VOA标准英语2014--新摩天轮成为华盛顿游览新地标

 

New Ferris Wheel Lights Up Washington DC Area 新摩天轮成为华盛顿游览新地标

WASHINGTON — A new Ferris wheel is lighting¹ up the Washington area.  Known as the Capital Wheel, it’s one of the few observation Ferris wheels in the world right on the water.

The Capital Wheel soars² 55 meters above the Potomac River with panoramic³ views of the Washington, D.C. area.

Local resident Lashonda Johnson says she got a new look at a region she knows well.  

“We saw the Capitol and all the historical museums, and traffic," she said. "It was just peaceful.”

The Ferris wheel is located just outside Washington in Oxon Hill, Maryland at the National Harbor, a development with shops, restaurants and hotels. The 42 gondolas⁵ hold 336 people and have heating and air conditioning. The idea is for people to relax and enjoy the ride says Kent Digby, Operations Director for the National Harbor.

“It’s very smooth, so if you weren’t paying too much attention you wouldn’t really notice that you’re moving and that’s all part of trying to make people comfortable and make sure that they understand that they’re very safe,” he said.

The cost is $15 per person for a 15-minute ride.

Mark Poliquin, who came from the state of Connecticut with his family says it was worth it.

“Top of the line, air conditioned cabs, they’ve got music playing,” he said.

The $15 million attraction was built in the United States but some pieces are from Germany and the gondolas came from Switzerland.  It’s reminiscent of Ferris wheels like the London Eye, which was the world's tallest Ferris wheel until 2006.  Today, at 167 meters high, the recently opened High Roller in Las Vegas has that distinction.  Just behind are the Singapore Flyer and Star of Nanchang in China.

Chinese tourist Qumae Yang loved the scenery from the Capital Wheel.

“It has a beautiful view,” she said.

Bulgarian Yavor Todorov  says his children wanted to go on a ride, but admits he had a good time as well.  

“It’s exciting.  You can see the whole Washington, D.C.,” he said.

Each gondola⁴ seats eight people, except for one special VIP car which holds four.  There, for $50 per person you can bring a bottle of wine.

“I call it our little Ferrari.  It’s all red and black leather and it’s pretty slick with wine coolers and its own pop-up TV and I’m sure more than one person will get engaged on a ride,” said operations director Digby.

Another treat, Digby says, is the light show on the Ferris wheel, which can be programmed into thousands of different sequences.   

“Over 1.6 million lights and they can light up in any different color of the rainbow,” he said.

The Capital Wheel is open every day and is expected to draw up to 800,000 people the first year.

1 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。

2 soars   

v.高飞( soar的第三人称单数 )；猛增；（音乐）升高；高耸

参考例句：

• The lamp tower soars above the horizon. 这座灯塔高耸入云。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The condor soars above the mountain heights. 禿鹰翱翔于高山之上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 panoramic   

adj. 全景的

参考例句：

• Most rooms enjoy panoramic views of the sea. 大多数房间都能看到海的全景。
• In a panoramic survey of nature, speed is interesting because it has a ceiling. 概观自然全景，速率是有趣的，因为它有一个上限。

4 gondola   

n.威尼斯的平底轻舟；飞船的吊船

参考例句：

• The road is too narrow to allow the passage of gondola.这条街太窄大型货车不能通过。
• I have a gondola here.我开来了一条平底船。

5 gondolas   

n.狭长小船( gondola的名词复数 )；货架（一般指商店，例如化妆品店）；吊船工作台

参考例句：

• When the G-Force is in motion, the gondolas turn as well. 当“惊呼狂叫”开始旋转时，平底船也同时旋转。 来自互联网
• Moreton Engineering &Equipment Co. Ltd. -Services include sales tower crane, gondolas, material hoist construction equipment. 山明模型工作室-制作建筑模型，包括售楼模型、规划模型、比赛模型等。 来自互联网