进入混凝土时代

People talk about the Bronze Age and the Iron Age,

人们谈论青铜时代和铁器时代

but in many ways, ever since the Romans,

但从多方面来看 自从有了罗马人的发明

we've been living in the Concrete Age.

我们进入了混凝土时代

The key ingredient of Roman concrete is volcanic ash.

罗马混凝土的关键成分是火山灰

And Rome is surrounded by 50 volcanoes.

罗马周围有五十座火山

Today, two thirds of mankind live in buildings Made of concrete.

如今 世界人口的三分之二住在混凝土造的房子里

The aqueduct cost the equivalent Of eight and three quarter billion dollars,

引水渠的成本相当于八十七亿五千万美元

Ten times more than the Hoover Dam.

是胡佛水坝建设开支的十倍

You have to imagine people coming into Rome

可以想象当人们来到罗马时

getting some of their first impressions about this centre of Empire

看到这宏伟的工程 会对这个帝国的中心城市

from this massive engineering project.

留下怎样的印象

It was advertising Rome's power.

这向世界宣告了罗马帝国的实力

So everyone knows who built this wondrous monument,

为了让后世知道这鸿图华构为谁所建

The emperor names it after himself:

罗马皇帝决定以自己的名字为之命名作:

Aqua Claudia, the waters of Claudius.

水绿色的克劳迪娅 意为克劳狄乌斯之水

It takes 14 years to build,400,000 blocks of stone,

整个工程耗时十四年 由四十万块石砖

6 million cubic feet of concrete.

以及六百万立方英尺的混凝土筑成

重点讲解

1、ingredient

成分;(烹调的)原料

Mix in the remaining ingredients.

混入其余的原料。

要素;因素

The meeting had all the ingredients of high political drama.

这次会议具备了作为高度戏剧性的政治事件的一切要素。

I think that is one of the major ingredients in his success.

我认为那是他成功的主要因素之一。

2、equivalent

等同物;等值物；对应物

The equivalent of two tablespoons of polyunsaturated oils is ample each day.

每天相当于两大汤匙多重不饱和油的量就足够了。

Even the cheapest car costs the equivalent of 70 years' salary for a government worker.

即使是最便宜的汽车，价格也相当于一个公务员70年的薪水。

相等物;对应物；对应者

the civil administrator of the West Bank and his equivalent in Gaza.

约旦河西岸的民政官和加沙的同职官员

the Red Cross emblem, and its equivalent in Muslim countries, the Red Crescent.

红十字及其在伊斯兰国家的对应标志——红月牙

（强调效果的强烈或严重）相当于…的事情

His party has just suffered the equivalent of a near-fatal heart attack.

他所在的政党刚刚经历了一次类似心脏病突发般几近致命的打击。

3、impression

印象;感想

What were your first impressions of college?

你对大学的第一印象是什么？

My impression is that they are totally out of control.

我的感觉是它们完全失去了控制。

(通常有悖事实的)感觉,假象

I don't want to give the impression that I'm running away from the charges.

我不想给人一种我在逃避指控的感觉。

He cleverly inserted mirrors above the window to create an impression of space.

他巧妙地在窗子上面镶嵌了几面镜子，以营造一种空间感。