VOA慢速英语2021 约旦首都安曼发现古罗马浴场

A government committee in Jordan is facing a difficult question. How can it save the country's ancient past while planning for its future?

约旦一家政府委员会正面临一个难题。在规划未来时，要如何保存该国的古老历史？

The committee, set up two weeks ago, is considering the issue after the discovery of ancient Roman baths. The ruins were found during a dig for a building project, an underground canal that will help control flood water that comes into Amman, Jordan's capital.

两周前成立的这家委员会在发现古罗马浴场后正在考虑这个问题。该遗址是在挖掘一个建筑项目的过程中发现的，该项目是一条将有助于控制流入约旦首都安曼的洪水的地下运河。

The ruins have the remains¹ of furnaces, a sign of a complex heating system. Experts believe that the discovery is the first of its kind among the remains of the ancient city of Philadelphia on which Amman now stands.

该遗址上有炉渣，这是复杂加热系统的标志。专家们认为这是安曼目前所处的费城古城遗址的第一个此类发现。

Yazid Elayan is head of Jordan's Department of Antiquities². "We will balance the needs of the city - to protect it from flooding - to preserving antiquities under the streets," he said.

耶齐德·伊莱恩是约旦文物部门的负责人。他说：“我们将会在保护城市免受洪水侵袭和保留城市街道下文物的需求之间取得平衡。”

"Amman was one of the biggest Roman cities and it has one of the largest baths...Wherever one excavates⁴ in Amman, antiquities can be found," he told Reuters.

他对路透社表示：“安曼是最大的古罗马城市之一，并且拥有最大的浴场之一。只要在安曼挖掘，就能发现文物。”

Excavate³ is a term that means to dig out and remove soil.

挖掘是挖土并清运土壤的一个术语。

The work on the canal system has been suspended while the government committee makes its decision.

在这家政府委员会做决定时，运河系统的工程已经暂时停工。

Amman is an old city where ancient Roman structures can still be seen. It has an Amphitheatre that seated around 6,000 people. It has the Nymphaeum fountains and the Temple of Hercules, too.

安曼是一座古老的城市，这里仍然可以看到古老的罗马建筑。它有一个可容纳6千人的露天剧场。它还有睡莲喷泉和大力神神庙。

Building problems and irregular urban design have been important issues in the large city of four million people.

在这座400万人口的大城市中，建筑问题和不规则的城市设计一直是重要的问题。

It is built on many levels of history, from the Ammonites, Moabites, Romans and Greeks to the Islamic period.

这座城市建立在多重历史之上，从亚摩力人、摩押人、罗马人、希腊人一直到伊斯兰时期。

City officials have already expressed concern that delaying the canal project could raise water levels in central Amman. They say it could flood again during the winter.

城市官员已经表达了对推迟运河工程可能会提高安曼中心水位的担心。他们表示洪水可能会在冬天再次泛滥。

The formerly⁵ quiet city now has one of the Middle East's largest city centers.

这座曾经安静的城市现在拥有中东最大的城市中心之一。

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 antiquities   

n.古老( antiquity的名词复数 )；古迹；古人们；古代的风俗习惯

参考例句：

• There is rest and healing in the contemplation of antiquities. 欣赏古物有休息和疗养之功。 来自辞典例句
• Bertha developed a fine enthusiasm for the antiquities of London. 伯沙对伦敦的古迹产生了很大的热情。 来自辞典例句

3 excavate   

vt.挖掘，挖出

参考例句：

• They plan to excavate a large hole.他们计划挖个大洞。
• A new Danish expedition is again excavating the site in annual summer digs.一支新的丹麦探险队又在那个遗址上进行一年一度的夏季挖掘。

4 excavates   

v.挖掘( excavate的第三人称单数 )；开凿；挖出；发掘

参考例句：

• Biblical criticism excavates the various deposits that have been gathered in successive layers in these writings. “圣经”考证把向来积聚于这些作品的各层中的各种堆积物掘开。 来自辞典例句
• Why excavates K-V5's archaeology one not to die a violent death? 为什么发掘K-V5的考古者们没有一个死于非命呢？ 来自互联网

5 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。