2006年VOA标准英语-Reopened Observatory Offers Hollywood View of t

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
05 December 2006

Visitors to Hollywood often hope to catch a glimpse of the stars on the silver screen. Now, they can also get a peek¹ at the stars in the sky at the Griffith Observatory², a longtime Hollywood landmark³. Mike O'Sullivan reports, the hilltop facility recently reopened after a $90 million makeover.

 
Griffith Observatory 
The Griffith Observatory was established in 1935, and director Ed Krupp says the public soon fell in love with the hilltop building, with its geometric art deco motifs⁴ and three big domes⁵.

At the heart of the observatory are two professional telescopes, which Krupp says, offer the public a close-up view of the stars.

"The Zeiss telescope on the east side of the building has been observed through by more people than any other telescope on the planet," said Ed Krupp. "The solar telescope on the west side, which provides a magnified image of the sun, a live image of the sun, also has provided that image for more people than any place else in the world."

Krupp says the observatory became a landmark for its visual appeal, as well.

"Very early on, the motion picture industry also found Griffith Observatory, and it started using the observatory as a set for all kinds of things, eventually in Flash Gordon to the Palace of Ming the Merciless, or Jor-EL's castle on the planet Krypton [in Superman] - all over the place," he said. "And, then, of course, in the 1950s, with James Dean and Rebel Without a Cause, Griffith Observatory actually starred as Griffith Observatory."

There have been many screen appearances since then.

But like any aging star, the Griffith needed a facelift, and, five years ago, it closed for a major expansion. Now, it has reopened. The outside looks the same, but some 3,500 square meters were added underground to make room for 60 new exhibits.

"And those exhibits range all over the cosmos⁶ in terms of what they cover, everything from the most fundamental things we see in the sky - the moon and its phases and the seasons that we experience, to the extraordinary discoveries that have transformed our view of ourselves and the universe," explained Ed Krupp.

Human journeys to the moon, robotic missions to Mars and unmanned planetary probes are all part of the story that is told here. Samples of meteorite⁷ and moon rock are on display, and mechanical models show how the solar system works.

Visitor Eleanor Harris is impressed with the design and the exhibits.

"I think it's a wonderful place," she said. "There are a lot of educational things here, and I'm glad I came out today to visit."

 
Dawn Maurer and the young performers from The Lion King
Visitor Dawn Maurer, who came with a group of youngsters, was also impressed.

"I've never learned so much about meteorites," she said. "I've always been interested, but I'm a teacher, and I'm here taking The Lion King cubs⁸ on a field trip today."

She is visiting with a group of young performers from The Lion King, the Broadway musical, now onstage in Hollywood.

Jordan, 11,  and Diamond, 10, say the observatory is fun. Kenisha, 11, is learning more about the cosmos.

"It's nice," she said. "I like the moon and all the stars. I'm learning about the solar system."

The observatory has a 300-seat planetarium⁹, where constellations¹⁰ and planets are projected on the ceiling. Ten-year-old Cameron enjoyed the show.

"It's cool," he said. "I kind of made me motion sick, but it was awesome¹¹."

Over its 70 years, the Griffith Observatory has hosted 70 million people. Krupp says the expanded facility will continue to offer a window on the cosmos from the hills above Hollywood.

1 peek   

vi.偷看，窥视；n.偷偷的一看，一瞥

参考例句：

• Larry takes a peek out of the window.赖瑞往窗外偷看了一下。
• Cover your eyes and don't peek.捂上眼睛，别偷看。

2 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

3 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

4 motifs   

n. （文艺作品等的）主题( motif的名词复数 )；中心思想；基本模式；基本图案

参考例句：

• I try to develop beyond the old motifs. 我力求对传统的花纹图案做到推陈出新。 来自辞典例句
• American Dream is one of the most important motifs of American literature. “美国梦”是美国文学最重要的母题之一。 来自互联网

5 domes   

n.圆屋顶( dome的名词复数 )；像圆屋顶一样的东西；圆顶体育场

参考例句：

• The domes are circular or ovoid in cross-section. 穹丘的横断面为圆形或卵圆形。 来自辞典例句
• Parks. The facilities highlighted in text include sport complexes and fabric domes. 本书重点讲的设施包括运动场所和顶棚式结构。 来自互联网

6 cosmos   

n.宇宙；秩序，和谐

参考例句：

• Our world is but a small part of the cosmos.我们的世界仅仅是宇宙的一小部分而已。
• Is there any other intelligent life elsewhere in the cosmos?在宇宙的其他星球上还存在别的有智慧的生物吗？

7 meteorite   

n.陨石；流星

参考例句：

• The meteorite in Jilin Exhibition Hall is believed to be the largest in the world.吉林展览馆的陨石被认为是世界上最大的。
• The famous Murchison meteorite smashed into the Australian ground in 1969.1969年著名的默奇森陨石轰然坠落在澳大利亚。

8 cubs   

n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lioness guarding her cubs 守护幼崽的母狮
• Lion cubs depend on their mother to feed them. 狮子的幼仔依靠母狮喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 planetarium   

n.天文馆；天象仪

参考例句：

• The planetarium staff also prepared talks for radio broadcast.天文馆的工作人员还要准备讲稿给电台广播。
• It landed in a shallow basin fifty yards from the planetarium.它降落在离天文馆五十码处的一个浅盆地中。

10 constellations   

n.星座( constellation的名词复数 )；一群杰出人物；一系列（相关的想法、事物）；一群（相关的人）

参考例句：

• The map of the heavens showed all the northern constellations. 这份天体图标明了北半部所有的星座。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His time was coming, he would move in the constellations of power. 他时来运转，要进入权力中心了。 来自教父部分

11 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.