VOA标准英语2014--巴拿马运河在日益激烈的竞争中迎来100岁生日
时间:2019-01-14 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2014年(八月)
Panama Canal Turns 100 Amid Growing Pains, Competition
The Panama Canal turns 100 this week. Officially opened in 1914, the 77-kilometer channel joins the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean at the isthmus 1 of Panama. It made the world smaller, creating a shortcut 2 for cargo 3 ships that ply 4 their trade from east and west. But 100 years later the canal is straining from the demands of expanding global trade. It may also be facing some serious competition as it navigates 5 the next 100 years.
Taking over 30 years to build, tens of thousands of workers - and more than 27 million kilograms of dynamite 6 - it is considered one of the biggest engineering feats 7 of the 20th century.
"The Panama Canal is one of those phenomenal moments in history. A terrific example of engineering and technological 8 strength of the United States, and really the coming of age of the United States as a global power," said University of Maryland Professor Julie Greene, author of the book "Canal Builders."
But the work exacted a heavy toll 9. By the time the first ship crossed the canal, nearly 26,000 workers had died, some from accidents, many from malaria 10.
But it also changed international commerce forever, especially in the U.S., says George Washington University professor, Noel Maurer.
“Because it enabled for the first time oil from California and lumber 11 from the Pacific Northwest, but it was really the Californian oil that was driving the boat, to be profitably exported from California to the rest of the United States, and that had huge economic benefits for the United States," Maurer said.
Today more than four percent of the world's commerce passes through the canal - some 14,000 ships per year. But the canal's locks are now too small for much of the world's container fleet and the largest oil tankers 12.
Transportation expert Rodney McFadden says bigger ships can be more efficient and profitable.
“They carry more cargo for about the same amount of money per mile. They are much easier on the environment," he said. "And they increase trade."
A Hong Kong company is backing a $40 billion plan to dig an alternate route through Nicaragua. If successful, it could pose a serious challenge to the canal.
But critics say the project is redundant 13 and impractical 14, especially when the Panama canal is in the midst of a $5 billion expansion. Once complete, the new locks will accomodate ships the length of the Empire State building and as wide as three basketball courts.
Autodesk, the New Hampshire-based company that created the software for the project, is thrilled. Not only has the expansion created over 250,000 jobs - once finished - it will create thousands more around the world, says AutoDesk spokesman Paul Sullivan.
"The ripple 15 effect here is interesting because once this canal is completed and these ships are able to transit 16 the canal, you’re going to see a lot more cities around the world competing for improving their ports so they can support those larger ships," he said.
Of the approximately 160 ports in the U.S., only about 15 can accommodate the larger supertankers that will pass through the expanded canal. By early 2016, experts say this grand canal will be able to handle 97 percent of the world's container ships - doubling the canal's capacity and ensuring it remains 17 a marvel 18 of engineering a hundred years from now.
- North America is connected with South America by the Isthmus of Panama.巴拿马海峡把北美同南美连接起来。
- The north and south of the island are linked by a narrow isthmus.岛的北部和南部由一条狭窄的地峡相连。
- He was always looking for a shortcut to fame and fortune.他总是在找成名发财的捷径。
- If you take the shortcut,it will be two li closer.走抄道去要近2里路。
- The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
- A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。
- Taxis licensed to ply for hire at the railway station.许可计程车在火车站候客。
- Ferryboats ply across the English Channel.渡船定期往返于英吉利海峡。
- Dolpins also navigates by some kind of echo system. 原来海豚也是借助某种回声系统寻向的。 来自辞典例句
- Navigates in menus, lists, choice screens and into edited texts. 可以操纵菜单、列表、屏幕选项和进入编辑文本。 来自互联网
- The workmen detonated the dynamite.工人们把炸药引爆了。
- The philosopher was still political dynamite.那位哲学家仍旧是政治上的爆炸性人物。
- He used to astound his friends with feats of physical endurance. 过去,他表现出来的惊人耐力常让朋友们大吃一惊。
- His heroic feats made him a legend in his own time. 他的英雄业绩使他成了他那个时代的传奇人物。
- A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
- Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今, 随着科技进步,生活节奏不断增快。
- 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。
- He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
- Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。
- The truck was sent to carry lumber.卡车被派出去运木材。
- They slapped together a cabin out of old lumber.他们利用旧木料草草地盖起了一间小屋。
- They should stop offloading waste from oil tankers into the sea. 他们应当停止从油轮上往海里倾倒废弃物。
- The harbour admits large tankers and freighters. 这个港口容得下巨型油船和货轮。
- There are too many redundant words in this book.这本书里多余的词太多。
- Nearly all the redundant worker have been absorbed into other departments.几乎所有冗员,都已调往其他部门任职。
- He was hopelessly impractical when it came to planning new projects.一到规划新项目,他就完全没有了实际操作的能力。
- An entirely rigid system is impractical.一套完全死板的体制是不实际的。
- The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
- The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来,碎在沙滩上。
- His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
- The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。
- 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。