2007年VOA标准英语-Hindu Temple Opens Near Atlanta

By Aunshuman Apte and Niharika Acharya
Washington
17 September 2007
 

The Hindu community in the southern U.S. city of Atlanta, Georgia  recently opened a new religious and cultural center. The $19 million facility is the largest temple of its kind in the United States. For producer Aunshuman Apte and Niharika Acharya, VOA's Jim Bertel has more on this new spiritual landmark¹.

The Hindu Temple is located in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia

Lilburn, a tiny Atlanta suburb, is home to one of the largest Hindu temples in the world. The white marble, limestone² and sandstone Swaminarayan temple opened with great fanfare³ in August.

Craftsman⁴ carved the stones in India before shipping⁵ each piece to the U.S. where it was assembled following religious guidelines dating back thousands of years. "It's a huge temple,and a beautiful one. And I think it will only enhance the spiritual experience that people have," said one person involved with the construction.

Temple leaders want to use this space to fulfill⁶ more than just the spiritual needs of the local Hindu community. The temple's Anand Mehta says they plan to use the facility to reach out to people of all faiths. "When natural disasters of any kind strike, we will mobilize our forces," he said. "We will build a family activity center which will host educational classes, teaching the Indian culture (and) Indian music."

Lilburn mayor Jack⁷ Bolton believes the new temple will raise Lilburn's profile and encourage tourism. "We don't have anything that becomes a landmark of that significance so in terms of Lilburn, it helps give us some recognition," said the mayor.

1 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

2 limestone   

n.石灰石

参考例句：

• Limestone is often used in building construction.石灰岩常用于建筑。
• Cement is made from limestone.水泥是由石灰石制成的。

3 fanfare   

n.喇叭；号角之声；v.热闹地宣布

参考例句：

• The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide.这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。
• A fanfare of trumpets heralded the arrival of the King.嘹亮的小号声宣告了国王驾到。

4 craftsman   

n.技工，精于一门工艺的匠人

参考例句：

• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。
• The craftsman is working up the mass of clay into a toy figure.艺人把一团泥捏成玩具形状。

5 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

6 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

7 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。