Dialogue 1

Jingjing and Mark are at the Washington Monument.
京晶和马克在华盛顿纪念碑下

Mark: Well Jingjing, what do you think? It's a lot less crowded than the White House.
马克：京晶，怎么样，这里比白宫人少多了。
Jingjing: It is a lot less crowded than the White House. There's a lot more open space at least.
京晶：可不是吗！人少太多了！这里至少还有更多的空地。
Mark: Would you like to try to get in?
马克：想不想试一下进去看看？
Jingjing: Yeah. Let's go see what we're dealing with.
京晶：好，让我们去看看我们都需要应付些什么.

Mark goes to have a look and then comes back to talk with Jingjing.
马克去看了一下，回来继续和京晶说

Mark: Bad news: the lift is closed for repairs. There was an earthquake several years ago, and its still being fixed. The good news is not too many people want to climb all the stairs.
马克：坏消息，电梯关闭维修了。几年前发生过一场地震，这里还在修缮中。好消息是，没有太多人愿意一路爬上去。
Jingjing: Do you feel like getting a workout?
京晶：想要来一场锻炼吗？
Mark: I'm up for it, if you'd like to see a spectacular view.
马克：我行啊。如果你想看那壮观的景色。
Jingjing: It's probably worth it. Let's deal with security and get started on those stairs.
京晶：也许是值得的。我们先对付通过安检这事吧，然后开始爬楼。

Jingjing and Mark are climbing.
京晶和马克在爬楼中

Jingjing: Wow, it didn't look that tall from the outside. How much farther?
京晶：哇哦，外面看着没那么高啊！还有多远？
Mark: You know what? I didn't bother to check before we started. There was a big plaque with lots of information. I only remember some of it.
马克：你知道吗，我们开始爬楼之前我都没有费那个事去确认一下。那儿有一个大牌子上面有详细介绍，我只记得其中一些了。
Jingjing: Well, you'd be helping me keep my mind off my knees if you told me some of that stuff.
京晶：你最好帮我把注意力从膝盖（费力攀登）上移开，如果你能跟我讲讲那些怎么介绍的。
Mark: Sure. It took forty years to build this. Most of that time was a stall in construction though.
马克：没问题。这座纪念碑花了40年建成，其中大部分时候都是在建的台基状态。
Jingjing: Really, I heard it's still the tallest obelisk in the world.
京晶：是吗，我听说它仍然是世界上最高的方尖纪念碑。
Mark: Yeah, and it was the tallest structure in the world for just about one year.
马克：是的，它成为世界上最高的建筑也就维持了一年多时间。
Jingjing: Ha ha. It took such a long time to set a record for such a short time. What ended up being taller?
京晶：哈哈，花了那么长的时间来创造了一个记录，只保持了那么短的时间。那后来哪个比它更高呢？
Mark: The Eiffel Tower. Oh, look, there's more light up ahead. I think we're finally near the top.
马克：埃菲尔铁塔。瞧，前面更轻松了。我想我们终于快到顶了。

New words: 习语短语：

open space 没有太多人或建筑的开阔区域
(a big area, indoors or outdoors, that is not too crowded with people or objects)
what we're dealing with 我们正面对的，要处理
(what we're faced with)
deal with 面对，处理
(face, handle)
You know what? 你知道发生了什么吗？（通常用于告知对方坏消息之前引起对方注意）
(This is usually used before another sentence with some bad news. "You know what? I forgot to bring that book you wanted to borrow.")
keep my mind off something 让我不去想什么事情，为了让我的思绪从某事上解脱出来
(keep me from thinking about something)
obelisk 方尖纪念碑
(a tall, four sided, narrow tapering monument with a pyramid on the top)
set a record 创纪录
(do something better than ever before)

Dialogue 2

Jingjing and Mark are at the top of the Washington Monument.
马克和京晶站在华盛顿纪念碑顶

Jingjing: Wow, what an incredible view!
京晶：哇哦！这风景也太美了吧！
Mark: Yeah, we take for granted being able to go to the top of tall buildings. But people a hundred years ago only had this as their chance to be 170 meters off the ground.
马克：是呀，我们现在能登上高楼已经习以为常了。但是一百多年前的人们只有这一个机会上到离地170米的地方。
Jingjing: This and the Eiffel Tower, right?
京晶：这个和埃菲尔铁塔都是，对吗？
Mark: Yeah. It's too bad we can only see through these narrow slits in the stone.
马克：是的。很可惜我们只能从这些石头的窄缝里往外看。
Jingjing: Hmm, but the good thing is there aren't so many other tall buildings around. I can see the whole city.
京晶：嗯，不过好在周围没有太多其他的高楼，我能看见全城。
Mark: The land in Washington D.C. is at a pretty low elevation. I read that they had to drain a swamp to build the city here.
马克：华盛顿地区的海拔挺低的。我读到过为了在这里建城需要抽干沼泽。
Jingjing: That would explain why there are so many lakes and waterways.
京晶：这就能解释为什么这里有许多湖泊与河渠。
Mark: Jingjing, come over to this side. You can see the Lincoln Memorial.
马克：京晶，到这边来，你能看见林肯纪念堂。
Jingjing: Wow, it looks so small from up here. And, when we were there just half an hour ago, it looked huge.
京晶：哇，从这个高度看，它看上去好小啊。而且，我们半小时前在那儿的时候，看着简直是巨大。
Mark: There's still one more side to view. Oh, the Capitol building is not that far away either.
马克：还有一面可以看风景呢。国会大厦也在不远处。
Jingjing: Would you like to head over there next?
京晶：你想不想接下来去那儿？
Mark: Sure, if you can put off eating until afterwards. We'll probably catch it in the afternoon light if we start walking soon.
马克：可以啊。如果你可以等去完以后再吃饭的话。如果我们马上就走，也许我们能赶在下午光线最好的时候游览它。
Jingjing: Alright. Let's get started on the way down those stairs.
京晶：好。那我们开始下去吧。

New words: 习语短语：

take for granted 习以为常，理所当然
(expect to be able to do something, or expect to see something most of the time)
elevation 海拔
(distance, from a point on the ground, from sea level—NOT used for height of buildings)
head over there 去……地方
(go over there, start making the trip casually)
put off 推迟 (postpone)
catch 赶上看 (see something or meet someone)
afternoon light 下午最适合摄影的光线