常春藤解析英语 79 Chicago: An American City 兼容并蓄的芝加哥
Chicago: An American City 兼容并蓄的芝加哥
by Kevin Lustig
If you want to see the US, don't overlook Chicago and its Millennium Park.
如果你想了解美国，千万别错过芝加哥和千禧公园。
People all over the world are familiar with major American cities like New York, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. But what about Chicago? The Windy City is well worth exploring.
Chicago has played a big part in American history. In modern times, this metropolis in the Midwest region of the United States has become an important center for business, music, and education.
Chicago was founded in 1837, during a time when America was expanding. Most Americans lived east of the Mississippi River then, but they were moving in large numbers toward the west coast. Chicago is located very close to the Mississippi River and is situated on the southern shore of Lake Michigan, one of the five Great Lakes between the US and Canada. Through the system of lakes and rivers, Chicago was well connected to all of the American states. Travelers moving west brought business and new residents to the city, which grew to 1 million people within 50 years of its founding.
By the 1890s, Chicago had become a leading international city. The University of Chicago, one of the world's most prominent universities, was founded in 1892, and Chicago hosted the 1893 World's Fair, bringing millions of visitors from around the globe. Later on, Chicago became an important center for jazz music. In 1974, Chicago's Sears Tower was built, the tallest building in the world at the time. Chicago is now the third largest city in the US, and one of its most important in commerce and culture. For anyone who is interested in seeing the US, Chicago is not to be missed.
世界各地的民众都很熟悉纽约、华盛顿特区和洛杉矶等美国主要城市。那芝加哥呢?这座人们口中的『风城』值得让人探索一番。
芝加哥在美国历史上占有举足轻重的地位。在现代，这座位于美国中西部的大都市成为商业、音乐和教育的重镇。
芝加哥建于 1837 年正值美国扩张时期。当时大部分美国人居住在密西西比河东岸，后来逐渐大批移往西岸。芝加哥地理位置靠近密西西比河，位于美加交界的五大湖之一，也就是密西根湖的南岸。透过河湖系统，芝加哥与美国各州紧紧联系。西进的人口带来商业活动和新的居民，让芝加哥在成立 50 年内人口增加到 1 百万。
到了 1890 年代，芝加哥已成为重要的国际城市。成立于 1892 年的芝加哥大学是世界最知名的学府之一。芝加哥也举办过 1893 年的世界博览会，吸引了世界各地好几百万的观光人潮。之后，芝加哥成为爵士乐的重镇。1974 年，芝加哥希尔斯大厦落成，成为当时世界的最高楼。如今，芝加哥是美国第三大城市，也是美国贸易和文化重镇。对于任何有兴趣一窥美国的人而言，绝对不能错过芝加哥。
单字小铺
1. metropolis n. 大都市
2. found vt. 建立;创立
3. resident n. 居民
4. leading a. 主要的;领导的
5. prominent a. 显著的;卓越的
6. commerce n. 商业;贸易
词组小铺
1. all over the world 全球各地
= around the world
= across the world
= throughout the world
= the world over
2. be interested in... 对……有兴趣
精解字词词组
1. A be familiar with B A 熟悉 B
= B be familiar to A
例: He was familiar with the scenery.
= The scenery was familiar to him.
(那景色对他而言很熟悉。)
2. be worth + N/V-ing 值得……
注意:
worth 为形容词，却带有介词的功能，换言之，其后须接名词或动名词作受词。
例: This TV show is definitely worth watching.
(这个电视节目绝对值得一看。)
3. play a big part/role in... 在……中∕方面扮演举足轻重的角色
play an important part/role in... 在……中∕方面扮演重要的角色
例: Computers play an important part in every modern office.
(在所有现代化办公室中，计算机都扮演了重要的角色。)
4. expand vi. 扩张;发展 & vt. 扩充，扩大
例: Mr. Brown has recently expanded his business.
(布朗先生最近扩张了他的事业。)
5. in large numbers 为数很多地
in small numbers 少数地
例: The brochures were printed in small numbers.
(这些小册子印制的份数很少。)
6. be connected to... 与……连接
connect A to B 连接 A 和 B
例: Jim connected the blue wire to the red one, and the phone worked again.
(吉姆将蓝色的线接上红色的，然后电话又通了。)
7. host vt. 主办;主持
例: I'm hosting a dinner party on Friday. Can you come?
(星期五我要举办一场晚宴。你能够来参加吗?)
8. later on 后来，稍后
例: Let's swim now and get some food later on.
(我们现在先游泳，稍后再吃点东西。)
