The Eiffel Tower: from Eyesore to Icon 巴黎之光──艾菲尔铁塔
- 详细资料
- 创建于 2007年10月03日
- 最后更新于 2024年5月25日
- 发布于 2012年1月15日
- 作者：Mike Lee
- 点击数：247
课文朗读
课文讲解
The Eiffel Tower, the most photographed landmark on Earth, has stood on the bank of the River Seine in Paris for over a century. However, ___1___ it was even built, Gustave Eiffel’s tower was already the target of strong protest.
全球最常入镜的地标艾菲尔铁塔，矗立于巴黎塞纳-马恩省河畔已逾一世纪，然而早在修建之前，居斯塔夫．艾菲尔的铁塔便已引发强烈抗议。
|
(A) opposing |
(B) hang |
(C) monstrous |
(D) before |
(E) stain |
|
(F) as well as |
(G) golden |
(H) serve as |
(I) strength |
(J) gracefully |
Originally, the tower was meant to ___2___ an entrance archway for the Exposition Universelle in 1889. Its strange shape quickly drew criticism from many prominent artists and scholars in Paris. 300 people signed a petition ___3___ the construction of the tower. They called it the “useless and ___4___ Eiffel Tower,” and compared it to “a gigantic black factory chimney.” They thought it was a barbaric nightmare, a ___5___ on the face of Paris.
该塔原是1889年世界博览会的入口拱门。其怪异的外型迅速招致巴黎许多知名艺术家及学者的批判。三百人签署陈情书，反对该塔的兴建，称其为「无用、像怪兽的艾菲尔铁塔」，并将其比喻为「巨大的工厂黑烟囱」。他们认为它是粗鄙的梦魇，玷污了巴黎门面。
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(A) opposing |
(B) hang |
(C) monstrous |
(D) before |
(E) stain |
|
(F) as well as |
(G) golden |
(H) serve as |
(I) strength |
(J) gracefully |
In spite of all this criticism, designer Gustave Eiffel had faith in his own design. He responded, “Are we to believe that because one is an engineer ….. one does not seek to create elegance ___6___ solidity and durability?” Eiffel wanted the structure to represent both beauty and ___7___. The wide base, standing solidly on four mail pillars, would curve ___8___ upwards and thin into a narrow tower.
尽管批评之声不绝于耳，设计师艾菲尔却对自己的设计有信心。他回应说：「难道我们该相信，只因为一个人是工程师……除了坚固、耐久之外，他就不想创造优雅吗？」艾菲尔希望此一建筑能同时展现力与美。由四根大柱牢牢支撑的宽广基座，将优雅地向上弯曲，逐渐变细成尖塔。
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(A) opposing |
(B) hang |
(C) monstrous |
(D) before |
(E) stain |
|
(F) as well as |
(G) golden |
(H) serve as |
(I) strength |
(J) gracefully |
On the opening day, Eiffel walked up all 1,710 steps to ___9___ the French flag on top. Since then, the people of Paris have come to love the tower. Tourists from around the globe also see it as the everlasting symbol of Paris. In the year 2000, 20,000 lights were installed on the tower. Now every evening this ___10__ tower of light shines brightly against the Parisian skyline.
开幕当天，艾菲尔爬上1,710阶，于塔顶挂上法国国旗。此后巴黎人便渐渐爱上这座塔，来自世界各地的观光客也将其视为巴黎的永恒象征。公元2000年，铁塔加装二万盏灯，现在每天入夜后，这座金色的光之塔照耀着巴黎夜空。
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(A) opposing |
(B) hang |
(C) monstrous |
(D) before |
(E) stain |
|
(F) as well as |
(G) golden |
(H) serve as |
(I) strength |
(J) gracefully |
−by Timothy David de Sosa
Vocabulary
单词发音
icon [ˋaɪkɑn] n. 偶像; 代表图像
criticism [ˋkrɪtə͵sɪzəm] n. 批评
petition [pəˋtɪʃən] n. 请愿；请愿书
elegance [ˋɛləgəns] n.（举止、服饰、风格等的）优雅
install [ɪnˋstɔl] v. 安装
More Information
单词发音
eyesore [ˋaɪ͵sɔr] n. 看上去不顺眼的东西，难看的东西
photographed [ˋfotə͵græft] adj. 上镜率的
Seine [sen] n. 塞纳-马恩省河（流经巴黎市中心）
archway [ˋɑrtʃ͵we] n. 拱门
prominent [ˋprɑmənənt] adj. 卓越的；著名的
chimney [ˋtʃɪmnɪ] n. 烟囱
barbaric [bɑrˋbærɪk] adj. 粗俗的, 粗野的
solidity [səˋlɪdɪtɪ] n. 坚固﹐坚硬
durability [͵djʊrəˋbɪlətɪ] n. 耐久性
pillar [ˋpɪlɚ] n. 柱，柱子
come to 终于……，开始…… to become
everlasting [͵ɛvɚˋlæstɪŋ] adj. 永久的；不朽的
skyline [ˋskaɪ͵laɪn] n. 以天空为背景的轮廓
stain [sten] n. 污迹，瑕疵
Aerial photo of the Exposition Universelle in 1889, central in the picture is the entrance arch known as the Eiffel Tower
Answer
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1. ( D ) |
2. ( H ) |
3. ( A ) |
4. ( C ) |
5. ( E ) |
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6. ( F )
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7. ( I ) |
8. ( J ) |
9. ( B ) |
10. ( G ) |