Passage 7

In the short period of six days, we have gone a longer distance than the world-renowned “Long March”. We have acquired a keen sense of the diversity, dynamism, and progress of China under your policies of reform and opening to the outside world.// My wife and I have a special regard and personal friendship for the people of China. Beijing is for us an old and nostalgic home. During our stay here ten years ago we spent a great deal of memorable time with the people here--working, shopping, sightseeing, and touring the city on our bicycles.// Those were happy days. They were good days, important days. We were part of the dramatic process which brought us back together and set us on the road to a genuine friendly and cooperative relationship.// Nonetheless, problems remain in our economic, education and strategic relations. While we are not so naive as to believe that there are no issues of difference between us, I also believe that our differences are greatly overshadowed by issues which bind us and strengthen our relationship.//

　　在短暂的六天里，我们的行程超过了举世闻名的“长征”。在改革开放政策引导下的中国，气象万千，充满活力，不断进步，这些我们都已强烈的感受到了。//我和我夫人对中国人民怀有一种特殊的敬慕之情和个人友谊。对我们两人来说，北京是我们思念的故乡。十年前我们在此生活期间，我们与这里的人们一起度过了许多难忘的时光—— 我们在这里工作、购物、观光、骑自行车逛城。//那是一些令人愉快的日子，一些美好的日子，一些意义重大的日子。我们参与了富有戏剧性的转变过程，这种转变使我们重新走到一起，使我们踏上了一条通往建立一种真诚友好的合作关系的道路。//然而，我们在经济、教育以及战略关系中仍然存在着问题。一方面，我们不会天真的以为我们之间不存在分歧，另一方面，我也认为那些将我们联系在一起并且强化我们关系的事务，在很大程度上弱化了我们之间的差异。//

　　Passage 8

　　The Washington National Cathedral is one of the largest and most famous religious centers in the United States. It belongs to the Episcopal Church. The official name of the building id the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.// The National Cathedral was built with money from private citizens. The work started in 1907, and the Cathedral was not completely finished until 1990. The first stone was laid in the presence of President Theodore Roosevelt. Every President of the United States since then has attended services or visited the Cathedral.// It looks like many of the great religious centers built in Europe about 800 years ago. The building is shaped like a cross or the letter T. in the center is a bell tower 91 meters high. Two more towers stand at the bottom of the cross.// Two hundred windows are set high in the walls of the National Cathedral. Most are made of many pieces of colored glass. They color the sunlight as it enters the building and spills across the floor. Some windows have flower designs. Others have images from Christian stories or from American heroes.//

　　华盛顿国家大教堂是美国规模最大、最负盛名的宗教中心之一，隶属主教派教会。该建筑的正式名称是圣彼得和圣保罗大教堂。//国家大教堂是由私人赞助建造起来的。工程开始于1907年，直到1990年才完全竣工。奠基石是当着当时西奥多·罗斯福总统的面放置的。从那以后的每一任美国总统都参加过这里举行的宗教礼仪活动，或参观过大教堂。//大教堂看起来像欧洲许多建于800年前的宗教大中心，形状像个“十”字，或像字母T，中间耸立了一座高达91 米的钟楼，另外两座塔楼坐落在十字形底部。// 200扇窗户高高的嵌在国家大教堂的墙上。大多数窗都由多块彩色玻璃拼成，射入建筑内的阳光被彩色玻璃染得五彩缤纷，洒落在大教堂一侧的地坪上，有些窗户有花卉图案，有些窗的画面则是一些有关基督教的故事或美国历史英雄的形象。//