似到容易混淆

  the two Londons have separate city halls and elect separate mayors,

  但这两个伦敦有各自的市政厅 各自选举市长

  who collect separate taxes to fund separate police who enforce separate laws.

  他们各自收税 给各自的警力拨款 执行各自的法律

  The Mayor of the City of London has a fancy title

  伦敦城的市长有个尊贵的头衔

  "The Right Honourable3, the Lord Mayor of London" to match his fancy outfit4.

  “伦敦城市长大人阁下”来搭配他尊贵的服饰

  He also gets to ride in a golden carriage and work in a Guildhall

  他乘坐的是金色马车 在伦敦城政厅里工作

  while the mayor of London has to wear a suit, ride a bike and work in an office building.

  而伦敦城长得穿西装套装 骑自行车 在办公楼里工作

  The City of London also has its own flag and its own crest5

  伦敦城有自己的旗帜和市徽

  which is awesome6 and makes London's lack of either twice as sad.

  显得非常霸气的同时也让两个都没有的伦敦更加可怜

  To top it off, the City of London gets to act more like one of the countries in the UK

  除此以外 伦敦城越来越像是英国的一个组成国

  than just an oddly located city

  而不只是一个地理位置古怪的城市

  for uniquely the corporation that runs the city of London is older than the United Kingdom by several hundred years. 
 
因为管理伦敦城的市政委员会的成立比英国还要早好几百年

  So how did the UK end up with two Londons, one inside of the other?

  那么英国最后究竟是怎样有了两个伦敦 而其中一个在另一个之中的呢?

  Because: Romans.

  因为 罗马人

  2,000 years ago they came to Great Britain, killed a bunch of druids,

  两千年前 他们来到大不列颠 杀了一班德鲁伊教士

  and founded a trading post on the River Thames and named it Londinium.

  然后在泰晤士河边上创立了一个贸易点 并把它命名为伦丁尼姆

  Being Romans they got to work doing what Romans do:

  作为罗马人 他们就得让里面的人“入乡随俗”

  enforcing laws, increasing trade,

  施行法律 扩大贸易

  building temples, public baths, roads, bridges and a wall to defend their work.

  建造庙宇 公共浴池 道路 桥梁以及一道用来保护他们工作成果的城墙

  And it's this wall which is why the current City of London exists,

  正是这座城墙使伦敦城得以保存至今

  for though the Romans came and the Romans went and kingdoms rose and kingdoms fell,

  尽管罗马人来来去去 众多的王国兴起覆灭

  the wall endured protecting the city within.

  但城墙保存了下来 把这个城市里的一切保护好

  And The City, governing itself and trading with the world, grew rich.

  而这个城市通过自身的有效管理和对外贸易 变得日渐富有

  A thousand years after the Romans, yet still a thousand years ago,

  罗马人来了之后一千年 也就是距今一千年

  when William the Conqueror7 came to Great Britain

  当征服者威廉踏入大不列颠的土地

  to conqueror everything and begin modern British history

  开始他的征服历程 也开创了英国的新历史的时候

  he found the City of London, with its sturdy walls

  他发现征服有着坚固城墙保护的伦敦城

  more challenging to defeat than farmers on open fields.

  比征服农民那些未开发的田地更具挑战性

  So he agreed to recognize the rights and privileges City of Londoners were used to

  于是他同意让伦敦人承认威廉这个新国王的前提上

  in return for them recognizing him as the new King.

  作为回报 他承认伦敦城的居民过去所拥有的权利和特权

  Though after the negotiation8,

  磋商完成后

  William quickly built towers around the City of London

  威廉迅速在伦敦城外建造塔楼

  which were just as much about protecting William from the locals within

  旨在保护自身免受当地人的偷袭

  as defending against the Vikings from without.

  也是为了防御外来的维京海盗

  This started a thousand-year long tradition

  就这样伦敦城的独立成为了持续千年的传统

  whereby Monarchs10 always reconfirmed that 'yes',

  英国历朝历代的君主都以此承认

  the City of London is a special, unique place that's best left to its own business,

  伦敦城就是个独特的地方 最好不要干涉他们的内政

  while simultaneously11 distrusting it.

  但同时 这些君主并不信赖它

  Many a monarch9 thought the City of London was too powerful and rich.

  很多君主觉得伦敦城过于强大富有

  And one even built a new Capital city nearby, named Westminster,

  其中一个还在附近建造了一个新首都 名叫威斯敏斯特

to compete with the City of London and hopefully, suck power and wealth away from it.

  用它来与伦敦城竞争 希望能偷取它的权力和财富

  This was the start of the second London.

  这就是伦敦2.0的开始

  As the centuries passed,

  又过了几个世纪

  Westminster grew and mergedwith nearby towns

  威斯敏斯特不断扩张 合并周边城镇

  eventually surrounding the walled-in, and still separate City of London.

  最后把在城墙内独立出来的伦敦城包围在内

  But, people began to call the whole urban collection "London"

  人们开始把整个合并起来的市区称作“伦敦”

  and the name became official

  当议会把这些城镇都合并起来

  when Parliament joined towns together under a single municipalgovernment with a mayor.

  归于一个市政府管理的时候 “伦敦”这个名字就成为官方用语

  But, the mayor of London still doesn't have power over the tiny City of London

  但伦敦城长同样没有权力干涉伦敦城这个小小的城市

  which has rules and traditions like nowhere else in the country and possibly the world.

  它有自己的规则和传统 在全国甚至全世界是找不到一个这样的城市了

  For example, the ruling monarchdoesn't just enter the City of London on a whim12,

  譬如 在位的英国女王如果为了一时的心血来潮想进入伦敦城

  but instead asks for permission from the Lord Mayor at a ceremony.

  也要在礼节上获得伦敦城市长的许可

  While it's not required by law, the ceremony is, unusual to say the least.

  尽管法律没有这样的规定 但礼节是必要的 至少可以说这样不太寻常

  The City of London also has a representative in Parliament, The Remembrancer,

  伦敦城在议会上有一名代表作为伦敦城议会代表

  whose job it is to protects the City's special rights.

  他的职责是保护该城的特殊权益

  Because of this, laws passed by Parliament sometimes don't apply to the City of London:

  因为国会通过的法律有时并不适用于伦敦城

  most notably13 voting reforms, which we'll discuss next time.

  尤其是投票改革 这个我们下次再讨论

  But if you're curious for preview, unlike anywhere else in the UK,

  如果你对以上内容感到好奇 它而不像英国其他地方那样

  elections in the City of London involve Medieval Guilds14 and modern companies.

  伦敦城的选举制度牵涉到中世纪的行会和现代企业

  Finally, the City of London also owns and operates land and buildings far outside its border,

  最后 伦敦城在境外拥有并管理很多土地和建筑

  making it quite wealthy.

  这让它十分富有

  Once you start looking for The City's Crest you'll find it in lots of unexpected places,

  如果你去寻找伦敦城的市徽 你会在很多意想不到的地方发现它

  most notably on Tower Bridge which, while being in London is operated by City of London,

  最著名的是塔桥 虽然地处伦敦却被伦敦城管辖

  These crests15 everywhere when combined with the City of London's age and wealth and quasi-independent status

  当无处不在的市徽和伦敦城的历史 财富 还有半独立状态联系在一起的时候

  make it an irresistible16 temptation for conspiracy17 nuts.

  他们就成了阴谋论者不可抗拒的诱惑

  Add in the oldest Masonic temple

  再加上最古老的共济会教堂

  and it's not long before the crazy part of the Internet starts yelling about

  不久前一些网络上的疯子叫嚣着

  secret societies controlling the world via the finance industry from inside the City-state of London.

  伦敦城里的秘密组织正通过金融产业控制着整个世界

  And don't forget the reptilian18 alien Queen who's really behind it all.

  而且别忘了是爬行动物怪伪装成的外星女王在操控着一切

  But conspiracy theories aside,

  但撇开阴谋论不说

  the City of London is not an independent nation like the Vatican is,

  伦敦城不像梵蒂冈那样是独立的国家

  no matter how much you might read it on the Internet,

  不管你从网上读到了什么

  rather it's a unique place in the United Kingdom with a long and very complicated history.

  这是一个在英国内有着相当漫长而且复杂历史的地方

  The wall that began all this 2,000 years ago is now mostly gone,

  那座2000年前筑起来的城墙现在已多半不复存在

  so the border between London and its secret inner city isn't so obvious.

  以致伦敦和伦敦城之间的界限并不是很明显

  Though, next time you're in London,

  不过若你下次来到伦敦

  if you come across a small dragon on the street,

  碰巧在街上看见一只小龙

  he still guards the entrance to the city in a city in a country in a country.

  它还在守卫着这个进入国中国里城中城的入口

 


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 landmarks 746a744ae0fc201cc2f97ab777d21b8c     
n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 );目标;(标志重要阶段的)里程碑 ~ (in sth);有历史意义的建筑物(或遗址)
参考例句:
  • The book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of modern science. 这部著作是现代科学发展史上著名的里程碑之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship. 孩子的出世是我们俩关系中的一个重要转折点。 来自辞典例句
2 skyscrapers f4158331c4e067c9706b451516137890     
n.摩天大楼
参考例句:
  • A lot of skyscrapers in Manhattan are rising up to the skies. 曼哈顿有许多摩天大楼耸入云霄。
  • On all sides, skyscrapers rose like jagged teeth. 四周耸起的摩天大楼参差不齐。
3 honourable honourable     
adj.可敬的;荣誉的,光荣的
参考例句:
  • I don't think I am worthy of such an honourable title.这样的光荣称号,我可担当不起。
  • I hope to find an honourable way of settling difficulties.我希望设法找到一个体面的办法以摆脱困境。
4 outfit YJTxC     
n.(为特殊用途的)全套装备,全套服装
参考例句:
  • Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
  • His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。
5 crest raqyA     
n.顶点;饰章;羽冠;vt.达到顶点;vi.形成浪尖
参考例句:
  • The rooster bristled his crest.公鸡竖起了鸡冠。
  • He reached the crest of the hill before dawn.他于黎明前到达山顶。
6 awesome CyCzdV     
adj.令人惊叹的,难得吓人的,很好的
参考例句:
  • The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
  • That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.
7 conqueror PY3yI     
n.征服者,胜利者
参考例句:
  • We shall never yield to a conqueror.我们永远不会向征服者低头。
  • They abandoned the city to the conqueror.他们把那个城市丢弃给征服者。
8 negotiation FGWxc     
n.谈判,协商
参考例句:
  • They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判,他们的食糖生意成交了。
  • The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。
9 monarch l6lzj     
n.帝王,君主,最高统治者
参考例句:
  • The monarch's role is purely ceremonial.君主纯粹是个礼仪职位。
  • I think myself happier now than the greatest monarch upon earth.我觉得这个时候比世界上什么帝王都快乐。
10 monarchs aa0c84cc147684fb2cc83dc453b67686     
君主,帝王( monarch的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Monarchs ruled England for centuries. 世袭君主统治英格兰有许多世纪。
  • Serving six monarchs of his native Great Britain, he has served all men's freedom and dignity. 他在大不列颠本国为六位君王服务,也为全人类的自由和尊严服务。 来自演讲部分
11 simultaneously 4iBz1o     
adv.同时发生地,同时进行地
参考例句:
  • The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。
  • The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。
12 whim 2gywE     
n.一时的兴致,突然的念头;奇想,幻想
参考例句:
  • I bought the encyclopedia on a whim.我凭一时的兴致买了这本百科全书。
  • He had a sudden whim to go sailing today.今天他突然想要去航海。
13 notably 1HEx9     
adv.值得注意地,显著地,尤其地,特别地
参考例句:
  • Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席,特别是连班长也没来。
  • A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小,一头银发,每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。
14 guilds e9f26499c2698dea8220dc23cd98d0a8     
行会,同业公会,协会( guild的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • View list of the guilds that Small has war on. 看目前有哪些公会是我们公会开战的对象及对我们开战的对象。
  • Guilds and kingdoms fit more with the Middle Age fantasy genre. (裴):公会和王国更适合中世纪奇幻类型。
15 crests 9ef5f38e01ed60489f228ef56d77c5c8     
v.到达山顶(或浪峰)( crest的第三人称单数 );到达洪峰,达到顶点
参考例句:
  • The surfers were riding in towards the beach on the crests of the waves. 冲浪者们顺着浪头冲向岸边。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The correspondent aroused, heard the crash of the toppled crests. 记者醒了,他听见了浪头倒塌下来的轰隆轰隆声。 来自辞典例句
16 irresistible n4CxX     
adj.非常诱人的,无法拒绝的,无法抗拒的
参考例句:
  • The wheel of history rolls forward with an irresistible force.历史车轮滚滚向前,势不可挡。
  • She saw an irresistible skirt in the store window.她看见商店的橱窗里有一条叫人着迷的裙子。
17 conspiracy NpczE     
n.阴谋,密谋,共谋
参考例句:
  • The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
  • He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。
18 reptilian tWfxx     
adj.(像)爬行动物的;(像)爬虫的;卑躬屈节的;卑鄙的n.两栖动物;卑劣的人
参考例句:
  • The chick is ugly and almost reptilian in its appearance. 这只小鸡长得很丑,看起来几乎像个爬行动物。 来自辞典例句
  • Being from Orion do Zetas contain DNA from the Reptilian race? 齐塔人是从猎户座而来,DNA来自爬虫族吗? 来自互联网