The Seven Wonders of the Modern World: The Panama Canal 现代文明七大奇观之一：巴拿马运河
- 详细资料
- 创建于 2004年10月25日
- 最后更新于 2024年5月25日
- 发布于 2011年7月29日
- 作者：Mike Lee
- 点击数：350
课文朗读
课文讲解
Excepting the Great Pyramid of Giza, the fabled Seven Wonders of the World have crumbled into the sands of history. Fortunately, we have present-day equivalents in the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Like their ancient predecessors, these engineering feats demonstrate the apogee of humanity’s technical capability and imagination. Foremost among them is the Panama Canal, which connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans via the Isthmus of Panama.
除了吉萨的金字塔外，著名的古文明七大奇观已经灰飞烟灭走入历史。幸运的是，如今我们有现代文明的七大奇观堪与比拟。就如同古代的工程奇观，这些现代的伟大工程，印证了人类的科技能力与想象力攀至最高点，其中首推经由巴拿马地峡连接起太平洋与大西洋的巴拿马运河了。
While the idea dates back to Spanish conquistadors, the first construction attempt involved French engineers who had just successfully completed the Suez Canal. However, carving through massive quantities of rock and the Panamanian jungle to create a sea-level canal proved an insurmountable challenge. Enter the United States and its gunboat diplomacy, which allowed Panama to secede from a much chagrined Columbia. A complex series of locks and dams overcame the technical challenges, and the canal opened for business in 1914. In return, America received full control of the canal until relinquishing it to Panama in 1999.
巴拿马运河的原始概念可以回溯到西班牙统治时代，最先参与建造的是刚完成苏伊士运河的法国工程师们。不过，要开凿大量的岩石及穿越巴拿马的丛林以辟出一条与海平面等高的运河，确实是一项难以克服的挑战。美国加入后，凭其炮艇外交使巴拿马脱离了哥伦比亚，让哥伦比亚老大不爽。一连串设计复杂的水闸和水坝克服了技术上的困难，运河终于在1914年开始营运。美国得到了回报，拥有运河的全部控制权，一直到1999年才归还给巴拿马。
The canal proved an invaluable geopolitical asset for America and a cash cow for Panama. Today, the fate of Panama and its canal remain inextricably linked. Moreover, the canal remains a testament to the marriage of engineering with the natural world.
巴拿马运河证实了它是美国地缘政治上的一项无价资产，也是巴拿马的摇钱树。如今，巴拿马的国运与这条运河依旧息息相关。更何况，这条运河仍然是人类工程与大自然结合的一个最佳例证。
Vocabulary
单词发音
canal [kəˋnæl] n. 运河；河渠
Pyramid [ˋpɪrəmɪd] n.（常大写）（古埃及建造的）金字塔
fabled [ˋfeb!d] adj. 寓言[传奇]中著名的
crumble [ˋkrʌmb!] v. 摧毁，破坏; 消失
equivalent [ɪˋkwɪvələnt] n. 相等物；等价物
apogee [ˋæpə͵dʒi] n. 最高点；顶点；极点
foremost [ˋfor͵most] adj. 最重要的
isthmus [ˋɪsməs] n. 地峡
conquistador [kɑnˋkwɪstə͵dɔr] n.【西】征服者
insurmountable [͵ɪnsɚˋmaʊntəb!] adj. 〔困难或问题〕不可逾越的; 难以克服的; 难以处理的
gunboat diplomacy [dɪˋploməsɪ]（以武力解决相威胁的）炮舰外交
secede [sɪˋsid] v.【正式】〔尤因意见分歧而〕退出〔团体﹑组织〕﹐脱离[+from]
chagrined [ʃəˋgrɪnd] adj. 懊恼的；苦恼的
relinquish [rɪˋlɪŋkwɪʃ] v.【正式】〔尤指不情愿地〕放弃﹐交出〔权力﹑职位等〕
invaluable [ɪnˋvæljəb!] adj. 非常贵重的，无价的
geopolitical [͵dʒiopəˋlitɪk!] adj. 地理政治学的
inextricably [ɪnˋɛkstrɪkəblɪ] adv. 紧密相连地﹐密不可分地
testament [ˋtɛstəmənt] n. 证明，证据
marriage [ˋmærɪdʒ] n. 结合; 紧密结合
Sentence of the Day
After years of setbacks and attempts, builders and engineers finally got down to brass tacks and completed the canal.
经过多年的失败和努力，建商和工程专家终于突破万难完成了巴拿马运河。
get down to brass tacks【口】开始考虑某事物的基本事实或具体细节
tack [tæk] n. 平头钉，大头钉；图钉
课文讲解
Ryan and Jenny are civil engineering students studying for their upcoming final exams: 雷恩和珍妮两人是土木工程系的学生，为了即将来临的期末考作准备：
R: With all these statistics and physics, I sometimes forget that engineering is an applied discipline!
有这一大堆统计数字和物理理论，有时候我简直忘了工程学其实是一门应用学科！
J: Well, if you need to be reminded, just think back to last week’s lecture on the Panama Canal. That will kick your studying into gear.
嗯，如果你需要提醒，只要回想上周有关巴拿马运河的演讲，你的准备就会踏实些了。
R: That was truly an awesome feat. The professor mentioned that they moved enough soil to open a five-meter tunnel to the center of the earth. How’s that for a statistic!
那真是一项了不起的工程建设，教授说他们挖出来的土多到可以填满一条通向地心的直径五米长隧道。真是够惊人的一项统计数字！
J: What really amazes me is the sheer scale of the enterprise. Managing tens of thousands of workers in a malaria-infested jungle. And finishing one of the largest engineering projects in history on time and within budget!
真正让我吃惊的是这项工程浩大的规模。在疟疾肆虐的丛林里要管理成千上万个工作人员，而且能准时在预算内完成这项史上最伟大工程之一的案子。
R: If that’s not precision, how about this: The canal gates at the Atlantic end weigh 675 tonnes each, but they’re counterbalanced so well that they can be opened and closed with a 40 hp engine.
如果那样还不够精算，这里还有：大西洋岸的运河闸门每扇重达675公吨，但是它们彼此却平冲得这么好，只用四十马力的引擎就可开关闸门。
J: You’ve gotta hand it to those engineers. You know, the canal was a military tool as well. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the canal was used to replenish America’s depleted Pacific fleet.
这就得靠那些工程师了。你可知道，这条运河也是军事设施。珍珠港遭袭之后，这条运河就被用来为元气大伤的美军太平洋舰队进行补给。
R: Fascinating. But if we don’t stop procrastinating, the only thing we’ll be building is tall lattés at Starbucks.
说得真精彩。不过如果我们再哈啦下去，我们唯一会做的就是在星巴克喝着中杯拿铁咖啡了。
－by Darshan Tyler
Vocabulary
单词发音
civil engineering 土木工程
discipline [ˋdɪsəplɪn] n. 学科
kick something into gear 与…啮合
feat [fit] n. 壮举
sheer [ʃɪr] adj. 全然的; 十足的
enterprise [ˋɛntɚ͵praɪz] n.〔尤指与人合作的〕大型而复杂的工作
infest [ɪnˋfɛst] v.〔昆虫﹑老鼠等〕成羣侵扰〔一般造成破坏〕﹐
tonne [tʌn] n. 公吨〔等于1000公斤〕
replenish [rɪˋplɛnɪʃ] v. 把……再备足，补充
deplete [dɪˋplit] v.（大量）减少，消耗
procrastinate [proˋkræstə͵net] v. 延迟；耽搁
latté 拿铁咖啡
Sentence of the Day
Though it’s quite hard to tell, Colombia’s old issue with the United States seem to be water under the bridge.
虽然很难说，但哥伦比亚与美国间的旧嫌似乎像一江春水向东流，成了过去。
water under the bridge 过去的事了; 无法挽回的过去
Experience Panama - Seven Wonders Of The World - Episode 5- The Panama Canal, by BBC