Text B Tibet
导 读
西藏位于中国西南边疆，是个美丽、独特而又神秘的地方，这里有举世闻名的珠穆朗玛峰，世界第一大峡谷雅鲁藏布大峡谷，令人神往的神山圣湖，雄伟壮观的布达拉宫，风格独特的寺庙建筑。这些独有的自然景观和人文景观使西藏无法取代。
Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR for short) attracts people of all persuasions every year from both home and abroad.It rewards every visitor with an unforgettable experience of the land,the people and the mysticism.
Tibet is the gateway of southwest China.Its land mass is about 1/8 of the territories of China.The history of Tibet all began about 4,000 years ago,when living was simpler.Lhasa is the political,economic,cultural and religious center of Tibet with abundant cultural relics,like the world’s highest palace complex,the Potala Palace,built over 1,300 years ago.
Tibet is called “Roof of the World” and the “Third Pole of the Earth”.The world’s highest peak,Mt.Everest is situated in this region.The vast land is also the river source for the Yangtze River,the Yellow River,the Yarlong Tsangpo (Brahmaputra),the Indus,and the Ganges.Tibetan lakes: the Heavenly Lake Namtso,the Yamdrok Yumtso Lake and the Lake Manasarova set Tibet apart as an exceptional scenic place.
Potala Palace
Situated on the Red Hill of central Lhasa,Potala Palace is the highest ancient palace in the world,reaching 3,767.19 m (12,359.55 ft) at the topmost point.
Potala named after a holy hill in South India is a Sanskrit word meaning “Abode of the Avalokitesvara (Buddha of Mercy)”.Legend has it that in the 7th century,to greet his bride Princess Wen Cheng of the Tang Dynasty (618—907) of China,the then Tibet King Songtsen Gampo built a 9-storey palace with a thousand rooms up on the Red Hill and named it Potala.Later,with the collapse of the Songtsen Gampo Dynasty,the ancient palace was almost destroyed in wars.What we see at present is the architecture of the Qing Dynasty (1644—1911) and the result of continuous expanding work since the 17th century.
Potala Palace is composed of 2 parts,the Red Palace as the center and the White Palace as two wings.
The Red Palace or Potrang Marpo is the highest part in central Potala Palace that is completely devoted to religious study and Buddhist prayer.It was painted red to represent stateliness and power.It consists of a complicated layout of different halls,chapels and libraries on many levels with an array of smaller galleries and winding passages: The Great West Hall,Dharma Cave,The Saint’s Chapel,etc.The 725 sq meters (about 7,804 sq ft) Great West Hall is the largest hall of Potala Palace,with beautiful murals painted on its inner walls.Around the Great West Hall are three chapels: the east chapel,the north chapel and the south chapel.The Dharma Cave and the Saint’s Chapel are the only two remaining constructions of the 7th century with the statues of Songtsen Gampo,Princess Wen Cheng,and Princess Bhrikuti inside.
The White Palace or Potrang Karpo once serving as the office building of Tibet local government makes up the living quarters of Dalai Lama.The wall of the palace was painted white to convey peace and quietness.The Great East Hall on the fourth floor,occupying a space of 717 sq meters (about 7,718 sq ft),was the site for momentous religious and political events.The fifth and sixth floors are used as the living quarters and offices of regents while the seventh floor,the top one,is the living quarters of Dalai Lama consisting of two palaces named the East Chamber of Sunshine and the West Chamber of Sunshine due to the plentiful sunshine.
Potala Palace has other annexes including the School of Buddhist Logic,the seminary,the printing House,gardens,courtyards and even the jail.For more than 300 years,Potala Palace has treasured many culture relics such as murals,stupas,statues,and rare sutras.
Mt.Everest (Mt.Qomolangma)
Mt.Everest,also called Mt.Qomolangma,is the highest peak in the world.Its Tibetan meaning of “Goddess the Third” adds more mysterious color and magic power to the subject.As a result,it has intrigued all kinds of people since it was first discovered.Pilgrims trek long distances to present a pious worship,climbing enthusiasts run great risks to challenge its high altitude and the common tourists also yearn for a reverent look at this holy peak.
The altitude of Mt.Everest is now about 8,844.43 m.(29,017 ft.).It is the dominant peak of Himalayas,with the northern brae in Tingri County of Tibet and the southern in the Nepal.The area has 4 peaks above 8,000 m.(26,247 ft.) and 38 peaks above 7,000 m.(22,965 ft.),hence the laudatory title “the Third Pole of the Earth”.
As the supreme point of the world,Mt.Everest is also blessed with many extreme wonders.The top part of the mountain is covered with snow all the year round.More often than not,the thick freely moving clouds and fogs,seeming as if a flag with the mast of the peak was swinging,will shroud the peak.This peculiar phenomenon of Mt.Everest is known as “Flag Cloud”.An additional wonder generated here is the bright glaciers,where ice is formed into various shapes like bridges,pagodas and others.
The area of Mt.Everest has been built as one of the national natural reserves,wherein live thousands of kinds of plants,hundreds of varieties of wild animals and dense virgin forests.
At the foot of Mt.Everest lies the highest temple in the world,Rongbuk Monastery.At the altitude of about 5,000 m.(16,404 ft.),it is also the best point to appreciate the scenery of Mt.Everest.Rongbuk Glacier around this area is also the largest among all the glaciers here.
Yarlung Tsangpo River
There is a galaxy in the heaven and a Sky River (Tianhe) on the earth,which is Yarlung Tsangpo River.In Chinese,Yarlung Tsangpo River means water flowing down from the crest.Found in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,known as “the roof of the world”,the Yarlung Tsangpo River is the biggest river in Tibet and also holds the position as being the river found at the highest altitude across the world.
Yarlung Tsangpo River originates from a glacier on the northern side of the middle Himalayas,over 5,300 meters (208,661 feet),above sea level.It runs across the south of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from west to east,through India and Bengal,and finally flows into the Bay of Bengal.Altogether more than 2,900 kilometers (1,802 miles) long with a catchment area of 935 thousand square kilometers (361,006 square miles),it is the fifth longest river in China.With a large number of branches,its natural hydropower capacity reaches up to 79,116 thousand kilowatts,just second to the Yangtze River in China.
Yarlung Tsangpo River Valley is rich in forest resources,owning 2,644 thousand hectares of virgin forest.Rare and unique plants and animals along with a natural treasure house of wildlife such as yew and Zoraptera insects can be found here.From the pottery shard and stone objects of the Neolithic Period discovered in Nyingchi County,the ancient culture of Yarlung Tsangpo River can be traced back thousands of years.To some extent,it is the cradle of Tibetan civilization.
The Great Canyon of Yarlung Tsangpo River is absolutely a highlight.It is the largest and deepest canyon in the world,being 504.6 kilometers (314 miles) long and 6,009 meters (19,715 feet) deep at its deepest.The average depth is 2,268 meters (7,441 feet).Nine natural vertical zones ranging from the Alp ice-snow belt to tropical seasonal forests are represented in this area.All kinds of wildlife exist here,so the Great Canyon of Yarlung Tsangpo River is regarded as “the Gene Pool of Biological Resources”,while enjoying fame as a “Geological Museum” due to the various geological phenomena found here.
Words & Expressions
1.sanskrit['sænskrit] adj.梵文的
n.梵文
2.abode[ə'bəud] n.住处；营业所
3.avalokitesvara n.观世音菩萨；观音菩萨
4.stateliness['steitlinis] n.威严；庄严
5.mural['mjuərəl] n.壁画；壁饰
6.dharma['dɑːmə] n.（佛教中的）达摩（指佛的教法、佛法、一切事物和现象）；（印度教的）法则
7.the living quarters 生活区
8.regent['riːdʒənt] n.摄政王；摄政者；州立大学董事会董事；统治者
adj.摄政的；统治的
9.annex[ə'neks，'æneks] n.附加物；附属建筑物
vt.附加；获得；并吞
10.seminary['seminəri] n.神学院；学校；发源地；高级中学
11.Stupas n.舍利塔；浮屠塔
12.sutras n.经典；佛经（sutra的复数形式）
13.trek[trek] n.艰苦跋涉
vi.艰苦跋涉
14.pious['paiəs] adj.虔诚的；敬神的；可嘉的；尽责的
15.reverent['revərənt] adj.虔诚的；恭敬的；尊敬的
16.brae[brei] n.斜坡；山坡
17.Tingri County 定日县
18.shroud[ʃraud] n.寿衣；覆盖物；船的横桅索
vt.覆盖；包以尸衣
19.Rongbuk Monastery 绒布寺
20.crest[krest] n.［物］波峰；冠；山顶；顶饰
vi.到达绝顶；形成浪峰
21.Bay of Bengal 孟加拉湾
22.catchment area 下游区；排水区
23.hydropower['haidrəu，pauə] n.水力发出的电力；水力发电
24.yew[juː] n.紫杉；紫杉木
25.Zoraptera n.［昆］缺翅目
26.shard[ʃɑːd] n.陶瓷碎片
27.Nyingchi n.林芝（地名）
28.gene pool ［遗］基因库
Notes
1.Dalai Lama（达赖喇嘛）：The Dalai Lama is a religious figure in Tibetan Buddhism.He is the highest spiritual teacher of the Gelugpa school.A new Dalai Lama is said to be the re-born old Dalai Lama.Dalai Lama is the title of Tibetan Buddhism leader.“Dalai” originates from Mongolian which means “ocean”，and “Lama” originates from Tibetan which means “the highest principle”.In 1653，during the Qing Dynasty，this title was authorized to Dalai Lama V by the Chinese Emperor for the first time.
2.Neolithic Period（新石器时代）：The Neolithic Age，Era，or Period or New Stone Era，was a period in the development of human technology，beginning about 10，200 B.C.according to the ASPRO chronology in some parts of the Middle East，and later in other parts of the world.It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age.The Neolithic is a measured progression of behavioral and cultural characteristics and changes，including the use of wild and domestic crops and the use of domesticated animals.
Exercises
I.Match each of the words on the left with its meaning on the right.
1.mural a.an extra building added to a larger building
2.annex b.the production of electricity by the force of fast moving water
3.trek c.a large picture that has been painted on the wall of a room or building
4.hydropower d.strongly believing in religion,and living in a way which shows this belief
5.pious e.to walk a long distance,usually over land such as hills or forests
II.Translate the following phrases into Chinese.
1.Tibet Autonomous Region
2.Potala Palace
3.Mt.Everest
4.Yarlung Tsangpo River
5.Neolithic Period
III.Translate the following sentences into Chinese.
1.The vast land is also the river source for the Yangtze River,the Yellow River,the Yarlong Tsangpo (Brahmaputra),the Indus,and the Ganges.
2.Legend has it that in the 7th century,to greet his bride Princess Wen Cheng of the Tang Dynasty of China,the then Tibet King Songtsen Gampo built a 9-storey palace with a thousand rooms up on the Red Hill and named it Potala.
3.For more than 300 years,Potala Palace has treasured many culture relics such as murals,stupas,statues,and rare sutras.
4.There is a galaxy in the heaven and a Sky River (Tianhe) on the earth,which is Yarlung Tsangpo River.
5.It runs across the south of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from west to east,through India and Bengal,and finally flows into the Bay of Bengal.