VOA慢速英语2018 美国国会大厦的建筑是什么?

What Is the US Capitol Building?

In 1863, the American poet Walt Whitman wrote approvingly about the United States Capitol building in Washington, DC.

1863年，美国诗人惠特曼赞美了华盛顿特区的国会大厦。

Whitman described the building as calm and confident. And he said the Capitol’s dome¹ made it easily recognized and seen throughout the Washington area.

惠特曼称这栋建筑平静而自信，他还表示，国会大厦的圆顶让它在整个华盛顿地区都能轻易被认出来和看到。

Whitman called the dome “a vast eggshell, built of iron and glass.” He also likened it to a bubble, a tiara, and a “towering bulge² of pure white.”

惠特曼称这个圆顶是用钢铁和玻璃制成的巨大蛋壳。他还将它比作泡泡、皇冠以及纯白色的高耸凸起。

Today, the Capitol building is still a well-known symbol of the U.S. government. Although some people confuse it with the White House, where the president lives, it is the home of the U.S. Congress. In other words, the Capitol is the place where the country’s lawmakers meet to discuss, make and approve legislation. The House of Representatives meets in the building’s south wing. The Senate meets in its north wing.

如今，国会大厦仍然是美国政府的著名象征。虽然有些人把它和美国总统居住的白宫混为一谈，但它实际上是美国国会之所在。换句话说，国会大厦是美国议员开会讨论、制定和批准立法的地方。众议院在国会的南翼开会，参议院在大楼的北翼开会。

The two large meeting rooms for lawmakers are called chambers⁴. Usually House members and senators meet in their own chambers. But from time to time, they gather together in the House chamber³, which is larger.

这两个议员们的大型会议室被称之为议院。通常众议员和参议员都在各自的议院开会。但是他们时不时聚在众议院的议院里，因为这边更大。

These gatherings⁵ are called joint⁶ sessions of Congress. They happen at least once a year when the president gives a speech that is called the State of the Union address. Sometimes joint sessions of Congress happen after an election or when a foreign leader speaks.

这种聚集被称之为国会联席会议。每年总统发表国情咨文演讲时就会举行国会联席会议。有时候在选举之后或外国领导人演讲时也会举行国会联席会议。

U.S. lawmakers also gather at the Capitol when a president is sworn-in. Years ago, those swearing-in ceremonies – called inaugurations⁸ – sometimes took place inside the building. But today they usually are held outside. Many people who have never visited Washington, DC may still recognize the Capitol building because they have seen pictures of it during a presidential inauguration⁷.

当总统宣誓就职时，美国议员们也会聚集在国会大厦。多年前，这些被称之为就职典礼的宣誓仪式有时候会在国会大厦内部举行，但是如今通常会在外面举行。很多从未到过华盛顿特区的人可能也会认出国会大厦，因为他们在总统就职典礼期间看到过它的身影。

And those who come to Washington can visit the Capitol building in person. The U.S. Capitol Visitors Center can hold up to 4,000 people at one time. Visitors can see the building up close, learn its history and even listen to lawmakers debate the issues of the day.

前来华盛顿的人们可以亲自参观国会大厦。美国国会大厦游客中心一次最多可以容纳4千人。游客们可以近距离观看这栋建筑，了解其历史，甚至听取议员们对当天议题进行辩论。

I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

Words in This Story

confident - adj. having a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something

dome - n. a large rounded roof or ceiling that is shaped like half of a ball

vast - adj. very great in size, amount, or extent

tiara - n. a small crown

bulge - n. a rounded lump on the surface of something

symbol - n. an object that expresses a particular idea

confuse - v. to mistakenly think that one person or thing is another person or thing

joint - adj. combining the work of two or more groups of people

1 dome   

n.圆屋顶，拱顶

参考例句：

• The dome was supported by white marble columns.圆顶由白色大理石柱支撑着。
• They formed the dome with the tree's branches.他们用树枝搭成圆屋顶。

2 bulge   

n.突出，膨胀，激增；vt.突出，膨胀

参考例句：

• The apple made a bulge in his pocket.苹果把他口袋塞得鼓了起来。
• What's that awkward bulge in your pocket?你口袋里那块鼓鼓囊囊的东西是什么？

3 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

4 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

5 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

6 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

7 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

8 inaugurations   

n.就职( inauguration的名词复数 )；就职典礼；开始；开创

参考例句：