听力文本

One group of high buildings in New York might be called the capitol of the World. After World War II most of the countries of the World wanted to find some way of keeping a third World War from happening. These countries each sent men to meet together as our States send men to Congress. At their meetings they discuss matters that are of interest to all the countries of the World. When any country quarrels with another these people try to have them settle their quarrel without fighting. This congress is called the United Nations. The United Nations decided that New York City would be the best place to have its meetings and carry on its business. So there it built its offices. When the buildings were dedicated, or solemnly set apart for United Nations use, the speeches were broadcast in twenty-six different languages.

At a meeting of the United Nations each speaker speaks in his own language, yet he can be understood by all the other people there, for everyone wears earphones and hears a translation of the speech in the language he understands. Of course the people who do the translation must know two languages, for they have to listen in one language and speak into a microphone in another language. What they speak into the microphones is what is heard in the earphones. Millions of other people watch the United Nations meetings on television.

On a little island in New York Harbor is a huge bronze statue called the Goddess of Liberty holding aloft a torch-light. Her hand is over sixteen feet long. What a hand to shake! One finger is eight feet long. What a finger for a ring! Her nose is four and one-half feet long. What a nose for smelling! Her mouth is a yard wide. What a mouth for talking! You can climb up on the inside into the Goddess’s head and arm, and a dozen people can stand inside her torch. Ships pass by her, and their passengers crowding the deck greet her with a thrill of “My Country, ’Tis of Thee, Sweet Land of Liberty,” and wave her farewell as they leave for afar, perhaps never to return.

参考译文

纽约的一组高楼可以称作是全世界的“国会大厦”。第二次世界大战之后，世界上大多数国家都想寻找一个方法避免第三次世界大战爆发。就像我们每个州选派代表去国会开会一样，这些国家分别派出代表一起开会。他们在会上讨论各种与各国有利害关系的话题。当两个国家吵架了，这些代表就会劝说他们有事好商量，不要打架。这个国会叫做“联合国”。联合国认为纽约是他们召开会议、处理事务的最合适的地方，于是在这里建了办公地点。当这些楼正式划归联合国专门用于召开会议以后，会议发言是以26种语言播放的。

联合国会议上每一位发言人都说他自己国家的语言，但是其他人都能听懂，因为每个人都戴着耳机，听到发言被翻译成自己能听懂的语言。当然做翻译的人必须懂两种语言，听到一种语言后，就立刻通过话筒翻译成另一种语言，传到代表的耳机中。数百万人通过电视收看联合国会议。

在纽约港一个小岛上有一座巨大的铜像，叫做自由女神，她高高举着一个火炬。她的手有16英尺多长，这么大一只手谁能握得住啊！一根指头有8英尺长，这么大的手指要戴多大的戒指啊！她的鼻子有4.5英尺长，这么大的鼻子能闻到多远的气味啊！她的嘴巴有一码宽，这么大的一张嘴要能说话，该有多么响亮啊！你可以从她的身体里面攀登上去，进入女神的脑袋和手臂，她的火炬里面可以站12个人。轮船从她旁边经过，船上的人会聚集在甲板上向她问好，大声喊着“我的祖国，那属于你，美好的自由之邦”，然后跟她挥手道别，离开远去，有人也许永远不会再回来了。