新概念英语青少年版第四册第95课:Television Day:

Lesson 95 Television Day:Stonehenge
第95课 电视日:巨石阵
The circle of stones that can be seen at Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain in England
在英国索尔兹伯里平原的巨石阵能看到有用石头围成的圈
is one of the oldest and most mysterious monuments in the world
这是世界上最古老最神秘的纪念碑之一.
The monument was probably put up between 1800 B.C. and 1400 B.C.
这一纪念碑很可能建于公元前1800年到1400年之间.
When it was completed it consisted of a double circle of stones,
建成的时候,它由两层石头组成.
with two more groups of stones outside the circles.
在圈圈外面还有2圈石头.
Many of the stones used in this monument
许多用来造此纪念碑的石头
must have been transported over 250 miles to Stonehenge.
大概是从250英里以外运到巨石阵的.
Single stones,some of them weighing about four tons,
有的石头一块就重达4吨,
must have been sent on rivers and rolled over land on tree trunks.
大概是通过水路运来或者走陆路通过树干滚运而来
They can't have been carried!
它们不可能是搬运来的.
The men who moved the stone didn't have wheels or horses.
那时,运石人没有车又没有马.
Each stone had to be moved by hand and placed in position.
每块石头都得用手搬放到它的位置上.
They were fitted together with great technical skill
这些石块很精巧地堆放成形.
There are many theories about the purpose of the stones.
关于这些石块的.用途有多种说法.
Stonehenge was certainly a meeting-place.
巨石阵肯定是个汇集点.
The stones have been arranged in a particular way to mark sunrise and sunset
石块以特殊方式排列起来标志日升日落
at certain times during the year.
在1年里某些时刻的.
This may have been a place of worship of the sun and also an observatory.
这可能是朝拜太阳的地方也可能是天文台.
One interesting theory suggests
有个有趣的说法:
that the stones were some kind of computer
这些石头是一种计算机
which was used to predict eclipses of the sun and moon.
用来预测日、月蚀的.