[ti:What Is the US Capitol Building?] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.01]In 1863, the American poet Walt Whitman wrote approvingly [00:07.29]about the United States Capitol building in Washington, DC. [00:12.93]Whitman described the building as calm and confident. [00:18.62]And he said the Capitol's dome made it easily recognized [00:24.00]and seen throughout the Washington area. [00:27.60]Whitman called the dome "a vast eggshell, built of iron and glass." [00:34.43]He also likened it to a bubble, a tiara, [00:39.19]and a "towering bulge of pure white." [00:44.28]Today, the Capitol building [00:47.25]is still a well-known symbol of the U.S. government. [00:51.17]Although some people confuse it with the White House, [00:55.05]where the president lives, it is the home of the U.S. Congress. [01:00.30]In other words, the Capitol is the place [01:04.34]where the country's lawmakers meet to discuss, [01:08.01]make and approve legislation. [01:12.09]The House of Representatives meets in the building's south wing. [01:16.83]The Senate meets in its north wing. [01:20.17]The two large meeting rooms for lawmakers are called chambers. [01:26.23]Usually House members and senators meet in their own chambers. [01:30.76]But from time to time, [01:33.20]they gather together in the House chamber, which is larger. [01:37.75]These gatherings are called joint sessions of Congress. [01:42.77]They happen at least once a year when the president [01:47.06]gives a speech that is called the State of the Union address. [01:52.80]Sometimes joint sessions of Congress happen [01:56.23] after an election or when a foreign leader speaks. [01:59.97]U.S. lawmakers also gather at the Capitol when a president is sworn-in. [02:07.01]Years ago, those swearing-in ceremonies – called inaugurations [02:12.81]– sometimes took place inside the building. [02:16.55]But today they usually are held outside. [02:20.80]Many people who have never visited Washington, DC [02:24.40]may still recognize the Capitol building [02:28.07] because they have seen pictures of it during a presidential inauguration. [02:33.29]And those who come to Washington can visit the Capitol building in person. [02:39.52] The U.S. Capitol Visitors Center can hold up to 4,000 people at one time. [02:47.48]Visitors can see the building up close, [02:50.99] learn its history and even listen to lawmakers debate the issues of the day. [02:58.05]I'm Kelly Jean Kelly. [03:00.39]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM