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The Splendor of St. Paul’s Cathedral 英伦圣殿：圣保罗大教堂

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If you’re visiting London, the famed St. Paul’s Cathedral is a landmark you must see. England’s leading church was built in 604 to honor St. Paul, an apostle who played a major role in spreading the message of Christianity. Over the years, the cathedral has become a national ___1___ of strength and the ability to overcome adversity – and for good reason. In 942, the Vikings burnt it to the ground. It was rebuilt, but then it was damaged ___2___ during the Great Fire of London of 1666. Afterward, architect Sir Christopher Wren spent 35 years rebuilding it, with the intention of making it as ___3___ as any royal palace in England. And, true to his word, when construction was completed in 1710, it was more glorious than ever.

如果你正造访伦敦，知名的圣保罗大教堂是一定要欣赏的地标。这间位于英国的重要教堂于公元604年兴建，用以纪念圣保罗──一位在宣扬基督教上扮演重要角色的使徒。多年以来，圣保罗大教堂有充分理由作为一个展现国力与克服逆境之象征。教堂于942年遭维京人焚毁后再行重建，但又在1666年的伦敦大火中毁于一旦。后来，建筑师汤玛士．雷恩爵士花费了35年的时间重建教堂，有意让它成为与英国其他皇宫一样令人惊叹不已之建物。而他也说话算话，当圣保罗大教堂于1710竣工后，它比以往更为辉煌。

The majority attraction for the two million tourists that flock to St. Paul’s annually is its iconic dome. ___4___, the massive structure weighs 64,000 tons and is composed of three smaller domes: an inner dome, an outer dome, and a brick cone. From the floor, tourists can observe classic murals, ___5___ by Sir James Thornhill, which depict key events in the life of St. Paul. Next, they can climb the 528 steps to the Golden Gallery. In addition to magnificent sculptures and paintings, visitors will also be treated to incomparable panoramic views of the city.

对每年蜂拥至圣保罗大教堂的两百万名游客而言，具代表性的教堂圆顶是最吸引人之处。巨型的圆顶结构总重达64,000吨。教堂的圆顶结构共有三层：内层圆顶、外层圆顶、与砖型椎形体。旅客从地板望向圆顶，可见到詹姆斯．桑赫尔爵士所描绘圣保罗一生关键事迹之古典壁画。旅客也可沿着528个阶梯直达教堂上的金色画廊；游客在这儿除了可欣赏壮丽的雕像与画作外，也可用绝佳的视野鸟瞰伦敦市。

Besides being ___6___, St. Paul’s Cathedral hosts several important religious ceremonies throughout the year. In fact, recently, a ￡40 million project was launched to ___7___ the cathedral to pristine condition to celebrate its 300th anniversary.

圣保罗大教堂除了是旅游胜地外，每年也会举办许多重要宗教庆典。事实上，近来一项4千亿英镑的维修计划将使它重现风采，以庆祝圣保罗大教堂的300周年。

－by Jamie Blackler

Vocabulary

单词发音

apostle [əˋpɑs!] n.（基督教的）使徒；十二个门徒之一

Christianity [͵krɪstʃɪˋænətɪ] n. 基督教

adversity [ədˋvɝsətɪ] n. 逆境；厄运

glorious [ˋglorɪəs] adj. 壮观的，壮丽的

dome [dom] n. 圆屋顶

compose [kəmˋpoz] v. 组成，构成[（+of）]

mural [ˋmjʊrəl] n. 壁画；壁饰

depict [dɪˋpɪkt] v. 描述；描写

magnificent [mægˋnɪfəsənt] adj. 壮丽的，宏伟的

incomparable [ɪnˋkɑmpərəb!] adj. 无可匹敌的

panoramic [͵pænəˋræmɪk] adj. 全景的

ceremony [ˋsɛrə͵monɪ] n. 仪式，典礼

pristine [ˋprɪstin] adj. 崭新的; 完好无损的

Idiom

for good reason 有充分理由; 善意地  because of something obviously true

burn it to the ground 全部烧毁  If you say that a town or building is burnt to the ground or is razed to the ground, you are emphasizing that it has been completely destroyed by fire.

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