第一篇 Passage 1

Cruising Down the Thames

(The Sino-British Trade Council has arranged a river trip for a Chinese trade delegation visiting the U.K. The Chinese guests are driven to Westminster Pier and are shown aboard a boat, cruising the Thames.)

H. A: So, we are off down stream to Greenwich and someone from our office will meet us there

and to bring us a picnic. Since the weather is so good, I thought it would be pleasant to have lunch

in Greenwich Park before we visit the observatory.

G. A: That sounds very nice. I love European parks and gardens. They are so different from ours.

H. B: Greenwich Park is lovely, but the observatory is really interesting, and of course you can

stand astride the Greenwich meridian 0° line and have one foot in the Western Hemisphere and the

other in the Eastern.

G. B: That'll be fun! I must take a photo!

H. B: Look, everybody, we're about to set off. Before we do, have you noticed the Houses of

Parliament behind us and Westminster Abbey?

G. B: Yes, we went there the other day. An interesting place. All the kings and queens of England

have been crowned there, haven't they?

H. B: Yes, except Edward V, who was murdered and Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor, the

present Queen's uncle, who gave up the throne to marry an American woman who was divorced

and therefore deemed to be unsuitable to be queen.

H. A: Yes, and many famous men are buried there including kings and poets.

G. A: And is that the dome of St Paul's Cathedral over there?

H. B: Yes, indeed. The original cathedral was destroyed in the Fire of London in 1666, and this

one was built by Christopher Wren, one of our most famous architects. Now he is buried in the

cathedral along with several famous generals and admirals like Wellington and Nelson and artists

like Reynolds and Turner.

G. C: Oh, we must be approaching the heart of the City now. There's the Nat West Tower.

H. B: Yes, it's the tallest building in the U.K. now. There was a lot of controversy over it when it

was built because formerly nothing was supposed to be higher than St. Paul's and people were not

in favor of it.

H. A: I rather like it.

H. B: Now we are just coming up to London Bridge.

G. A: Oh yes, I learned the song when I was a student: “London Bridge is falling down”. Where

is Pudding Lane, where the fire started?

H. B: It's behind that row of new office blocks. You can't see it from here. Oh, now we’re coming

to the Tower of London.

G. B: Oh, splendid. What a sight!

H. B: Yes, it's said to be the most perfect example of a medieval castle in England. It was built in

1078. Now it houses the crown jewels, which are on display to the public, but it is mainly remembered for its function as a prison for people who offended the monarchy.

H. A: Yes, 2 of Henry VIII’s 6 wives met their death here, by execution, simply because he was

bored with them and couldn't find any other way to get rid of them. In fact Anne Boleyn, his

second and most famous wife, is said to haunt the tower and wander the grounds at night with her

head under her arm!

G. A: (Laughs) I wouldn't like to be a guard on duty late at night there, then. How spooky! No

wonder it is known as “the Bloody Tower”. But the guards do look rather splendid.

H. A: Now we're at Tower Bridge. It's very unusual to have a bridge painted in blue and gold.

But I love it. It's really dramatic. The bridge opens up in the middle so that large ships can get

through. It's terribly exciting when you see it. A bell rings shortly beforehand and barriers come

down so that the cars can't be caught on the bridge as it starts to go up.

G. A: That must be very impressive. The sights are really magnificent. Cities built on rivers have

so much character. Thank you so much for bringing us today. I am enjoying myself. How long will it take to get to Greenwich from here?

H. A: Oh, we're almost there. It's only about another 15 minutes.

课文词语 Words and Expressions from the Text

cruising down the river 畅游（此处指）泰晤士河

Westminster pier 西敏寺码头

downstream 顺流

observatory 天文台

stand astride 两脚分开站立

the Western Hemisphere 西半球

Westminster Abbey 西敏寺大教堂

The Duke of Windsor 温莎王室的公爵

deem to be unsuitable 认为不合适

the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral 圣保罗大教堂的圆顶

admiral 海军将军；上将

the Nat West Tower 国民西敏寺银行塔楼

controversy 争论；争议

the Tower of London 伦敦塔

the monarchy 君主制度

meet one’s death by execution 处以死刑

haunt (鬼魂等)常出没于某地

a guard on duty 值勤的警卫

How spooky！ 多吓人哪！