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美国国家公共电台 NPR Rome's Subway Expansion Reveals Artifacts From The Ancient Past

时间:2018-07-30 03:02:06

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(单词翻译)

 

KORVA COLEMAN, HOST:

All roads may lead to Rome. But once you get there, have fun taking the subway. The sprawling1 metropolis3 is expanding its beleaguered4 mass transit5 system, but workers keep running into ancient ruins. As Christopher Livesay found out, what's been a nightmare for city planners has become a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for archaeologists.

(SOUNDBITE OF BULLDOZER ROLLING)

CHRISTOPHER LIVESAY: On the surface, the Amba Aradam metro2 stop is just a construction site. But listen to what bulldozer operator Gilberto Pagani has been finding in the dirt.

GILBERTO PAGANI: (Through interpreter) I found some gold rings. I found glasswork laminated in gold depicting6 a roman god, some amphorae.

LIVESAY: See; Pagani's no ordinary builder. He's a certified7 archaeological construction worker trained to build in cities like Rome with thousands of years of civilization buried beneath the surface. It's a daunting8 challenge for urban developers. But for Simona Morretta, the state archaeologist in charge of the site, it's the opportunity of a lifetime.

SIMONA MORRETTA: (Through interpreter) I think it's the luckiest thing that's ever happened to me, professionally speaking, because you never get the chance in a regular excavation9 to dig so deep. That's how we found archaeological complexes as important as this one.

LIVESAY: At roughly 40 feet below the surface, her team has stumbled upon a dwelling10 that once belonged to the commander of an adjacent military barracks. It dates back to the reign11 of Emperor Hadrian in the second century A.D.

MORRETTA: (Through interpreter) It's a proper house with a central courtyard. The other exciting discovery is that so much of the decoration was found intact - so ornamental12 mosaics14, floors made with marble slab15 in various colors and painted frescoes16.

(SOUNDBITE OF BRUSHES SWEEPING)

LIVESAY: Two archaeologists dust the mosaic13 flooring with tiny precision brushes. Compare that to the hulking industrial machinery17 parked just a few feet away. Construction workers routinely have to shut it down when a discovery is made. Add that to the countless18 other delays over the past two decades. The new route underway, the C line, was supposed to be ready in time for the Catholic Church's year of Jubilee19. That was back in the year 2000. But you can't blame it all on the ancients. There are ongoing20 investigations21 into waste and runaway22 spending by modern contractors23 and governments.

UNIDENTIFIED TRAIN CONDUCTOR: (Over loudspeaker, speaking Italian).

LIVESAY: But this is a day for celebration as the city inaugurates its newest subway stop.

UNIDENTIFIED TRAIN CONDUCTOR: (Over loudspeaker) Next stop - San Giovanni. Doors will open on the left side.

LIVESAY: The San Giovanni station is an important one. Up until now, the C line wasn't even connected to the city's two other subway lines. Now it is, and it's fully24 automated25, too - no conductors.

(SOUNDBITE OF TRAIN WHEELS)

LIVESAY: As it whooshes26 into the station, commuter27 Luigi Bonatesta jumps on board.

He says the wait has been frustrating28, to say the least.

LUIGI BONATESTA: Because no one declare why the open day will delay - delayed time, so no one declare what happened.

LIVESAY: One reason was a surprise addition. Inside this station, the walls are lined with artifacts discovered during the subway's construction - stone bathtubs, marble busts29 and even ancient peach pits from a Roman fruit vendor30 - all visible for the 1 euro 50 cost of a metro ticket. The next stop on the line - the military barracks, where archaeologists are still digging. Simona Morretta says commuters there are in for an even bigger treat.

MORRETTA: (Through interpreter) All that we found here - the mosaics, everything - will be taken down, put inside special containers, then reassembled inside the metro stop.

LIVESAY: So the metro station is going to be like a little museum.

MORRETTA: Yes. (Speaking Italian).

LIVESAY: "That's the idea," she says. But there are still years of excavating31 ahead. For a city that wasn't built in a day, its subway system certainly wasn't, either. For NPR News, I'm Christopher Livesay in Rome.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 sprawling 3ff3e560ffc2f12f222ef624d5807902     
adj.蔓生的,不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 );蔓延;杂乱无序地拓展;四肢伸展坐着(或躺着)
参考例句:
  • He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
  • a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇
2 metro XogzNA     
n.地铁;adj.大都市的;(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国,主要经营零售)
参考例句:
  • Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗?
  • The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。
3 metropolis BCOxY     
n.首府;大城市
参考例句:
  • Shanghai is a metropolis in China.上海是中国的大都市。
  • He was dazzled by the gaiety and splendour of the metropolis.大都市的花花世界使他感到眼花缭乱。
4 beleaguered 91206cc7aa6944d764745938d913fa79     
adj.受到围困[围攻]的;包围的v.围攻( beleaguer的过去式和过去分词);困扰;骚扰
参考例句:
  • The beleaguered party leader was forced to resign. 那位饱受指责的政党领导人被迫辞职。
  • We are beleaguered by problems. 我们被许多困难所困扰。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 transit MglzVT     
n.经过,运输;vt.穿越,旋转;vi.越过
参考例句:
  • His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
  • The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。
6 depicting eaa7ce0ad4790aefd480461532dd76e4     
描绘,描画( depict的现在分词 ); 描述
参考例句:
  • a painting depicting the Virgin and Child 一幅描绘童贞马利亚和圣子耶稣的画
  • The movie depicting the battles and bloodshed is bound to strike home. 这部描写战斗和流血牺牲的影片一定会取得预期效果。
7 certified fw5zkU     
a.经证明合格的;具有证明文件的
参考例句:
  • Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
  • The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。
8 daunting daunting     
adj.使人畏缩的
参考例句:
  • They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.他们面临着修复房子的艰巨任务。
  • Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.开始一项新工作有时会让人望而却步。
9 excavation RiKzY     
n.挖掘,发掘;被挖掘之地
参考例句:
  • The bad weather has hung up the work of excavation.天气不好耽误了挖掘工作。
  • The excavation exposed some ancient ruins.这次挖掘暴露出一些古遗迹。
10 dwelling auzzQk     
n.住宅,住所,寓所
参考例句:
  • Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
  • He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。
11 reign pBbzx     
n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势
参考例句:
  • The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
  • The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。
12 ornamental B43zn     
adj.装饰的;作装饰用的;n.装饰品;观赏植物
参考例句:
  • The stream was dammed up to form ornamental lakes.溪流用水坝拦挡起来,形成了装饰性的湖泊。
  • The ornamental ironwork lends a touch of elegance to the house.铁艺饰件为房子略添雅致。
13 mosaic CEExS     
n./adj.镶嵌细工的,镶嵌工艺品的,嵌花式的
参考例句:
  • The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
  • The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。
14 mosaics 2c3cb76ec7fcafd7e808cb959fa24d5e     
n.马赛克( mosaic的名词复数 );镶嵌;镶嵌工艺;镶嵌图案
参考例句:
  • The panel shows marked similarities with mosaics found elsewhere. 这块嵌板和在其他地方找到的镶嵌图案有明显的相似之处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The unsullied and shining floor was paved with white mosaics. 干净明亮的地上镶嵌着白色图案。 来自辞典例句
15 slab BTKz3     
n.平板,厚的切片;v.切成厚板,以平板盖上
参考例句:
  • This heavy slab of oak now stood between the bomb and Hitler.这时笨重的橡木厚板就横在炸弹和希特勒之间了。
  • The monument consists of two vertical pillars supporting a horizontal slab.这座纪念碑由两根垂直的柱体构成,它们共同支撑着一块平板。
16 frescoes e7dc820cf295bb1624a80b546e226207     
n.壁画( fresco的名词复数 );温壁画技法,湿壁画
参考例句:
  • The Dunhuang frescoes are gems of ancient Chinese art. 敦煌壁画是我国古代艺术中的瑰宝。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The frescoes in these churches are magnificent. 这些教堂里的壁画富丽堂皇。 来自《简明英汉词典》
17 machinery CAdxb     
n.(总称)机械,机器;机构
参考例句:
  • Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗?
  • Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。
18 countless 7vqz9L     
adj.无数的,多得不计其数的
参考例句:
  • In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
  • I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。
19 jubilee 9aLzJ     
n.周年纪念;欢乐
参考例句:
  • They had a big jubilee to celebrate the victory.他们举行盛大的周年纪念活动以祝贺胜利。
  • Every Jubilee,to take the opposite case,has served a function.反过来说,历次君主巡幸,都曾起到某种作用。
20 ongoing 6RvzT     
adj.进行中的,前进的
参考例句:
  • The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
  • The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。
21 investigations 02de25420938593f7db7bd4052010b32     
(正式的)调查( investigation的名词复数 ); 侦查; 科学研究; 学术研究
参考例句:
  • His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查,但没有发现什么。
  • He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。
22 runaway jD4y5     
n.逃走的人,逃亡,亡命者;adj.逃亡的,逃走的
参考例句:
  • The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
  • He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。
23 contractors afd5c0fd2ee43e4ecee8159c7a7c63e4     
n.(建筑、监造中的)承包人( contractor的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后,接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》
24 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地
参考例句:
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气,然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
25 automated fybzf9     
a.自动化的
参考例句:
  • The entire manufacturing process has been automated. 整个生产过程已自动化。
  • Automated Highway System (AHS) is recently regarded as one subsystem of Intelligent Transport System (ITS). 近年来自动公路系统(Automated Highway System,AHS),作为智能运输系统的子系统之一越来越受到重视。
26 whooshes 46c5c806f3795e70dec7ca8e0dd6b962     
n.飞快的移动( whoosh的名词复数 )v.(使)飞快移动( whoosh的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Cool air whooshes up through the grates on the street. 冷空气吹得大街上的格栅呜呜作响。 来自柯林斯例句
27 commuter ZXCyi     
n.(尤指市郊之间)乘公交车辆上下班者
参考例句:
  • Police cordoned off the road and diverted commuter traffic. 警察封锁了道路并分流交通。
  • She accidentally stepped on his foot on a crowded commuter train. 她在拥挤的通勤列车上不小心踩到了他的脚。
28 frustrating is9z54     
adj.产生挫折的,使人沮丧的,令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 );挫败;使受挫折;令人沮丧
参考例句:
  • It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间,真令人懊恼。
  • It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》
29 busts c82730a2a9e358c892a6a70d6cedc709     
半身雕塑像( bust的名词复数 ); 妇女的胸部; 胸围; 突击搜捕
参考例句:
  • Dey bags swells up and busts. 那奶袋快胀破了。
  • Marble busts all looked like a cemetery. 大理石的半身象,简直就象是坟山。
30 vendor 3izwB     
n.卖主;小贩
参考例句:
  • She looked at the vendor who cheated her the other day with distaste.她厌恶地望着那个前几天曾经欺骗过她的小贩。
  • He must inform the vendor immediately.他必须立即通知卖方。
31 excavating 5d793b033d109ef3f1f026bd95b1d9f5     
v.挖掘( excavate的现在分词 );开凿;挖出;发掘
参考例句:
  • A bulldozer was employed for excavating the foundations of the building. 推土机用来给楼房挖地基。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • A new Danish expedition is again excavating the site in annual summer digs. 一支新的丹麦探险队又在那个遗址上进行一年一度的夏季挖掘。 来自辞典例句

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