EZCNN 易英网

The Haunting Underworld of Paris 巴黎阴森诡谲的地底迷宫

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解

 

繁體中文譯本

 

Paris is famous for its culture and delicious food. But under the streets of Paris, there sits the dark side of the city.

 

Paris is a vibrant city that is famous for its cultural attractions. On the surface, the “City of Light” offers plenty of romance, amazing cuisine, and the finest art museums in the world. But beneath the city street, there’s a darker side to Paris that many people are not aware of.

巴黎这个充满活力的城市，因其吸引人的文化景点而闻名。地面上，这座「灯之城」充满浪漫情调、令人赞叹的丰富美食，以及世界最佳的美术馆。但是在城市街道下，巴黎却有着许多人所不知道的「黑暗面」。

 

Far and away the spookiest part of Paris’ underworld is Les Catacombs de Paris. The catacombs are a part of a maze of tunnels that stretch for some 180 miles beneath the city streets. They serve as a tomb for nearly six million Parisians who perished during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The dead were placed here because Paris’ above-ground cemeteries became overcrowded. If you’re contemplating whether you should pay a visit to this attraction, keep one thing in mind – the catacombs are no place for the faint of heart.

巴黎地下世界最令人毛骨悚然的地方是地下墓穴，它是城市街道下绵延约180英哩的穴道迷宫的一部份。这些地下墓穴是近600万巴黎人的坟墓，其死亡的时间介于18世纪晚期至19世纪早期。因为巴黎地面上的墓园变得过度拥挤，所以往生者被安置于此。如果你正考虑是否要造访此景点，记得一件事：地下墓穴不是胆小者该来的地方。

 

To view the catacombs, visitors must descend down a narrow, spiral stone staircase. Underground, it’s totally silent except for the occasional sounds of water dripping from a hidden pipe. As you make your way through the dark and dimly-lit halls, you will come face-to-face with walls and other displays that consist of nothing but skulls and bones. Crosses, urns, and other relics from church graveyards are also used as decorations to enhance the murky mood. Occasionally, you may even encounter some rusty gates that block off certain sections of the catacombs from the public. They serve as a reminder that some places are just a little too dark to let tourists explore.

要参观地下墓穴，游客必须要走下狭窄、螺旋状的石阶梯。在地底下，除了偶尔听到水从隐藏管线滴落的声音外，完全寂静无声。穿过灯光昏暗的阴暗洞厅时，你会与墙面及完全由颅骨及骨头构成的其它展示品面对面。十字架、骨灰坛及其它来自教堂墓地的遗留物，也用作摆饰以增加阴森的感觉。有时，你甚至会碰到些生锈的大门封住地下墓穴的特定区域，不对外开放。这些门提醒着我们，有些地方真的太暗了，不宜游客探访。

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

attraction [əˋtrækʃən] n. 最受欢迎的人; 最吸引人的地方; 最精彩的活动

be aware [əˋwɛr] of  知道的 knowing about, familiar with

perish [ˋpɛrɪʃ] v. 死去

contemplate [ˋkɑntɛm͵plet] v. 思量，仔细考虑

pay a visit to  参观

keep in mind  记住

descend [dɪˋsɛnd] v. 下来，下降

consist of 由某事物组成或构成

enhance [ɪnˋhæns] v. 提高，增加

encounter [ɪnˋkaʊntɚ] v. 意外地遇见

block off  封闭; 封锁 obstruct access to  

 

More Information

单词发音

 

haunting [ˋhɔntɪŋ] adj. 萦绕于心头的

vibrant [ˋvaɪbrənt] adj. 充满活力的

(be) famous for 因…而出名, 以…着称

spooky [ˋspukɪ] adj. 令人毛骨悚然的

catacomb [ˋkætə͵kom] n. 地下墓穴

maze [mez] n. 迷宫

stretch [strɛtʃ] v. 延续；连绵 [+for]

tomb [tum] n. 墓；坟地

cemetery [ˋsɛmə͵tɛrɪ] n. 公墓，墓地

no place for the faint of heart 不是胆小的人该来之地

faint of heart 胆小的人 people who are squeamish; someone who is sickened or disturbed by unpleasantness or challenge

spiral [ˋspaɪrəl] adj. 螺旋（形）的

staircase [ˋstɛr͵kes] n.〔包括扶手﹑栏杆的〕楼梯

drip [drɪp] v. 滴下

make one’s way (through something)  前进(穿过)  to move along a route full of obstacles; to travel, usually on foot, through an area of heavy vegetation or through a crowd of people or things

dimly-lit [ˋdɪmlilɪt] adj. 灯光昏暗的

hall [hɔl] n. 大厅 a corridor or passageway in a building

nothing but  仅仅 only; no more than

skull [skʌl] n. 头盖骨；头骨

cross [krɔs] n. 十字架

urn [ɝn] n. 骨灰瓮; 瓮；缸

relic [ˋrɛlɪk] n. 遗物

graveyard [ˋgrev͵jɑrd] n. 墓地

decoration [͵dɛkəˋreʃən] n. 装饰物，装饰品

murky [ˋmɝkɪ] adj. 阴暗的﹐黑暗的

rusty [ˋrʌstɪ] adj. 生锈的

reminder [rɪˋmaɪndɚ] n. 提醒物

 

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解

 

After visiting the catacombs, don’t get the impression that Paris’ “underworld” is just about doom and gloom. There are plenty of other interesting things to observe. And your ticket to seeing them all is the Paris Metro, the city’s rapid transportation system.

参观完地下墓穴后，别以为巴黎的「地下世界」就只有死亡与阴暗，还有许多有趣的东西可以看，而得以让你一览这些事物的方法正是巴黎地铁，此城市的捷运系统。

 

The construction of the Paris Metro kicked off in 1896 after a spirited debate. Railroad companies wanted to expand their suburban rail lines into Paris to connect the city and the surrounding area. However, Parisians asked for a new and independent underground network, because they feared connecting to industrial suburban areas would increase the crime rate in the city. In the end, the power of the people won out. The first line began its operations in July of 1900, during the Paris World Fair. Architect Hector Guimard decorated the entrances to each station using glass roofs and cast-iron pillars. Today, the Metro has expanded to include 300 stations, making it one of the busiest and densest metro networks in the world.

巴黎地铁的兴建始于1896年的一波猛烈争论之后。铁路公司想要扩展郊区铁路线至巴黎以连接市区及外围地区。然而，巴黎人因为担心连接近郊工业区后会使市区犯罪率上升，而要求一个全新且独立的地下铁路网。终于，人民的力量胜出了。第一条地铁线于1900年7月巴黎世界博览会期间开始运行。建筑师埃克托．吉玛使用玻璃屋顶及铸铁柱装饰每一个车站的入口。如今，巴黎地铁已扩展达300个车站，使其成为世界上最繁忙且密集的地铁网络之一。

 

Taking a ride on Paris Metro isn’t just about traveling from point A to point B – it’s a ticket to an abundance of unusual sights and sounds. As you stand shoulder to shoulder with subway patrons, you can peer out the window and see some of the world’s finest graffiti. While transferring trains, you might catch an impromptu performance by one of the city’s best street musicians. Or, you can admire the original artwork and explore the historical significance of each station to visit Paris, remember that the true heart of the city beats underground.

搭乘巴黎地铁并不只是从甲地至乙地，地铁也引领你通往丰富且不寻常的视觉及听觉飨宴。当你跟地铁乘客并肩而立时，可以望向窗外，映入眼帘的有些是世上最精美的涂鸦。转车时，可能会看到巴黎市顶尖街头音乐家其中一位的即兴表演。或者，你可以欣赏每座车站的原创艺术作品及探索各站的历史意义。因此，如果你有机会参访巴黎，请记得，这座城市真正的心脏在地底下跳动着。

 

－by Jamie Blackler

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

observe [əbˋzɝv] v. 观察; 看到

expand [ɪkˋspænd] v. 扩张；发展

industrial [ɪnˋdʌstrɪəl] adj. 工业的

win out【口】获得胜利  to succeed or prevail

operation [͵ɑpəˋreʃən] n. 操作；运转

architect [ˋɑrkə͵tɛkt] n. 建筑师；设计师

dense [dɛns] adj. 密集的，稠密的

abundance [əˋbʌndəns] n. 大量，多

transfer [trænsˋfɝ] v. 换车，转车

original [əˋrɪdʒən!] adj. 最初的，本来的；原始的

 

More Information

单词发音

 

doom [dum] n. 毁灭，死亡

gloom [glum] n. 黑暗；阴暗

rapid transportation system 捷运系统

kick off〔会议﹑事情等〕开始 Informal to begin

spirited [ˋspɪrɪtɪd] adj. 猛烈的 vigorous; having or showing great excitement and interest

suburban [səˋbɝbən] adj. 郊区的，近郊的

crime rate 犯罪率

cast-iron [ˋkæstˋaɪɚn] adj. 铸铁制的

pillar [ˋpɪlɚ] n. 柱状物（如水柱，石柱，气柱等）

take a ride 搭乘

stand shoulder to shoulder 并肩而立  to support one another during a difficult time

patron [ˋpetrən] n. 主顾（尤指老顾客）

peer [pɪr] v. 凝视，盯着看

graffiti [grə`fitɪ] n.〔在墙上﹑火车上等的〕乱涂乱抹﹐涂鸦

impromptu [ɪmˋprɑmptju] adj. 事先无准备的；即席的

admire [ədˋmaɪr] v. 欣赏

 

 

Reading Questions

 

1.  What does this article mainly talk about?

(A)  Places where Parisians used to bury their dead.

(B)  The history of Paris’s transportation system.

(C)  Reasons why the streets of Paris are beautiful.

(D)  Attractions beneath the streets of Paris.

 

2.  According to the passage, what will people find in Les Catacombs?

(A)  Some of the best art in Paris.

(B)  People who hate the government.

(C)  The remains of dead people.

(D)  The homes of rich people.

 

3.  Why did Parisians want the Paris Metro to be built?

(A)  They wanted to be able to travel to suburban neighborhoods.

(B)  They didn’t want Paris to connect with outside areas.

(C)  They demanded a new place to perform and show their art.

(D)  They wanted to get away from Paris’s Catacombs.

 

4.  Which of the following statements is NOT true?

(A)  Paris has many attractions above the streets.

(B)  Some people find Les Catacombs scary.

(C)  The Paris Metro is about 180 miles long.

(D)  Les Catacombs are older than the Paris Metro.

 

Les Catacombes de PARIS, l'Ossuaire Officiel

 

 

Paris Metro - Including Cab Ride

 

 

 

Answer

1. ( D )

2. ( C )

3. ( B )

4. ( C )