1-8 西伯利亚大铁路

Trans-Siberian Express

 

The six thousand mile journey is the longest rail line on earth.

 

Few things in Russia impact the lives of as many people as the Trans-Siberian Express. And few engineering projects match the scope of this incredible feat¹.

 

Russian czar¹ Nicholas the second laid the ceremonial first piece of track at the dedication²² in 1891. But the real backbreaking³ work was done by Russian peasants. Amazingly the trans continental³ railroad was almost entirely⁴ built by hand. It was built by men with shovels⁵ and with picks and with wheel barrels, which is what makes it an even more impressive feat. It's hard to imagine how difficult the working conditions must've been for the people who were doing the labor⁶ on the railroad. In the wintertime, wind chills of one hundred and twenty degrees below zero ripped through clothing. While mid⁷ summer temps often topped a sweltering⁴ one hundred degrees Fahrenheit⁸⁵. It is estimated that thousands died during the construction.

 

Despite the devastating⁹ toll¹⁰⁶, the Trans Siberian ended up being a life saver for the country. At the beginning of the war, when Germany invaded the Soviet¹¹ Union, a lot of factories were simply moved out of European Russia by the railroad into Siberia. In a period of six weeks, an entire factory could be uprooted¹² and reestablished and go to work again. The Trans Siberian Express not only helped the Russian people survive World War Two, it continues to be one of the country’s greatest assets to this day.

 

For linking this vast country together, the Trans Siberian Express climbs aboard our list at number eight.

 

注释：

1.czar [zB:] n. (1917年以前的)俄国沙皇；沙皇

2.dedication [7dedi5keiFEn] n. 落成典礼

3.backbreaking [5bAkbreikiN] adj. 断人腰背的，使人劳累之极的

4.sweltering [5sweltEriN] adj. (天气、季节)闷热的；热得难受的

5.Fahrenheit [5fArEnhait] n. 华氏温标

6.toll [tEul] n.(付出的)代价；(遭受的)损失

 

西伯利亚大铁路

 

这6000英里的路程是世界上最长的铁路线。

　　俄罗斯没有什么能像西伯利亚大铁路那样影响这么多人的生活，也没有什么工程能与此惊人业绩相媲美。

　　1891年，俄国沙皇尼古拉二世在开工仪式上放下了第一节轨道，但真正辛苦建造它的却是俄国的农民。令人惊奇的是，这条跨越大陆的铁路干线几乎全是手工建成的。它由人们用铁锹、鹤嘴锄和手推车建造，这就使得这条铁路更是一大壮举。很难想像，当时修建铁路的工人的劳动条件是何等的艰苦。在冬季，零下120华氏度的寒风刺骨；在盛夏，又经常出现100华氏度的高温，热得人喘不过气来。据估计，有成千上万的人在建路过程中死去。

　　尽管为修建西伯利亚大铁路付出了惨重的代价，但它却拯救了这个国家的命运。战争一开始，当德国侵略苏联时，许多工厂就是通过这条铁路从欧陆俄罗斯转移到了西伯利亚。6个星期内就可以搬走整个一家工厂并在西伯利亚重建新厂开工。西伯利亚铁路不仅帮助俄国人渡过了二战期间的困难，今天，它仍是这个国家最宝贵的财富之一。

　　由于将一个浩瀚广袤的国度连为一体，西伯利亚大铁路名列我们排行榜的第8名。

1 feat   

n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的

参考例句：

• Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
• He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。

2 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。

3 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

4 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

5 shovels   

n.铲子( shovel的名词复数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份v.铲子( shovel的第三人称单数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份

参考例句：

• workmen with picks and shovels 手拿镐铲的工人
• In the spring, we plunge shovels into the garden plot, turn under the dark compost. 春天，我们用铁锨翻开园子里黑油油的沃土。 来自辞典例句

6 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

7 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

8 Fahrenheit   

n./adj.华氏温度；华氏温度计(的)

参考例句：

• He was asked for the boiling point of water in Fahrenheit.他被问到水的沸点是华氏多少度。
• The thermometer reads 80 degrees Fahrenheit.寒暑表指出华氏80度。

9 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

10 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

11 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

12 uprooted   

v.把（某物）连根拔起( uproot的过去式和过去分词 )；根除；赶走；把…赶出家园

参考例句：

• Many people were uprooted from their homes by the flood. 水灾令许多人背井离乡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The hurricane blew with such force that trees were uprooted. 飓风强烈地刮着，树都被连根拔起了。 来自《简明英汉词典》