VOA标准英语2008年-New Yorkers Celebrate 125th Anniversary of Broo

By Alex Villarreal
New York
23 May 2008

One of the engineering feats¹ of the 19th century, the Brooklyn Bridge, turns 125 this month. The New York landmark² connects the boroughs⁴ of Brooklyn and Manhattan. Its Gothic stone towers and network of steel cables have long been a symbol of the city. New Yorkers are honoring the anniversary of the bridge with five days of celebration. From VOA's New York Bureau, Alex Villarreal has the story.

The Brooklyn Bridge links two of the most populous⁵ boroughs in the United States, Manhattan and Brooklyn, which was an independent city until 1898.

With a span of almost two kilometers, the Brooklyn Bridge was the world's longest suspension bridge when it opened in 1883.

The project took more than 13 years to build and cost more than $25 million. Engineer John Augustus Roebling came up with the design. The arched towers and network of steel cables in his plan have made the bridge a structural⁶ and cultural icon⁷ and an integral part of the New York skyline. After his death, Roebling's son, Washington, took over the project.

A year after the bridge opened, circus entrepreneur P.T. Barnum demonstrated its safety by leading a herd⁸ of 21 elephants across it. Now, 125 years later, more than 126,000 vehicles make that same trek⁹ every day.

The bridge is also a popular subject of architectural and photographic exhibits, and is often seen in movies set in New York City.

In 1964, it was declared a National Landmark.

Speaking at the bridge's 125th birthday celebration, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called it an inspiration and an unparalleled engineering marvel¹⁰.

"Since the brave sandhogs began digging the foundation in the 1870s, the Brooklyn Bridge really has been the stuff of dreams, a New York City icon and enduring symbol of America's greatness. And President Chester Arthur proclaimed it the eighth wonder of the world," he said.

A Navy flyover¹¹ punctuated¹² Bloomberg's comments at a park concert to kick off the festivities.

Hundreds of New Yorkers and visitors, young and old, participated in the party, listening to a range of musicians, including Brooklyn's own Philharmonic orchestra.

Other performers included Harlem-based youth choir¹³ IMPACT, with the song that earned them an Academy Award nomination¹⁴, "Raise It Up."

Multi-award winning composer Marvin Hamlisch ended the concert with a special tribute. "So hip¹⁵ hip hooray, hip hip hooray, what more can we say or do? Happy Birthday Brooklyn Bridge, and many more Brooklyn Bridge, Happy Birthday Brooklyn Bridge to you!," he said.

Mayor Bloomberg and Brooklyn Borough³ president Marty Markowitz presented a cake in the shape of the bridge and led the crowd in a slightly tuneless version of "Happy Birthday."

A bridge lighting¹⁶ ceremony and fireworks ended the night to the oohs and ahs of the observers.

A film series, lectures and a bike tour are among the other events scheduled to celebrate the birthday of the Brooklyn Bridge.

1 feats   

功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He used to astound his friends with feats of physical endurance. 过去，他表现出来的惊人耐力常让朋友们大吃一惊。
• His heroic feats made him a legend in his own time. 他的英雄业绩使他成了他那个时代的传奇人物。

2 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。

3 borough   

n.享有自治权的市镇；(英)自治市镇

参考例句：

• He was slated for borough president.他被提名做自治区主席。
• That's what happened to Harry Barritt of London's Bromley borough.住在伦敦的布罗姆利自治市的哈里.巴里特就经历了此事。

4 boroughs   

（尤指大伦敦的）行政区( borough的名词复数 )； 议会中有代表的市镇

参考例句：

• London is made up of 32 boroughs. 伦敦由三十二个行政区组成。
• Brooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City. 布鲁克林区是纽约市的五个行政区之一。

5 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

6 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

7 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

8 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

9 trek   

vi.作长途艰辛的旅行；n.长途艰苦的旅行

参考例句：

• We often go pony-trek in the summer.夏季我们经常骑马旅行。
• It took us the whole day to trek across the rocky terrain.我们花了一整天的时间艰难地穿过那片遍布岩石的地带。

10 marvel   

vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事

参考例句：

• The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。
• The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。

11 flyover   

n.立交桥，天桥

参考例句：

• It took workers more than one year to build this flyover.建造这座立交桥破费工人一年多时间。
• All that came to his bakery should go over a flyover first.所有来他店的人都必须先经过一座立交桥。

12 punctuated   

v.（在文字中）加标点符号，加标点( punctuate的过去式和过去分词 )；不时打断某事物

参考例句：

• Her speech was punctuated by bursts of applause. 她的讲演不时被阵阵掌声打断。
• The audience punctuated his speech by outbursts of applause. 听众不时以阵阵掌声打断他的讲话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

14 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

15 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

16 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。