Language points Queen Elizabeth and French President Francois Mitterrand will ride a train downward into the $15 billion Channel Tunnel today.(Para. 1) Meaning: Today Queen Elizabeth and French President Francois Mitterrand will take a train going down into the Channel Tunnel that cost $15 billion 2. Though today is the official open ing ceremony, visitors are still excluded from the most enormous privately funded construction project ever.(Para. 3) Meaning: Though the official opening is to be held today, visitors are still not allowed to see the most enormous construction project that is privately funded so fa 3. When it really opens, probable in October, the 31-mile Channel Tunnel(the Chunnel, for short)will be 15 months behind schedule and $7 billion over a budget set in 1987.(Para. 4) Meaning: It is probably in October that the 31-mile Channel Tunnel (the Chunnel for short)will really open. If this is the case, then the chunnel will be 15 months later than the planned time and cost $7 billion more than original budget which was set in 1987 ehind schedule: later than the planned time --Owing to the recent bad weather. the work is several weeks behind schedule 4. And security: how to make such a big target attack-proof. ( Para. 4) Meaning: And another main cause of recent delays is the security problem: how to protect such a big target from attack Water-proof防水 sound- proof隔音 5. But most wonder if it's worth it given their respective lack of affection for each other(Para.5) Meaning: But most people doubt if it's worth constructing the Chunnel, since the peoples of both countries don t like each other so much given: prep. taking sth into consideration --Given their inexperience, they' ve done a good job 考虑到他们缺乏经验这一点他们已经做得很好了 6. If not for the channel, England or France surely would have swallowed the other (Para.7) Meaning: Had it not been for the channel, England surely would have conquered If not for: if it were not/hadn't been for were it not for/ had it not been for The Earth would be a frozen ball if (it were )not for the rad iant heat of the sun 要不是太阳放射出热量,地球可能已经成了一个冰球了 7."A whole generation still remembers when only 21 miles stood between Hitler and the conquest of England, says a professor of English history.(Para. 7) Meaning: A whole generation still has the fresh memory of the time during world war Two when the 21-mile channel kept Hitler from conquering England, says a professor of English histor 8. The British think a sick animal will drag itself through the tunnel and introduceLanguage Points 1. Queen Elizabeth and French President Francois Mitterrand will ride a train downward into the $15 billion Channel Tunnel today… (Para.1) Meaning: Today Queen Elizabeth and French President Francois Mitterrand will take a train going down into the Channel Tunnel that cost $15 billion… 2. Though today is the official opening ceremony, visitors are still excluded from the most enormous privately funded construction project ever. (Para.3) Meaning: Though the official opening is to be held today, visitors are still not allowed to see the most enormous construction project that is privately funded so far. 3. When it really opens, probable in October, the 31-mile Channel Tunnel (the Chunnel, for short) will be 15 months behind schedule and $7 billion over a budget set in 1987. (Para.4) Meaning: It is probably in October that the 31-mile Channel Tunnel (the Chunnel, for short) will really open. If this is the case, then the Chunnel will be 15 months later than the planned time and cost $7 billion more than original budget which was set in 1987. behind schedule: later than the planned time --Owing to the recent bad weather, the work is several weeks behind schedule. 4. And security: how to make such a big target attack-proof. (Para.4) Meaning: And another main cause of recent delays is the security problem: how to protect such a big target from attack. Water-proof 防水 sound-proof 隔音 5. But most wonder if it’s worth it given their respective lack of affection for each other (Para.5) Meaning: But most people doubt if it’s worth constructing the Chunnel, since the peoples of both countries don’t like each other so much. given: prep. taking sth into consideration --Given their inexperience, they’ve done a good job. 考虑到他们缺乏经验这一点,他们已经做得很好了 6. If not for the channel, England or France surely would have swallowed the other. (Para.7) Meaning: Had it not been for the channel, England surely would have conquered France, or vice versa. If not for: if it were not/hadn’t been for; were it not for/ had it not been for --The Earth would be a frozen ball if (it were)not for the radiant heat of the sun. 要不是太阳放射出热量，地球可能已经成了一个冰球了。 7. “A whole generation still remembers when only 21 miles stood between Hitler and the conquest of England,” says a professor of English history. (Para.7) Meaning: “A whole generation still has the fresh memory of the time during World war Two when the 21-mile channel kept Hitler from conquering England,” says a professor of English history. 8. The British think a sick animal will drag itself through the tunnel and introduce