08_A_Famous_Monastery
08 A Famous Monastery¶
The Great St.Bernard Pass connects Switzerland to Italy. At 2,473 metres, it is the highest mountain pass in Europe. The famous monastery of St.Bernard, (which was founded in the eleventh century), lies about a mile away. For hundreds of years, St.Bernard dogs have saved the lives of travellers (crossing the dangerous Pass). These friendly dogs, which were first brought from Asia, were used as watchdogs even in Roman times. Now that a tunnel has been built through the mountains, the Pass is less dangerous, but each year, the dogs are still sent out into the snow whenever a traveller is in difficulty. Despite the new tunnel, there are still a few people (who rashly attempt to cross the Pass on foot).
During the summer months, the monastery is very busy, for it is visited by thousands of people who cross the Pass in cars. As there are so many people about, the dogs have to be kept in a special enclosure. In winter, however, life at the monastery is quite different. The temperature drops to -30 degrees, and very few people attempt to cross the Pass. The monks prefer winter to summer for they have more privacy. The dogs have greater freedom, too, for they are allowed to wander outside their enclosure. The only regular visitors to the monastery in winter are parties of skiers who go there at Christmas and Easter. These young people, who love the peace of the mountains, always receive a warm welcome at St.Bernard's monastery.
Words¶
- Pass /pæs/ 圣伯纳德山口
- monastery /ˈmɑnəˌstɛri/ 修道院
- rashly /ˈræʃlɪ/ 鲁莽地
- about /əˈbaʊt/ 在附近
- enclosure /ɛnˈkloʒɚ/ 围场
- monks /mʌŋks/ 僧侣
- privacy /ˈpraɪvəsi/ 隐私
- wander /ˈwɑndɚ/ 溜达
- skiers /ˈskiɚz/ 滑雪的人
- Easter /ˈistɚ/ 复活节
- peace /pis/ 平静
Expressions¶
- Can I get some privacy? 能让我有点隐私吗？
- connect a to b 把 A 和 B 连接起来
- for hundreds of years 数百年
- Now that + 从句 由于
- attempt to do sth. 试图做某事
- be in difficulty 遇到问题或处于困境
- receive a warm welcome 受到热烈欢迎