英語經(jīng)典晨讀美文

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　　英語經(jīng)典晨讀美文：羅馬競技場

　　Inaugurnted in A.D. 80 by the emperor Titus, the Roman Colosseum is the earliest prototype ofthe modem superdome. W. ith a perimeter of 527 meters, 80 entrances, and the capacity to hold between 50 and 70,000 spectators, it rivals even the most advanced sports_stadiums in size artd utility of design, while greatly surpassing

　　公元前80年由提特斯大帝宣布落成的羅馬競技場，可謂是超級穹頂?shù)淖钤缭?。羅馬競技場周長為527米，有80個入口 ，可容納5～7萬名觀眾，其規(guī)模及多用途的設(shè)計堪與最先進的體育館相媲美，而其建筑之宏偉壯麗，則是后者所望塵莫及的。

　　The Colosseum was constructed with tens of thousands of tons of a type of marble called travertine and held together with 300 tons ofiron. When completed, it rose up 57 meters in four levels. The lower three provided seating for the spectators and were surrounded by magnificentarcades and 80 perfectly symmetrical arches, each embellished with a statue.The attic story contained brackets wluch could suspend a canopy for shade.

　　羅馬競技場是由數(shù)萬噸名為“石灰華”的大理石加上300噸的鋼鐵鑄建而成。完工后，其上面的4層有57米高。底下3層是觀眾席，被巨大的環(huán)狀拱廊所環(huán)繞，還有80座完全對稱的拱門，座座都刻有雕像。頂層部份有托架用以懸掛罩篷，可以遮蔭。

　　In spite of its glorious design, the Colosseum was built largely for the distraction of the masses in a cynical age, providing dramatic and often gruesome entertainments. Armies of slaves fought for their lives in horrific recreations of famous battles. Gladiators fought wild animals and one another to the death in retum for their continued survival, the glory of victory, and precious gifis from their benefactors.

　　盡管設(shè)計得金碧輝煌，但建造羅馬競技場的主要目的是：在憤世嫉俗的時代中，供人們忘情娛樂，演出張力十足、不時令人毛骨悚然的娛樂節(jié)目。在以著名戰(zhàn)役為背景的駭人節(jié)目中，成群奴隸為生存而戰(zhàn)。戰(zhàn)士們與猛獸搏斗或自相殘殺，至死方休，換來的除了繼續(xù)生存的權(quán)利、勝利的榮耀之外、還有贊助者饋贈的厚禮。

　　These spectacles of gratuitous violence may seem a little annchronistlic, but they are also analogues in many ways to professional sports today, Perhaps the Colosseum is not really such an "ancient" artifact after all.

　　這些暴力場面或許有些過時，然而類似的場景在現(xiàn)今職業(yè)運動中仍屢見不鮮。或許羅馬競技場并不是一座真正的“古跡”。

　　英語經(jīng)典晨讀美文：巴黎圣母院

　　As a testament to the correlation between glorious spaces and heavenly thoughts, the Notre Dame de Paris has stood for 750 years as the apex of European religious architecture.

　　作為榮光之地與神圣思想互相關(guān)聯(lián)的證明，巴黎圣母院至今已有750年的歷史了'它是歐洲宗教建筑登峰造極之作。

　　Seeking to liberate their creation from the sepulchral atmos of the plague-ridden medieval era, the Notre Dame architects conceived of a design more spacious than that of their predecessors. New developments in arched doorways and supports allowed for thinner outer walls and larger windows, including the famous Rose Windows on the

　　cathedral's north, south, and west sides.

　　尋求把他們的創(chuàng)作從中世紀(jì)黑死病蔓延的死寂氣氛中擺脫出來，圣母院的建筑師們構(gòu)思出比他們的前人更寬闊的設(shè)計。而拱形門道和支柱的嶄新設(shè)計，為較薄的外墻和較大的窗戶，包括教堂北、南、西三面著名的“薔薇花瓣小圓窗”的建造作了準(zhǔn)備。

　　The west window is 9.75 meters in diameter and depicts the infant Jesus surrounded by 16 prophets, 32 0ld Testament kings, and 32 high priests, in concentric circles. With the added light and color provided by these windows, the architects created an ethereal ambience with structural integrity.

　　西窗直徑長9.75米，上面描繪了16位先知、舊約全書里的32位列王以及32位大祭司，他們呈同心圓圍繞著襁褓中的耶穌。借助這些窗戶呈現(xiàn)的光線和色彩，建筑師營造出了天境般的氛圍，同時也兼顧了結(jié)構(gòu)上的完整性。

　　Since its fundamental completion in 1250, the cathedral has borne witness to many of the significant events of European history, as well as bearing the scars ofits violent periods. It was the scene of the coronahon of Henry VI of England in 1430, and later, that of Mary, Queen of Scots. It survived attempted destruction during the French Revolution to witness the crowning of Napoleon and Josephine. Since then, the Notre Dame de Paris has survived two world wars, and it remains a symbol of European history and resilience.

　　于1250年基本竣工后，這座大教堂見證了歐洲歷史上的許多重大事件，也在動蕩時代留下了累累傷痕。它也是1430年英王亨利六世和其后蘇格蘭瑪麗皇后加冕典禮舉行的地方。它幸免于遭受法國大革命時期的蓄意破壞，才得以為拿破侖和約瑟芬的加冕做見證。此后，巴黎圣母院在兩次世界大戰(zhàn)中保存了下來，它依然是歐洲歷史與復(fù)蘇的象征。