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世界最大“斜拉桥”正式通车
[ 2008-07-03 10:47 ]
举世瞩目的苏通大桥各项建设及试运行工作已经圆满完成。6月30日上午，苏通大桥通车仪式在大桥北堡隆重举行。苏通长江大桥横跨苏州和南通两市，大桥全长32.4公里，主桥跨径为1088米，是世界最大跨径的斜拉桥。 请看新华社的报道： The Suzhou-Nantong Yangtze Road Bridge, the world's largestcable-stayed bridge, was formally opened on Monday in East China's Jiangsu Province after five years of construction. 经过五年的建设，世界上最大的斜拉桥——苏通长江大桥，本周一在江苏省正式通车。 上述报道中，cable-stayed bridge就是“斜拉桥”。因建筑结构的不同，桥梁也有不同的类别，除了这里提到的“斜拉桥”以外，还有：beam bridge “梁桥”，truss bridge “桁架桥”，arch bridge（拱桥），以及suspension bridge（吊桥）等。 （英语点津 Helen 编辑）
你知道这些“地方”吗 [ 2008-07-03 10:04 ]
在英语中，很多表达都与地点有关。这些表达琅琅上口，生动活泼，并且大多有着自己的故事。下面就为您介绍几个这样的表达，快来看看你和他们是否“相识”吧！ meet one’s Waterloo 倒霉，受毁灭性打击，灭顶之灾，遭到惨败。 滑 铁卢是一代天骄拿破仑遭受惨败的地方。遭遇滑铁卢，对一个人来说，后果不堪设想。无怪据说二战期间，在准备诺曼底反攻时，温斯顿•丘吉尔和随员冒雨去某地 开会，其随员因路滑而摔了一跤，脱口说一句“To meet Waterloo!”丘吉尔竟联想到拿破仑兵败滑铁卢的典故，恼怒地斥责他：“胡说！我要去凯旋门呢！” 请看例句： No wonder they met their Waterloo in this match. They hadn’t been trained for months! 难怪他们这场比赛输得一塌糊涂，他们已经好几个月没训练了！ be Greek to someone 不知道。 英国人一般都不懂希腊语。这句话的直译是：对于某人来说，这是希腊语。引申为“不明白”。请看例句：He is a very famous artist, but physics is Greek to him. 他是一位著名的艺术家，但是对物理一窍不通。 Greek kalends / calends幽默、诙谐的表达“永远不”。 Kalends 是罗马日历的第一天。古希腊不用罗马日历，所以永远不会有这一天。请看例句： A: When will you finish your work and leave the computer alone? 你什么时候才能结束工作不再用电脑？ B: At the Greek kalends. 永远没有那一天。 castle in Spain 西班牙城堡，比喻“幻想，梦想”，相当于汉语中的“空中楼阁”。 在 中世纪某一时期，西班牙是一个颇富浪漫色彩的国家，过于浪漫就成了梦幻啦。请看例句：Don’t trust him any more. He is always living in a castle in Spain as a daydreamer. 别再相信他了。他是个一直住在空中阁楼里的空想家。 set the Thames on fire 做出惊人之举；取得非凡成就。 火 烧泰晤士河，这是何等伟大的壮举！但是这句成语经常是用来表示反义的，指那些人“对某事只是夸下海口，而不是真正想去做”。请看例句：Jack won the champion of the Spelling Bee? You’re kidding! A person who hardly reads books can not set the Thames on fire! Jack赢了拼写比赛的冠军？你开什么玩笑！一个不怎么看书的人不会有这么大的成功！ from China to Peru 到处。 它 的意义非常明白，指从世界的这一边到世界的那一边，当然就是“遍布各地，到处”啦。请看例句： Happiness was from China to Peru when the cheering news came..这个令人振奋的消息传来后，快乐弥漫在各处。 Between Scylla and Charybdis 锡拉和卡津布迪斯之间，即“在两个同样危险的事物之间”，或是“腹背受敌，进退两难”的意思。 锡 拉是传说中生活在意大利岩石上的怪兽，卡津布迪斯是住在海峡中一端经常产生旋涡的怪兽。水手为了躲避其中一个的危害，而常又落入另一个灾难。意大利这一方 的海角叫凯尼斯（Caenys），西西里岛那一方的海角叫皮罗鲁姆（Pelorum）。请看例句：He was between Scylla and Charybdis, for his company had betrayed him.他的同伴背叛了他，至使他腹背受敌。 When in Rome, do as the Romans do. 在罗马，就按罗马人的方式办。和我们“入乡随俗”的意思一样。 请看例句：Take it easy and have a try! You know, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. 放轻松点，试一试吧！你知道，要入乡随俗。 carry coals to Newcastle 做徒劳多余的事。 纽 卡斯尔盛产煤，送煤到那里，岂不是多此一举？请看例句：You are carrying coals to Newcastle if you water those flowers right now.The rain is just around the corner. 你现在浇花就是多此一举了。马上就要下雨了。 （来源：soso问问 实习生朱一枫 英语点津 Annabel 编辑） Zheng Jie Wows Wimbledon 郑洁轰动温布尔登 [ 2008-07-03 09:03 ] Zheng Jie Zheng Jie yesterday became the first Chinese singles player to get through to the semi-final of a major tennis competition. She beat 18th seed Nicole Vaidisova 6-2 5-7 6-1. The match was a showcase for her attacking style and her tenacity. In the first set, she exploited Vaidisova's only double-faults to break her serve twice, and defended four break points of her own. Vaidisova claimed the second set, but once Zheng broke to go 3-1 up in the third set, she did not look back. This is the latest triumph in what is turning out to be a dazzling tournament for the 24-year-old. Zheng won the 2006 Wimbledon doubles competition with Zi Yan, but an ankle injury stopped her from playing for the whole of 2007. Her ranking drifted to 133 but she entered Wimbledon this year on a wild card. Then she astonished the crowd on day five by beating top seed Ana Ivanovic in two sets. “She has very powerful shot. She stays very low, so the balls are coming much faster through the air” Ivanovic said after the match. Zheng went on to despatch Hungarian Agnes Szavay in round four and now Vaidisova. “Did I think I could reach the semi-finals when I was given a wild card? No.” Zheng said. “I cannot believe I have got this far.” So there is now a chance she will play in the final, which happens to be on her birthday. But before that can happen, she’ll have to overcome Serena Williams. Williams is on blistering form this year, thrashing Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarter finals 6-4 6-0. “Serena is a two-times winner and a very prominent player on grass - I am in the semi-finals for the first time” Zheng said. “In 2004, I lost to her in the first round when she was the defending champion. I hope I do better this time.” Zheng, who is from Chengdu, has pledged to give her share of any winnings to victims of the earthquake in Sichuan. But even if she makes her exit before the final, she has done much to raise the profile of Chinese tennis, impressing enormously the players, pundits and crowds of Wimbledon. Her success has also raised Wimbledon’s profile. Former women’s No 1 Tracy Austin made a prediction: “There are going to be more people watching that semi-final than I think ever in the history of Wimbledon.” GLOSSARY 词汇表 seed 种子选手 showcase 展示 tenacity 不屈不挠 set 盘 double-fault 双误 break someone's serve 破发球局 break point 破发点 claimed 拿下 did not look back 一路前进直到比赛胜利 triumph 胜利 dazzling （技术表现）精湛的 ranking 排名 drifted 慢慢降到 wild card 外卡 despatch （速战）击败 blistering 极好（状态） thrashing 痛击 prominent 一流的 raise the profile 提高声望，地位 pundit 评论员 美研发“舌头驾驶系统” 帮助残疾人控制轮椅 [ 2008-07-02 15:02 ]
A new device that uses a tiny magnet can help disabled people steer a wheelchair or operate a computer using only the tip of the tongue, U.S. researchers reported on Monday. The magnet, the size of a grain of rice, lets people direct the movement of a cursor across a computer screen or a powered wheelchair around a room. It is easily implanted under the tongue, the team at the Georgia Institute of Technology said. "We chose the tongue to operate the system because unlike hands and feet, which are controlled by the brain through the spinal cord, the tongue is directly connected to the brain by a cranial nerve that generally escapes damage in severe spinal cord injuries or neuromuscular diseases," said Maysam Ghovanloo, an assistant professor who helped direct the work. "Tongue movements are also fast, accurate and do not require much thinking, concentration or effort." A headset with magnetic field sensors detects the magnetic tracer on the tongue and transmits wireless signals to a portable computer, which can be carried on the user's clothing or wheelchair. "This device could revolutionize the field of assistive technologies by helping individuals with severe disabilities, such as those with high-level spinal cord injuries, return to rich, active, independent and productive lives," Ghovanloo said in a statement. The team reported on their device to a meeting of the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America in Washington. The researchers said the computer could be programmed to recognize a unique set of specific tongue movements for each user. "An individual could potentially train our system to recognize touching each tooth as a different command," Ghovanloo said. The researchers tested the Tongue Drive system on 12 able-bodied volunteers and now plan to test it on people with severe disabilities, Ghovanloo said. (Agencies) Vocabulary: spinal cord：脊髓 cranial nerve：头盖骨神经 （英语点津Celene编辑）
包装上常见的警示标志 [ 2008-07-03 15:17 ]
此面朝上 This side up 请勿抛掷 Don't throw down 易腐物品 Perishable goods 请勿平放 Not to be laid flat 请勿用钩 No hooks 保持冷藏 Keep cool 避免日光直射 Keep out of the direct son 有毒物品 Poison 危险 Dangerous 危险品 Dangerous goods 保持干燥 Keep dry 请勿堆积 Not to be stowed under other cargo 易燃物 Inflammable 禁止潮湿 Guard against damp 易碎 Fragile 玻璃器皿 Glassware 远离锅炉 Keep away from boiler 陶瓷，瓷器 Porcelain , China 置于甲板 On deck 填充物 padding, pad As this article is fragile, be sure to put enough padding. 此物易碎，请务必装入足够的填充物。 （来源：中青网英语角 英语点津姗姗编辑）
“形影不离”怎么说 [ 2007-08-24 10:07 ]
班上有两个女孩，每天上课一起来，放学一起走，不管做什么都是一起行动。如果哪天我们只看到其中一个，都会问，另一个哪去了？大家已经习惯她们形影不离了。英语中表达形影不离有个很形象的说法，叫“cheek by jowl”。 这个短语最早从莎士比亚的《仲夏夜之梦》里来，当时叫“cheek by cheek”。两个世纪之后才出现了“cheek by jowl”这种说法。“Cheek”和“jowl”都是脸颊的意思。想想，两个人的脸颊都贴到一起了，还有比这更亲密的吗？ 看下面例句： I thought that Omar and Mike had a fight, but I saw them today in the gym, cheek by jowl. （我原以为奥马尔和麦克吵架了，但是我今天在健身房里看见他们挺亲密的。） （英语点津 Linda 编辑） 股市投资 [ 2008-07-01 11:40 ]
Stock market investment gives you the unique opportunity to take a direct part in the growth and success of companies. When you buy shares in a company, it means that you actually own a portion of that company. As part owner, you benefit by receiving part of the profits or dividends and sharing in the growth of the value of the company. 股市投资给你一个独一无二的直接参与公司发展的机会。当你购买了某个公司的股票，也就意味着你实际上拥有了公司的一部分。作为公司的部分拥有者，你有权分 享公司发展所带来的利润或者红利和公司发展所带来的增值。 The company benefits by raising funds or capital when your shares and other shares are first sold. These funds are used to operate and expand the business. 公司通过发行股票募集资金或资本获利。当你或他人购买了公司新发行的股票，公司也就募得了资金，用于公司的运营和业务拓展。 In general, share investments produce better returns than fixed interest investments, particularly when money is invested long term. 总体来说，股票投资比固定利率投资的回报率要高，尤其是在长期投资方面更是如此。 Although there are rises and falls in the stock market, history shows that over the long term, the value of the stock market rises. In the US, which has a long history of deregulated stock market, the average real return per annum after inflation is approximately 10%. 虽然股市有涨有跌，但历史证明，从长期来看，股市呈上升趋势。美国股市历来不受什么管制，其年均回报率，扣除通货膨胀率以后为10%左右。 Direct investment in the stock market also gives you control over where you put your money. You decide which companies you want to invest in and when the time is right for you to see your shares. If you want to be in control, stock market investment is a good option. 直接投资于股市让你可以把握投资去向。你可以自己决定投资于哪家公司，何时卖出股票。如果你想对投资有所把握，股市是一个不错的选择。 Another attractive feature of stock market investment is the flexibility to change your investments when your personal circumstances change. For example, if you need money for a well-earned break, an extension on our house or your children's education, all you need to do is sell your shares. 股市投资另一个吸引人的地方就是它的灵活性。你可以根据自身情况的变化而改变投资。比如说当你想去度假，扩建房子或者为孩子的教育而需要用钱的时候，你卖 出股票就可以了。 Stock market investment allows you to follow your investment. You'll receive regular information from companies you invest in and can attend meetings. This enables you to gain a unique insight into the results and strategies of the organization and learn a lot in the process. 股市投资让你可以跟踪投资去向。你可以从所投资的公司定期得到信息，还可以出席公司的会议。这将使你更加深入地了解到公司的发展战略和进程，从中你也会学 到很多东西。 Market investment also allows you to follow a particular interest you have. For example, you may have lived all you life in a forestry area and are interested in supporting this industry and benefiting from its success, by investing in listed forestry stocks. 你还可以按照各人爱好进行投资。比如，你一辈子都住在林区，你也想支持林业的发展，就可以投资上市的林业公司，你还可以从公司的发展中获益。 （来源：国际在线 英语点津 Annabel 编辑）
Torch Relay [ 2008-06-30 11:21 ]
火炬接力 火炬接力部门负责设计和组织奥林匹克圣火从希腊的奥林匹亚到奥运会举办国，以及环绕国内，最后抵达奥林匹克体育场的火炬传递路线和相关活动。组委会可以成立专门部门。 Torch Relay The Torch Relay area is responsible for the planning and activities related to the passage of the Olympic flame from Olympia in Greece to and around the host country, up to the Olympic stadium. The OCOG may establish a functional area dealing with Torch Relay aspects. （英语点津Celene编辑）
Water for Elephants 大象的眼泪 [ 2008-06-30 11:29 ]
一袋水能赶走苍蝇？ [ 2008-07-02 11:27 ]
你 可能会在一些餐厅发现门把上挂着几袋水，这可不是调节室温的新奇创意，而是驱赶苍蝇的新方法！俗语说:“An apple a day keeps a doctor away.” （一天一苹果，医生远离我）。可一袋水就能让我们远离苍蝇的烦扰吗？下文就将为您揭开这一迷题。 Perhaps you've visited a restaurant and seen clear, water-filled bags hanging on the doors or cinched up in the outdoor dining area. You might ask, "What's all this about? Some crazy new way to control temperature? A scheme to save money on waterpitchers?" While any effect on temperature is purely accidental, these hanging bags are all about driving pests away. People hang these bags outside their homes, businesses and even in their barns to drive flies away. Various takes on the water-bag practice exist. Some advocates insist the bag must have flakes of floating tin foil; others say a single penny. A couple of industrious Web sites even offer commercial takes on the concept, selling specially designed water bags to be used as repellents. The water bag method of fly repellant has many supporters, from restaurant owners to backyard grill-masters. So how does the method drive flies away? Some insist the flies perceive the clear liquid as the surface of a body of water. Others claim the insect flys away at the sight of its own magnified reflection. But the most popular reasoning that pops up among entomologists and patent-filing entrepreneurs is simple light refraction. Refraction takes place when a clear or opaque object, such as a piece of glass or a bag of water, alters the course and velocity of light. The rays of light, which normally travel in a straight line, bend. This effect is responsible for a number of optical illusions, such as mirages, that occasionally baffle humans as well. In theory, refraction can be just as confusing for some species of insect, especially the house-fly. It boasts a highly sensitive pair of compound eyes which allow it to see in multiple directions at once. The insect's head mostly consists of a pair of large complex eyes, each of which is composed of 3,000 to 6,000 simple eyes. These eyes can't move or focus on objects like human eyes, but they provide the fly with a mosaic view of the world around them. Each simple eye provides one small piece of the puzzle, much like the way a screen's pixel delivers one detail of the larger picture. A housefly bases its sense of direction on the direction sunlight comes from. Some entomologists believe that when these complex, sensitive eyes experience refracted light, the insect becomes confused and flies away. There are plenty of people who don't think water bags can repel flies. Critics often classify this theory in the realm of old wives' tales and modern superstition. They chalk success stories up to confusion between correlation and causation. So do bags of water lower the number of houseflies around homes and restaurants? There are reasonable explanations that argue yes and significant evidence that proves no. Regardless, you can still find water bags hanging near restaurant patios and backyard porches across the globe. cinch：系牢 pitcher：水罐 tin foil：锡纸，保鲜纸 light refraction：光的折射 velocity of light：光速 mirage：海市蜃楼 （英语点津 檀杰 编辑）
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