Thames River 泰晤士河

Thames River

The River Thames is the longest and most important river in Great Britain. The name of the river is probably a Celtic word which means “broad river”. The Thames rises in the Cotswold Hills in southwest England and flows east for a distance of 338 kilometers to London.

On the banks of the Thames above London there are many places of interest such as Eton, Oxford, and Windsor. The important towns which lie below London Bridge are Greenwich, Woolwich and Gravesend. Thames River is crowded at its mouth with the busy ships of England’s commerce, but the upper course of the river noted for its quiet beauty.

Boating race on the River Thames is a big event and a sport contest. The most important rowing contest is Henley Royal Regatta which is held every year over five days in late June and early July on the river at Henley. Another important boat racing is the one between Oxford University and Cambridge University.

The Thames River is important in English history. Someone has ever said that Thames was the finest river in the world “because it runs liquid history”.

背景知识：

美丽的泰晤士河是英国的母亲河。它自发源地英格兰西部的科茨沃尔德山，汩汩而下，穿过青山绿林和葱茏草地，流入伦敦市区，逶迤而去，最后经诺尔岛注入北海。比起地球上的一些大江大河，它不算长，但它流经之处，都是英国文化精华所在。或许可以反过来说，泰晤士河哺育了灿烂的英格兰文明。

译文：

泰晤士河

泰晤士河是英国境内最长、也是最重要的河。这条河流的名称大概取自凯尔特语的一个单词，意思是“宽阔的河流”。泰晤士河发源于英格兰西南部的科茨沃尔德希尔斯，河水流向东边的伦敦，全长338千米。

在伦敦上游，泰晤士河沿岸有许多名胜之地，诸如伊顿、牛津和温莎城堡等。位于伦敦下游的主要城镇有格林威治、伍尔维奇和格雷夫森德。泰晤士河的入海口充满了英国的繁华商船，然而其上游的河道则以其静谧之美而著称于世。

泰晤士河上的划船比赛既是一项盛大的活动，也是一项体育竞赛。最重要的划船比赛是亨利皇家划船大赛，该项赛事每年的6月底和7月初在亨利城的河面上举行，赛期为5天。另一项重要的划船比赛是牛津和剑桥两所大学之间的比赛。

在英国历史上，泰晤士河占有举足轻重的地位。有人说，泰晤士河是世界上最优美的河流，“因为它是一部流动的历史”。