酷兔英语

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  温莎镇是一个有名的旅游胜地,这里曾经是王室的邸宅,因此有很多历史古迹可以探访。

  读下面的这篇小短文,了解温莎城堡的历史渊源。读完后做下一页的练习。
Read:
Windsor Castle is not quite all that it seems. It has the appearance, especially from a distance, of a great mediaevalfortress. But much of the structure, especially on the side that faces the Park, actually dates from periods of re-building in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. And although the Castle was certainly intended for military purposes, royal lodgings had already been built within the walls as early as the 13th century; they have been extended ever since. Inside the Castle, too, is one of the finest examples of religious architecture in Britain, St George's Chapel.

In fact, Windsor has only been the scene of military action twice - in each case a siege, and within only 22 years of each other, in 1193 and 1215.

The Castle began life in 1070. It was one of the chain of fortifications built around London by the Normans to control the south-east of England. Its commanding position, on a hill overlooking the Thames, seems the natural place for the principal building in the area. But that was not always the case. Before the Castle had even been thought of, there was a royal hunting lodge close to the river, in what is now known as Old Windsor. And before that, the Benedictine abbey at Chertsey, founded in 666, had been the grandest building for miles around. Unlike the Castle, however, both hunting lodge and abbey have long since disappeared.

Glossary
mediaeval / medieval (adj.) 中世纪的
fortress (n.) 要塞
intended for military purposes 用于军事目的
lodging (n.) 临时住所
siege (n.) 围攻,包围
chain of fortifications 防御工事链
abbey (n.) 修道院
have long since disappeared 早已踪迹全无了 long since 的意思是某事已经过去很久了



章节正文