VOA标准英语2009-Exhibit of Chinese Terra Cotta Warriors Is L

Curator says ticket sales set a record for the National Geographic¹ Museum in Washington DC

Zulima Palacio | Washington, DC 23 November 2009

 
More than 2000 years old, the warrior² and his horse is one of the clay cavalrymen that once protected the tomb of the first Chinese emperor Qin Shihuangdi. Now at the entrance to the National Geographic Museum in Washington, DC until March 2010

The exhibit Terra Cotta Warriors³: Guardians⁴ of China's First Emperor has opened at Washington, D.C.'s National Geographic Museum.  This is the fourth and last city on a U.S. tour before the ancient statues and artifacts return to China.

This statue is more than 2,000 years old, is one of the clay cavalrymen that once protected the tomb of the first Chinese emperor Qin Shihuangdi.  The warrior and his horse are now at the entrance to the National Geographic Museum in Washington, and is among the largest number of Chinese terra cotta figures ever to travel to the United States.

Stanford University Professor Albert Dean curated the exhibit. It includes 15 life-size terra cotta figures and 100 sets of artifacts. 

"This army represents an unusual display of the level of craftsmanship⁵ in ancient China and of the scale of resources able to be mustered," Dean explained.

Thirty-five years ago a group of farmers near Xi'an in China's Shaanxi province, were digging a well. They came across a terra cotta warrior, leading to one of the greatest archeological discoveries of the 20th century.

Today, archeologists believe that about 7,000 vivid, life size ceramic⁶ figures, horses and chariots were buried in a massive underground tomb complex. About a thousand have been excavated⁷. The warriors were supposed to protect Emperor Qin Shihuangdi in his afterlife.  

Professor Dean says the discovery of the terra cotta soldiers has provided a wealth of information about the Qin dynasty, including the construction of the tomb complex  which took 36 years.

"When they start figuring out how much wood it took to build these things, the kind of clays, all of this, the amounts stagger the imagination," Dean said.

This is the largest exhibit of Chinese terra cotta figures to tour the United States.

Xie Feng, a diplomat⁸ at China's embassy in Washington, spoke⁹ at the exhibit's press preview. He referred to President Barack Obama's visit to Beijing, which was taking place on the same day.  

"President Obama's visit to China is historic and so is too this exhibit.  Their coincidence is auspicious¹⁰ sign of further developments of U.S-China cultural exchange of mutual¹¹ understanding and friendship."  

Susan Norton, Director of the National Geographic Museum, says the show  is already a success. "It is beyond our wildest dreams.  As of this morning we sold over 96,000 tickets.  This is unheard of," she said.

The museum shop is offering the chance for visitors to take something home: from small replicas¹² of the terra cotta figures to Chinese souvenirs.

The exhibit remains¹³ in Washington, D.C. through the end of March 2010.

1 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

2 warrior   

n.勇士，武士，斗士

参考例句：

• The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
• A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

3 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

4 guardians   

监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者

参考例句：

• Farmers should be guardians of the countryside. 农民应是乡村的保卫者。
• The police are guardians of law and order. 警察是法律和秩序的护卫者。

5 craftsmanship   

n.手艺

参考例句：

• The whole house is a monument to her craftsmanship. 那整座房子是她技艺的一座丰碑。
• We admired the superb craftsmanship of the furniture. 我们很欣赏这个家具的一流工艺。

6 ceramic   

n.制陶业，陶器，陶瓷工艺

参考例句：

• The order for ceramic tiles has been booked in.瓷砖的订单已登记下来了。
• Some ceramic works of art are shown in this exhibition.这次展览会上展出了一些陶瓷艺术品。

7 excavated   

v.挖掘( excavate的过去式和过去分词 )；开凿；挖出；发掘

参考例句：

• The site has been excavated by archaeologists. 这个遗址已被考古学家发掘出来。
• The archaeologists excavated an ancient fortress. 考古学家们发掘出一个古堡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

9 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

10 auspicious   

adj.吉利的；幸运的，吉兆的

参考例句：

• The publication of my first book was an auspicious beginning of my career.我的第一本书的出版是我事业吉祥的开始。
• With favorable weather conditions it was an auspicious moment to set sail.风和日丽，正是扬帆出海的黄道吉日。

11 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

12 replicas   

n.复制品( replica的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His hobby is building replicas of cars. 他的爱好是制作汽车的复制品。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The replicas are made by using a thin film of fusible alloy on a stiffening platen. 复制是用附着在加强托板上的可熔合金薄膜实现的。 来自辞典例句

13 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。