VOA慢速英语2018 美国国会大厦的建筑是什么?

What Is the US Capitol Building?

In 1863, the American poet Walt Whitman wrote approvingly about the United States Capitol building in Washington, DC.

1863年，美国诗人惠特曼赞美了华盛顿特区的国会大厦。

Whitman described the building as calm and confident. And he said the Capitol’s dome 1 made it easily recognized and seen throughout the Washington area.

惠特曼称这栋建筑平静而自信，他还表示，国会大厦的圆顶让它在整个华盛顿地区都能轻易被认出来和看到。

Whitman called the dome “a vast eggshell, built of iron and glass.” He also likened it to a bubble, a tiara, and a “towering bulge 2 of pure white.”

惠特曼称这个圆顶是用钢铁和玻璃制成的巨大蛋壳。他还将它比作泡泡、皇冠以及纯白色的高耸凸起。

Today, the Capitol building is still a well-known symbol of the U.S. government. Although some people confuse it with the White House, where the president lives, it is the home of the U.S. Congress. In other words, the Capitol is the place where the country’s lawmakers meet to discuss, make and approve legislation. The House of Representatives meets in the building’s south wing. The Senate meets in its north wing.

如今，国会大厦仍然是美国政府的著名象征。虽然有些人把它和美国总统居住的白宫混为一谈，但它实际上是美国国会之所在。换句话说，国会大厦是美国议员开会讨论、制定和批准立法的地方。众议院在国会的南翼开会，参议院在大楼的北翼开会。

The two large meeting rooms for lawmakers are called chambers 4. Usually House members and senators meet in their own chambers. But from time to time, they gather together in the House chamber 3, which is larger.

这两个议员们的大型会议室被称之为议院。通常众议员和参议员都在各自的议院开会。但是他们时不时聚在众议院的议院里，因为这边更大。

These gatherings 5 are called joint 6 sessions of Congress. They happen at least once a year when the president gives a speech that is called the State of the Union address. Sometimes joint sessions of Congress happen after an election or when a foreign leader speaks.

这种聚集被称之为国会联席会议。每年总统发表国情咨文演讲时就会举行国会联席会议。有时候在选举之后或外国领导人演讲时也会举行国会联席会议。

U.S. lawmakers also gather at the Capitol when a president is sworn-in. Years ago, those swearing-in ceremonies – called inaugurations 8 – sometimes took place inside the building. But today they usually are held outside. Many people who have never visited Washington, DC may still recognize the Capitol building because they have seen pictures of it during a presidential inauguration 7.

当总统宣誓就职时，美国议员们也会聚集在国会大厦。多年前，这些被称之为就职典礼的宣誓仪式有时候会在国会大厦内部举行，但是如今通常会在外面举行。很多从未到过华盛顿特区的人可能也会认出国会大厦，因为他们在总统就职典礼期间看到过它的身影。

And those who come to Washington can visit the Capitol building in person. The U.S. Capitol Visitors Center can hold up to 4,000 people at one time. Visitors can see the building up close, learn its history and even listen to lawmakers debate the issues of the day.

前来华盛顿的人们可以亲自参观国会大厦。美国国会大厦游客中心一次最多可以容纳4千人。游客们可以近距离观看这栋建筑，了解其历史，甚至听取议员们对当天议题进行辩论。

I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

Words in This Story

confident - adj. having a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something

dome - n. a large rounded roof or ceiling that is shaped like half of a ball

vast - adj. very great in size, amount, or extent

tiara - n. a small crown

bulge - n. a rounded lump on the surface of something

symbol - n. an object that expresses a particular idea

confuse - v. to mistakenly think that one person or thing is another person or thing

joint - adj. combining the work of two or more groups of people