英语学习点: Vocabulary on Symbols 有关标记的词汇

Dragons are for China a symbol of prosperity but in the West they've had a bad press for centuries.

They've been depicted as roaring, flesh-eating, fire-spitting animals so it's no surprise that they've been broadlyperceived as villains.

The Greek heroes Hercules and Perseus are supposed to have slain dragons. The Egyptians wrote of the dragon Apophis, seen as an enemy of the sun god Re. The Babylonians described a monster called Tiamat as the embodiment of chaos.

Throughout history references to these creatures have been used to convey fear. In Britain, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of 793 says that ''fiery dragons were seen flying in the air'' during an attack from Viking invaders over Northumbria.

St George, the patron saint of England, popularly identified with the country's ideals of honour and bravery, is always shown slaying a dragon. According to the myth, the animal was on the verge of eating a local woman.

But there's hope for this much-maligned creature. A red dragon is shorthand for all things Welsh. It even features on its main emblem, the flag of Wales.

Recently, a dragoncame to epitomise a child's innocence. The lyrics of the 1963 song Puff, the Magic Dragon describe a creature who befriends a little boy. The boy grows up and loses interest in imaginary adventures, leaving the sensitive Puff feeling alone and depressed. Maybe the Chinese Year of the Dragon will improve the reputation of dragons everywhere.

• vocabulary [və´kæbjuləri, vəu-]   n.词汇；词汇量   (初中英语单词)
• prosperity [prɔ´speriti]   n.繁荣；成功；幸运   (初中英语单词)
• supposed [sə´pəuzd]   a.想象的；假定的   (初中英语单词)
• dragon [´drægən]   n.龙   (初中英语单词)
• monster [´mɔnstə]   n.怪物 a.大得异常的   (初中英语单词)
• convey [kən´vei]   vt.运送；传达；转让   (初中英语单词)
• symbol [´simbəl]   n.符号；象征   (高中英语单词)
• hercules [´hə:kjuli:z]   n.大力神   (高中英语单词)
• chronicle [´krɔnikl]   n.历史 vt.记述   (高中英语单词)
• patron [´peitrən]   n.庇护人，保护人；赞助人   (高中英语单词)
• innocence [´inəsəns]   n.无罪；天真   (高中英语单词)
• imaginary [i´mædʒinəri]   a.想象的；虚构的   (高中英语单词)
• sensitive [´sensitiv]   a.敏感的；感光的   (高中英语单词)
• bravery [´breivəri]   n.勇敢，大胆，刚毅   (英语四级单词)
• reputation [repju´teiʃən]   n.名誉；名声；信誉   (英语四级单词)
• broadly [´brɔ:dli]   ad.广，宽；明白；粗鲁   (英语六级单词)
• anglo-saxon [,æŋgləu ´sæksən]   n.盎格鲁撒克逊人   (英语六级单词)
• viking [´vaikiŋ]   a.北欧海盗   (英语六级单词)
• emblem [´embləm]   n.象征；标志；徽章   (英语六级单词)
• depressed [di´prest]   a.消沉的；萧条的   (英语六级单词)