關(guān)于每天必讀英語(yǔ)短文
英語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)在我國(guó)已轟轟烈烈地開(kāi)展了幾十年。英語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)書(shū)籍各種各樣。從小學(xué),初中,高中到大學(xué)不斷貫徹英語(yǔ)教學(xué),可以說(shuō)英語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)已成為一個(gè)熱門話題。小編精心收集了關(guān)于每天必讀英語(yǔ)短文，供大家欣賞學(xué)習(xí)!
關(guān)于每天必讀英語(yǔ)短文：The Big Ben Clock
大本鐘
The Big Ben is located in the tower at the eastern end of the Houses of Parliament, Westminster, Greater London. It was designed by Edmund Beckett and Baron Grimthorpe.
大本鐘在倫敦威斯敏斯特英自治領(lǐng)會(huì)議院的最東邊。它的設(shè)計(jì)者是埃德蒙·貝克特和拜倫·格里姆索普。
The Big Ben is very famous throughout the world, but nobody really knows why it is called Big Ben. There are two hearsays about this. Some people say that it was named after Benjamin Caunt, a boxer, who was called Big Ben. More people believe it was called after Welshman, Sir Benjamin Hall. He was the commissioner of the work at the time of its installation in 1859.
大本鐘在世界上家喻戶曉，但實(shí)際上沒(méi)有多少人知道為何它叫大本鐘。關(guān)于這個(gè)問(wèn)題有兩個(gè)傳言：有人認(rèn)為它是從一個(gè)叫做本杰明·考特的拳擊家而來(lái)。更多人認(rèn)為它以一個(gè)威爾士人——本杰明·霍爾先生的名字命名的。他是安裝工程的監(jiān)督者。
A story was told that during a debate in the Commons on what to call the bell, Sir Benjamin was about to give his ideas when a MP who sat behind the front bench shouted, "Let's call it Big Ben!" Then this name came into being.
在經(jīng)過(guò)在下議院討論中應(yīng)該叫什么名字后，本杰明先生準(zhǔn)備給出結(jié)果時(shí)，一位在前凳后的國(guó)會(huì)議員喊道：“我們叫它‘大本’吧!”于是這個(gè)名字就誕生了。
The bell hasn't gone through a smooth road since the beginning of its design. Because there was great disagreement about the design of the clock, it took fifteen years to build. In 1857, the bell was completed and tested on the ground, but a four-foot crack appeared and the bell had to be cast again. Finally, the clock started ticking on 31 May, 1859, and struck its first chime on 11, July.
從大本鐘的設(shè)計(jì)到建造結(jié)束，這個(gè)鐘誕生的道路就荊棘滿途。因?yàn)楫?dāng)時(shí)關(guān)于這個(gè)鐘的設(shè)計(jì)大家有著很大的分歧，建造它就用了15年。1857年，大本鐘完工，并在地上做了測(cè)試。但是當(dāng)鐘要掛上去時(shí)，4尺長(zhǎng)的裂縫就出現(xiàn)了。1859年5月31日，大鐘的指針終于開(kāi)始移動(dòng)并在7月11日進(jìn)行了它的第一次報(bào)時(shí)。
Then in September, the bell cracked again. It was silent for four years but was eventually turned a quarter of a revolution. In this way, the crack was not under the striking hammer. Craftsmen made a square above the crack to stop it graving longer and it can still be seen today.
然而在九月份的時(shí)候，鐘又裂開(kāi)了。它沉靜了四年，直到在革命后裂縫終于被轉(zhuǎn)了一個(gè)角。這樣，裂縫就不在敲鐘槌的下面。工匠在裂縫上做了一個(gè)方框，以此來(lái)阻止裂縫的延長(zhǎng)，所以現(xiàn)在我們還能看到它。
The Big Ben is famous not only for its 13-ton weight, but also for its accuracy which is a result of its precise mechanism. Even one extra penny's weight on the balance will cause a gain of two fifths of a second in twenty four hours. Although there have been several problem, the bell is still striking today. Its chimes can be heard all over the world on the B.B.C.
大本鐘聞名全球不僅僅因?yàn)樗?3噸重量，還因?yàn)樗木珳?zhǔn)——那是因?yàn)樗鼑?yán)謹(jǐn)?shù)臋C(jī)械結(jié)構(gòu)。在平衡上增添額外的一便士重量都會(huì)造成每24小時(shí)多五分之二秒的后果。盡管有過(guò)幾次故障，直到今天大鐘仍然在報(bào)時(shí)。它的鐘鳴會(huì)通過(guò)B.B.C.廣播電臺(tái)傳遍全球。
關(guān)于每天必讀英語(yǔ)短文：Cairo
開(kāi)羅
Few other countries are so dominated by their capital: for Egyptians to speak of one is to speak of the other. The "Mother of the World" nurtures more than 16 million Egyptians, Arabs, Africans and sundry international hangers-on in a collision of East and West, old and new, African and Arabic.
很少有其他國(guó)家的首都是像開(kāi)羅這樣占據(jù)著國(guó)家大部分的資本：開(kāi)羅就是埃及的代名詞。對(duì)于埃及人來(lái)說(shuō)，兩者的意義是等同的。有“世界母親”之稱的埃及培育了超過(guò)1,600萬(wàn)人口，包括埃及人、阿拉伯人、非洲人和其他人種。各種各樣的碰撞在這里發(fā)生，東與西，新與舊，非洲和阿拉伯。
She's overburdened with one of the world's highest population densities, which makes for a seething mass of people, buildings and cacophonous traffic.
作為世界上人口密度最高的國(guó)家，埃及不堪重負(fù)，這些造就了這里復(fù)雜的人口、建筑以及嘈雜的交通環(huán)境。
Cairo has been the heart of Egypt for more than 1,000 years. Here the medieval world and the contemporary Western world clash in a confusion of mud-brick houses and towering modern office buildings, of flashy cars and donkey-drawn carts.
開(kāi)羅成為埃及的心臟已經(jīng)超過(guò)1,000年。這里是中世紀(jì)世界和當(dāng)代西方世界沖突的集中體現(xiàn)。泥磚屋的混亂和高聳的現(xiàn)代化辦公大樓、遲鈍的驢車和浮華小車都形成鮮明的對(duì)比。
Cairenes see nothing strange in this. They aren't driven by the Western obsession to update and upgrade. The resulting pervasive sense of timelessness is one of the city's great charms. At the end of the day, it's a city travelers either love or hate; few come away indifferent.
但在開(kāi)羅人眼里，這些都不足為奇。他們不是癡迷于西方世界的更新和升級(jí)。由此普遍產(chǎn)生的永恒感是這個(gè)城市的巨大魅力之一。一天下來(lái)，要么喜歡這里要么討厭這里，很少有旅客對(duì)這里的一切無(wú)動(dòng)于衷。
Finding your way about Cairo's vast sprawl is not as difficult as it may seem. Midan Tahrir is at the center. Northeast of Tahrir and centered on Sharia Talaat Harb is Downtown, a bustling commercial district.
尋找你對(duì)開(kāi)羅的巨大張力的方式并不是像看起來(lái)那么困難。塔利爾是在中心。東北塔利爾和沙里亞·塔拉特·哈布為中心城區(qū)，是一個(gè)繁華的商業(yè)區(qū)。
The city' main train station at Midan Ramses marks Downtown's northernmost extent. Heading east, Downtown ends at Midan Ataba and the old medieval heart of the city known as Islamic Cairo takes over.
米丹·拉美西斯火車站是市區(qū)的最北端。向東，市區(qū)結(jié)束于米丹·阿塔巴，這里是中世界的中心，之后被伊斯蘭開(kāi)羅接管。
Bordering Downtown to the west is the Nile River, which is obstructed by two sizeable islands. The more central of these, connected directly to Downtown by three bridges, is Gezira, home to the Cairo Tower and the Opera House complex.
市區(qū)的西面是尼羅河，它被兩個(gè)相當(dāng)大的島阻礙著。這里是更加中央的位置，其中三座橋直接連接到市中心，是吉齊拉，也是開(kāi)羅塔河復(fù)雜的開(kāi)羅歌劇院的地址所在。
The west bank of the Nile is less historical and much more residential. The primary districts are Mohandiseen, Agouza, Doqqi and Giza, all of which are light on charm and heavy on concrete. Giza covers by far the largest area of the four, stretching some 20km (12.4mi) west on either side of the long, straight road that ends at the foot of the Pyramids.
尼羅河西岸有著更短的和少得多的住宅。主要地區(qū)是Mohandiseen, Agouza, Doqqi和吉薩，所有這些都帶著明亮、深層的魅力。吉薩到目前為止，包括四大領(lǐng)域，在長(zhǎng)直路的兩側(cè)向西延伸20千米，一直伸展到金字塔的腳下。
關(guān)于每天必讀英語(yǔ)短文：全世界的奇特婚禮習(xí)俗
Early African American: Jumping the Broom. In the times of slavery in this country, African American couples were not allowed to formally marry and live together. To make a public declaration of their love and commitment, a man and woman jumped over a broom into matrimony, to the beat of drums. The broom has long held significant meaning for the various Africans, symbolizing, the start of home - making for the newlywed couple. In Southern Africa, the day after the wedding, the bride assisted the other women in the family in sweeping the courtyard, indicating her dutiful willing ness to help her in-laws with housework till the newlyweds could move to their new home. Some African-American couples today are choosing to include this symbolic rite in their wedding ceremony.
早期非洲裔美國(guó)人：跳掃帚在美國(guó)的黑奴時(shí)代，黑人男女是不允許正式結(jié)婚生活在一起的。為了向世人宣布他們的愛(ài)情和婚約，一對(duì)黑人男女和著鼓聲的節(jié)奏，一起跳過(guò)一把掃帚。(掃帚對(duì)各種非洲人長(zhǎng)期來(lái)都具有很重要的意義，因?yàn)樗馕吨禄榉驄D組成家庭的開(kāi)始。在南部非洲，新娘在婚后的第一天要幫助夫家的其他女性清掃院子，以此表明在住進(jìn)自己的新家前，她愿意盡職地幫助丈夫的家人承擔(dān)家務(wù)勞動(dòng)。)直至今日，一些美國(guó)黑人還在他們的婚禮上舉行這種象征性的儀式。
Armenia: Two white doves may be released to signify love and happiness. The bride may dress in red silk and may wear cardboard wings with feathers on her head. Small coins may be thrown at her.
亞美尼亞：人們放飛兩只白鴿，以示愛(ài)情和幸福。新娘穿著紅色絲綢的服裝，頭戴飾有羽毛的紙翼。人們還可向新娘投擲硬幣。
Bermuda: Islanders top their tiered wedding cakes with a tiny sapling. The newlyweds plant the tree at their home, where they can watch it grow, as their marriage grows.
百慕大：百慕大島民在他們的多層婚禮蛋糕的頂層插上一株小樹(shù)苗，新婚夫婦要將這株樹(shù)苗種在家中，這樣他們可以目睹樹(shù)苗伴隨著他們的婚姻一起長(zhǎng)大。
Bohemia: The groom gives the bride a rosary, a prayer book, a girdle with three keys to guard her virtue, a fur cap, and a silver wedding ring. The bride gives the groom a shirt sewn with gold thread blended with colored silks and a wedding ring. Before the ceremony, the groomsman wraps the groom in the bride's cloak to keep evil spirits from creeping in and dividing their two hearts.
波黑人：新郎向新娘贈(zèng)送一串念珠，一本祈禱文，一根上面串著三把鑰匙的腰帶(用以保護(hù)她的貞潔)，一頂毛皮帽，一個(gè)銀的結(jié)婚戒指。新娘則向新郎贈(zèng)送一件用金線和彩色絲綢縫制的襯衣和結(jié)婚戒指?；槎Y前，伴郎將新郎裹進(jìn)新娘的斗篷里，以防惡魔侵入，拆散他們相愛(ài)的心。
Caribbean: A rich black cake baked with dried fruits and rum is especially popular on the islands of Barbados, Grenada and St. Lucia. The recipe, handed down from mother to daughter. It is considered a "pound" cake with the recipe calling for a pound each of flour, dark brown sugar, butter, cherries, raisins, plus a dozen eggs and flavorings. The dried fruits are soaked in rum and kept in a crock anywhere from two weeks to six months.
加勒比地區(qū)：在巴巴多斯，格林納達(dá)和圣盧西亞，用干果和朗姆酒制作的味道濃郁的蛋糕十分常見(jiàn)。蛋糕的制作方法，由母親親手傳給女兒，并且各自對(duì)其加以修飾。人們把這種蛋糕叫作“一磅”蛋糕，因?yàn)橹谱鬟@種蛋糕需要面粉、棕糖、黃油、糖霜櫻桃、葡萄干、李子、紅醋栗各一磅，加上一打雞蛋和調(diào)味品。制作蛋糕的干果要在朗姆酒中浸泡并在瓦罐中保存兩個(gè)星期至6個(gè)月。
Czech: Friends would sneak into the bride's yard to plant a tree, then decorate it with ribbons and painted eggshells. Legend said she would live as long as the tree. Brides in the countryside carry on the very old custom of wearing a wreath of rosemary, which symbolizes remembrance. The wreath is woven for each bride on her wedding eve by her friends as a wish for wisdom, love, and loyalty.
捷克共和國(guó)：朋友們溜進(jìn)新娘的院子去種一棵樹(shù)，然后再用彩帶和彩繪的蛋殼將樹(shù)加以裝飾。傳說(shuō)新娘將與這樹(shù)活得一樣長(zhǎng)。鄉(xiāng)村的新娘還保留著佩帶迷迭香花環(huán)的古老習(xí)俗，以表懷念之情?；ōh(huán)是在婚禮前夕由新娘的朋友編織而成，它象征著智慧、愛(ài)情和忠誠(chéng)。
Egypt: Families, rather than grooms, propose to the bride. In Egypt, many marriages are arranged. The zaffa, or wedding march, is a musical procession of drums, bagpipes, horns, belly dancers, and men carrying flaming swords. It announces that the marriage is about to begin.
埃及：在埃及，由新郎的家人，而不是新郎本人，向新娘求婚。許多婚姻還是父母之命，媒妁之言。Zaffa，也就是婚禮，其實(shí)是一個(gè)充滿音樂(lè)的列隊(duì)游行，有鼓、風(fēng)笛、號(hào)角及肚皮舞，男人們手持火紅的劍。這個(gè)儀式宣告，婚姻即將開(kāi)始。
England: Traditionally, the village bride and her wedding party always walk together to the church. Leading the procession: a small girl strewing, blossoms along the road, so the bride's path through life will always be happy and laden with flowers.
英格蘭：按照傳統(tǒng)，鄉(xiāng)村的新娘和參加婚禮的人們總是一起步行走向教堂。一個(gè)小姑娘走在隊(duì)列最前面，她一路拋撒鮮花，預(yù)示著新娘一生的道路上也將開(kāi)滿鮮花，永遠(yuǎn)幸福。
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