万花筒2008-03-02:西德核庇护所

The former nuclear bunker constructed as shelter for former Western German government now has been turned into a well-maintained museum.

Seventies kitsch, spooky protective¹ clothing, some very Spartan² accommodation and an awful lot of concrete, still nobody's going to blow the doors off. They're quite solid, this nuclear bunker was built to protect the former West German government back in the dark days of the cold war. It's huge, built to house 3, 000 government officials for up to 30 days. Now it's a museum and unlike the abandoned bunkers in many other parts of the world, the contents of this one are in eerily³ perfect condition.  

The bunker was never used, but it was kept constantly ready by a staff of 200.  

"I wasn't sure about the whole thing, because for me, a nuclear attack is something completely devastating⁴ like Hiroshima. With such destruction⁵, you'd have to ask what these 3, 000 people who were saved should do, what would they go through after 30 days when they come out, those are the things you can't really imagine. "

Now a generation who can't remember the Cold War can come and feel the climate of fear.  

Benet Allen, Reuters

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1.kitsch: n-uncount

You can refer to a work of art or an object as kitsch if it is showy and thought by some people to be in bad taste.

2.spooky: adj

A place that is spooky has a frightening atmosphere, and makes you feel that there are ghosts around. (INFORMAL)

3.spartan: adj

A spartan lifestyle or existence is very simple or strict, with no luxuries⁶.

4.eerily: adv

If you describe something as eerie⁷, you mean that it seems strange and frightening, and makes you feel nervous.

1 protective   

adj.防护的，保护的

参考例句：

• A mother naturally feels protective towards her children.做母亲的天生要保护自己的孩子。
• We feel safe with a protective device in the house.我们因为家里有了防护装置而感到安全。

2 spartan   

adj.简朴的，刻苦的；n.斯巴达；斯巴达式的人

参考例句：

• Their spartan lifestyle prohibits a fridge or a phone.他们不使用冰箱和电话，过着简朴的生活。
• The rooms were spartan and undecorated.房间没有装饰，极为简陋。

3 eerily   

adv.引起神秘感或害怕地

参考例句：

• It was nearly mid-night and eerily dark all around her. 夜深了，到处是一片黑黝黝的怪影。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译
• The vast volcanic slope was eerily reminiscent of a lunar landscape. 开阔的火山坡让人心生怪异地联想起月球的地貌。 来自辞典例句

4 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

5 destruction   

n.破坏，毁灭，消灭

参考例句：

• The enemy bombs caused widespread destruction.敌人的炸弹造成大面积的破坏。
• Overconfidence was his destruction.自负是他垮台的原因。

6 luxuries   

n.奢侈( luxury的名词复数 )；豪华；奢侈品；不常有的乐趣（或享受、优势）

参考例句：

• Such luxuries are unavailable to ordinary people. 此等奢侈品普通百姓是难以获得的。
• His salary is low and he gets few luxuries. 他薪水微薄，很少买奢侈品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 eerie   

adj.怪诞的；奇异的；可怕的；胆怯的

参考例句：

• It's eerie to walk through a dark wood at night.夜晚在漆黑的森林中行走很是恐怖。
• I walked down the eerie dark path.我走在那条漆黑恐怖的小路上。