australia

　　an island country, a whole continent, australia has a remarkably cohesive personality and one which, much to our surprise, is markedly foreign. it is no longer the infant colony, peopled by british convicts and pioneers, but a maturing, perhaps still somewhat adolescent individual, ruggedly steering a vital new course in life.

　　australia is a sprawl of rock and desert, fringed with lush valleys, snow fields, coral spectaculars, storm-stabbed cliffs and rolling beaches, a land rich in minerals, colors, curious flora 3, 230 species of mammals4 , 700 of birds, 400 of reptiles, 70 of amphibia, 2, 200 of fish and 50 , 000 species of insects — and seemingly infinite space . australia is becoming the richest country in the world, materially.

　　total area of the continent is about half as big as europe, or 25 times the size of britain and ireland. population is bunched mainly in coastal cities, the biggest of which are capitals of the country’s states and the federal capital canberra. canberra is a model of a planned garden city and is the seat of a major university. it is smallish in size , but big in importance. sydney is the largest city, and commercial capital of the country.

　　throughout the country, the basic accommodation unit is the motel, a flat prefabricated sprawl of bedrooms. but prices are reasonable and, most important, the rooms are excellent and equipped usually with air-conditioning, a refrigerator and tea and coffee making facilities. bath tubs are rare, as australians prefer the convenience and hygiene of a shower. porterage and other services are rare , as australians don’t like doing a job which smacks of servility. after all, this is the land of equality and opportunity.

　　阅读自测

　　Ⅰ. are these statements true or false according to the article ?

　　1. australia is as big as europe , or 25 times the size of britain and ireland.

　　2. canberra is not only the capital but also the biggest city of australia .

　　3. motel is very popular for accommodation in australia.

　　Ⅱ. match the following countries with their corresponding capitals :

　　egypt; australia; new zealand; canada; greece; south korea

　　wellington; athens; seoul; cairo; ottawa; canberra

　　参考答案

　　I.

　　1.F 2.T 3.T

　　II.

　　Egypt - Cairo; Australia - Canberra; New Zealand - Wellington; Canada - Ottawa; Greece - Athens; South Korea - Seoul

　　参考译文

　　年轻的大陆———澳大利亚

　　澳 大利亚是一个岛国, 但同时也是一个完整的大陆, 它具有突出一贯的个性。令人奇 怪的是, 这种性格同我们显然不同。澳大利亚已不再是住着英国罪犯和拓荒者的新开辟的 殖民地了, 而是一个沿着崭新的生活道路艰难前进的、不断成熟的、也许仍然比较年轻的 国家。

　　澳大利亚到处都是岩石和沙漠, 分布毫无规则, 但四周有青葱的山谷, 披着白雪的原 野, 形形色色的珊瑚礁, 风雨侵蚀的悬崖绝壁和浪花片片的海滩。这片土地富于矿藏, 色彩 斑斓, 拥有各种奇花异草。在这似乎无边无际的大地上有230 种哺乳动物, 700 种鸟类, 400 种爬行动物, 70 种两栖动物, 2200 种鱼类和5 万种昆虫。就物质条件来讲, 澳大利亚正在 变成世界上最富饶的国家。

　　这片大陆的面积约等于半个欧洲, 或者25 倍于英国和爱尔兰的总面积。人口主要聚 集在沿海城市, 其中最大的是澳大利亚各州首府和联邦首府堪培拉。堪培拉是一个典型的 有计划性的公园城市, 国内一所主要的大学也在这里。这座城市面积有点小, 但政治上很 重要。悉尼是全国最大的城市, 也是澳大利亚的商业中心。

　　澳大利亚的基本旅馆住所是汽车旅馆, 里边的卧室是成套的预先设制好房间, 这种汽 车旅馆几乎布满全国。房租并不贵, 最重要的是房内陈设漂亮, 通常有空调、冰箱和烹茶煮 咖啡的设备。澳大利亚人喜欢既方便又卫生的淋浴, 因此很少用浴盆。搬运业和其他服务 业也很少, 因为澳大利亚人不喜欢做带有奴颜婢膝感觉的工作。毕竟这是一个平等的充满 机遇的国家。

　　阅读导评

　　澳大利亚是个美丽的国度, 是大自然的宠儿。澳大利亚又是个年轻的国家, 之所以说 它年轻, 是因为它具有一种包容的心态和海纳百川的胸怀。

　　阅读导释

　　1. 澳大利亚, 位于南半球, 是世界上最小的大陆, 国土面积768 万平方公里。自然资源十分 丰富, 农牧业在世界上处于领先地位, 有“ 骑在羊背上的国家”的美誉。袋鼠( kangaroo) 、考拉( koala) 、鸭嘴兽( platypus) 是该国特有的物种。

　　2. convict n. 罪犯。澳大利亚早年是英国用来安置囚犯的殖民地。美国独立战争结束了美 国作为囚犯流放地的历史, 结果英国选中了澳大利亚, 并于1788 年带去第一批流放犯 人。

　　3. flora n. ( 某一地区或某一时代的) 植物群。与之相对的是fauna( 某一地区或某一时代的) 动物群。

　　4. mammal n. 哺乳类动物。本文出现的动物类别的名称还有: reptile( 爬行动物) ; amphibian ( 两栖类动物) ; insect( 昆虫) 。

　　5. canberra n. 堪培拉, 澳大利亚首都, 是举世闻名的花园城市, 绿地占市区面积一半以上。

　　6. prefabricated adj. 预制的。该词是由pre- ( ⋯⋯之前) 和fabricate ( 制作, 建造) 的过去式 构成。

　　7. 带有⋯⋯味道, 含有特定意味, 如: the meat smacks of garlic. ( 这肉有点儿蒜味。) his story smacks of exaggeration. ( 他讲的情况有点儿夸张。