英语听力—环球英语 1388 Ancient Rope Bridges

 　　Voice 1

 

　　Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Liz Waid.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　And I’m Ryan Geertsma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　In the Andes Mountains of Peru² a group of people walk through the forest. They carry long, thick ropes made from grass. Their trip is difficult. The path is full of rough³ rocks. The mountain paths are narrow and go up very high. But the people keep travelling. They finally arrive at a large deep canyon⁴. It is a large open space between the mountains. Down below, a large river flows through the bottom of the canyon. A bridge stretches across this canyon. But this bridge is not made of metal, wood, or stone. It is a rope bridge. The people in this area have been making rope bridges like this for hundreds of years. Today’s Spotlight is on the Inca suspension⁵ bridges of Peru.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　More than 500 years ago, Spanish explorers⁶ came to South America. They travelled through many areas, including the Andes Mountains. They were very surprised by these rope bridges. They had never seen bridges like these before. Bridges in Europe did not stretch across such large spaces. The Spanish soldiers were afraid to walk across the bridges. To the Spanish, these bridges looked weak.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　But the Peruvian⁷ Inca people knew their bridges were safe. 500 years ago, the Inca Empire was the greatest nation in the Americas. The Empire stretched far along the Andes Mountains. But this culture did not use common ancient technology. The Incas did not use wheels. They did not have a written form of mathematics⁸. But the Inca people were skilled⁹ engineers. They built many amazing buildings. They were very skilled stone workers. Their stone work continues to surprise engineers even today!

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The Inca’s engineering¹⁰ skills also helped them to build road systems. These roads covered the whole Inca Empire. The trails¹¹ and roads went through the mountains. Fast runners carried messages through the empire using these roads. Animals also carried heavy loads along the roads.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　But rivers caused a problem for road builders. The rivers cut deep valleys and canyons¹² between the mountains. They were very difficult to cross. And people could not complete a trip if they could not cross the rivers. So, the Inca engineers invented something amazing to solve this problem: rope suspension bridges. Experts say that in the 16th century, there were at least 200 rope bridges in the Inca Empire.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　John Ochsendorf is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT. MIT is one of the best technology schools in the world. Doctor Ochsendorf studies ancient building and engineering. He says that when the Spanish came to South America, they also tried to build bridges. But they tried to build the kind of bridges they used in Europe. These bridges were made of stone. And these bridges always fell down and broke.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The Inca people were very skilled with stone. They knew that stone would not work for bridges like this. The river canyons were too large. So the Incan engineers used another resource¹³ they understood. They used grass, cloth fibers¹⁴, and animal hair. Their rope bridges stretched more than 50 metres across large canyons. This was farther¹⁵ than any European stone bridge of that time. And no European bridges stretched across such deep canyons. The Inca rope bridges were some of the most amazing bridges of the time. Some of the ropes of these bridges were as thick as a man’s body.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　People in Peru still make these rope bridges today. Once a year, hundreds of people gather at the Apurimac River near the village of Huinchiri. They come here to help rebuild the rope bridge crossing the river. People must rebuild the bridges when the ropes become too old or damaged. But it is a quick process. Villagers say they can build these bridges in only three days.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　In 1997 the television program Nova recorded this process. The villagers all came to help build the new bridge. Clotilde Vilcas was one of the first people to arrive in the morning. She brought a rope made of grass. The rope was 45 metres long. Soon, other people also arrived. They also carried long ropes made of grass and animal hair. Before the villagers could build the bridge, they needed about 6,500 metres of rope.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　By the afternoon, almost 500 people had arrived to help build the new bridge. They turned and twisted¹⁶ their ropes together to form larger ropes. They continued to do this many more times to form the final ropes. Each large rope is made from 24 small ropes. In the end, the people create three large ropes. And each one weighs about 90 kilograms¹⁷.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Phillipe Petit is a French tightrope¹⁹ walker. He is very skilled at walking on ropes in very high places. Because of this, he knows a lot about rope! He was in Peru to watch how the people create this bridge. He talked to Nova about the rope they made.

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　“It is beautiful because each family did one little piece. Each community brought their own rope. Those small ropes are like your little finger. But they are combined into a bigger one. Then they are made into an even bigger one and now those three big ones. It is really a communion, a coming together.”

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The next morning, the people were ready to stretch the ropes across the river. A man started by throwing a small rope across the river. Then the other men used this small rope to pull the larger ropes across. Large stones stand on each side of the canyon. The people tied the ropes to these stones. Then they worked all day to make the bridge stronger. They pulled on the ropes until they were very tight¹⁸. This made the bridge move less in the wind. The largest ropes formed the floor of the bridge. Two other ropes were higher. People can hold these ropes as they walk across.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Then, the men completed the final step. They tied small ropes between the floor and the other ropes. The small ropes kept the large ropes connected and also made the bridge safer. These ropes prevented people from falling down into the river. The bridge was now ready for another year of traffic. Animals and people could cross the bridge safely.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The community of people worked together to make this bridge. The bridge is made from many small ropes, but together those ropes are very strong. The bridge is like the village community. The community is stronger when its members work together.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The writer of today’s programme was Joshua Leo. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United²⁰ States and the United Kingdom. All quotes²¹ were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at http://www.radioenglish.net This .programme is called "Ancient Rope Bridges".

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 Peru   

n.秘鲁(南美洲国家)

参考例句：

• Lima is the capital of peru.利马是秘鲁的首都。
• China and peru are friendly countries.中国和秘鲁是友好国家。

3 rough   

adj.粗糙的；粗略的，大致的；粗野的，粗暴的

参考例句：

• It's just a very rough translation.这只是一篇非常粗糙的译稿。
• His reply was a bit rough.他的答复过于粗鲁了一点。

4 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。

5 suspension   

n.悬挂，悬浮液，暂缓，未决，中止

参考例句：

• The local authorities decided to build a suspension bridge over the river.地方当局决定在这条河上建一座吊桥。
• A four-day suspension was imposed on her.她被勒令停职4天。

6 explorers   

n.探险家，勘探者( explorer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The explorers climbed a mound to survey the land around them. 勘探者爬上土丘去勘测周围的土地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The explorers had to rough it when they got into the jungle. 那些探险者进入丛林后，不得不过着艰苦的生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 Peruvian   

adj.秘鲁的n.秘鲁人

参考例句：

• The Peruvian will run for him, and l'll pick my runner. 那个秘鲁人会帮他跑，而我要选自己的参赛者。 来自电影对白
• Couples are breaking up a four-thousand-year-old Peruvian vase shipped UPS. 夫妻感情的破裂，就象四千年的秘鲁古瓷花瓶被UPS快递后的结果，无法弥合。 来自互联网

8 mathematics   

n.（用作单）数学；（用作单或复）计算(能力）

参考例句：

• He has come out in front in the study of mathematics.他在数学方面已名列前茅。
• She is working at a difficult problem in mathematics.她在做一道数学难题。

9 skilled   

adj.(in)熟练的，有技能的；需要技能的

参考例句：

• Unskilled workers usually earn less money than skilled workers.无技能的工人通常比有技能的工人挣钱少。
• She was skilled enough in French to translate a novel.她法语娴熟，足以翻译小说。

10 engineering   

n.工程，工程学，管理，操纵

参考例句：

• The science of engineering began as soon as man learned to use tools. 人类一学会使用工具,工程科学就开始了。
• It was the first great engineering works in the world. 这是世界上第一家大型的工程工厂。

11 trails   

n.足迹( trail的名词复数 )；臭迹；小径；一缕v.（使某物）被拖在后面( trail的第三人称单数 )；跟踪，追踪；（在比赛等中）输；（尤指跟在他人后面）疲惫地走

参考例句：

• He was a shrewd lawyer with a talent for uncovering paper trails of fraud. 他是个精明强干的律师，能从一连串文件中找出诈骗的蛛丝马迹。
• Police dogs have good noses for following criminals' trails. 警犬的嗅觉对罪犯留下来的痕迹特别敏锐。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 canyons   

n.峡谷( canyon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This mountain range has many high peaks and deep canyons. 这条山脉有许多高峰和深谷。 来自辞典例句
• Do you use canyons or do we preserve them all? 是使用峡谷呢还是全封闭保存？ 来自互联网

13 resource   

n.资源，财力

参考例句：

• All pollution is simply an unused resource.所有的污染只不过是一种未被利用的资源。
• He is full of resource in any emergency.他富有随机应变的才能。

14 fibers   

光纤( fiber的名词复数 )； （织物的）质地； 纤维，纤维物质

参考例句：

• Thesolution of collagen-PVA was wet spined with the sodium sulfate as coagulant and collagen-PVA composite fibers were prepared. 在此基础上，以硫酸钠为凝固剂，对胶原-PVA共混溶液进行湿法纺丝，制备了胶原-PVA复合纤维。
• Sympathetic fibers are distributed to all regions of the heart. 交感神经纤维分布于心脏的所有部分。

15 farther   

adj.更远的，进一步的；adv.更远的，此外；far的比较级

参考例句：

• I can throw the ball farther than you can.这个球我能比你扔得远。
• The farther hill is five kilometres away.那座更远的小山在五公里以外。

16 twisted   

adj.（感情、欲望等）反常的，变态的v.扭，搓，缠绕( twist的过去式和过去分词 )；歪曲；转动；扭转

参考例句：

• After the crash the car was a mass of twisted metal. 那辆车撞成了一堆扭曲的废铁。
• The rope had twisted itself around the wheel, stopping the motor. 绳子把轮子缠住，电动机就不转了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 kilograms   

n.千克( kilogram的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• 2 kilograms of rice 2公斤大米
• Every tonne of coal contains,on average,30 kilograms of nitrogen. 每吨煤平均含30公斤氮。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 tight   

adj.紧的；难解的；紧密的

参考例句：

• Time is going to be tight,so you'd better hurry.时间很紧，你最好抓紧一点。
• The box is so tight that I can't open it.这个盒子太紧，我打不开。

19 tightrope   

n.绷紧的绳索或钢丝

参考例句：

• The audience held their breath as the acrobat walked along the tightrope.杂技演员走钢丝时，观众都屏住了呼吸。
• The tightrope walker kept her balance by holding up an umbrella.走钢丝的演员举着一把伞，保持身体的均衡。

20 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

21 quotes   

v.引用，援引( quote的第三人称单数 )；报价；引述；为（股票、黄金或外汇）报价

参考例句：

• He quotes a few verses from Tennyson in his paper. 他在论文中引用了英国诗人丁尼生的几行诗句。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He quotes (from) the Bible to support his beliefs. 他引用圣经来支持自己的信念。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》