英语听力：探索发现 2014-04-04 Sex for Sale -8

 Justinian was quite the catch, young and rich. Determined¹ to restore the western part of the Roman empire from the barbarian² hordes³, he used his generals to conquer the land throughout Mediterranean⁴ and Africa, expanding the borders of the eastern Roman empire.

I don't know how many emperors are meeting wool spinners, but she met the emperor Justinian. 

  Falling quickly under Theodolar's spell, the emperor isn't troubled by her sexy past and starts hearing wedding bells.

  Justinian got a relatively⁵ tough hill to climb, especially because marrying a commoner was outlawed⁶.

  As the emperor Justinian could have changed the law, but an age-old obstacle got in his way.

Justinian was very beholding⁷ to his mother who really wanted this law to stand in place. Invested in protecting the royal blood lines, mom wasn't very welcoming to his prostitute-turned wool spinner girlfriend.

Luckily for him, his mother passes away, at which point Justinian repeals⁸ the law and becomes married to Theodolar.

  But despite the ringing of the wedding bells, there was unrest in Constainoble.

  Justinian has some big problems as an emperor.

Justinian's  in trouble. He's got restless public. They don't like taxes. They are being taxed on things they don't feel like they deserve to be. They don't have food. And so what you do when you've got these complaints? You either riot your congressmen or you burn them down.

 

1 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

2 barbarian   

n.野蛮人；adj.野蛮(人)的；未开化的

参考例句：

• There is a barbarian tribe living in this forest.有一个原始部落居住在这个林区。
• The walled city was attacked by barbarian hordes.那座有城墙的城市遭到野蛮部落的袭击。

3 hordes   

n.移动着的一大群( horde的名词复数 )；部落

参考例句：

• There are always hordes of tourists here in the summer. 夏天这里总有成群结队的游客。
• Hordes of journalists jostled for position outside the conference hall. 大群记者在会堂外争抢位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

5 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

6 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

7 beholding   

v.看，注视( behold的现在分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟

参考例句：

• Beholding, besides love, the end of love,/Hearing oblivion beyond memory! 我看见了爱，还看到了爱的结局，／听到了记忆外层的哪一片寂寥！ 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• Hence people who began by beholding him ended by perusing him. 所以人们从随便看一看他开始的，都要以仔细捉摸他而终结。 来自辞典例句

8 repeals   

撤销，废除( repeal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The measure repeals a previous law that prevented local governments from targeting specific breeds for sterilization. 这项法令的出台将废止之前一项限制地方政府针对某种犬类采用绝育措施的法律。