Text A. Public buildings

Because of their intensive urban life the Romans developed a range of varied public building types. The largest of these, meant to accommodate public amusements, were not covered, but others had large volumes covered with concrete vaults of various shapes.

Roman theaters, derived from Greek models, were the scene for revivals of Greek plays as well as the production of newer, Roman works. They were not located near tem­ples but instead near the business centre of the Roman city; and since they were not built into the sides of sacred acropolises, Roman theatres had their seats ramped up on tilted vaults raised on stone piers. The basic form of the Roman theatre was crys­tallized in the Theatre of Marcellus, Rome projected by Augustus himself built under the direction of Marcus Agrippa and dedi­cated about 12 B.C. The seats were inclined on a system of radiating and tilted concrete barrel vaults supported by radiat­ing stone piers, between which threaded the stairs and ramps leading to the sections of seating. The outer curved wall was opened up by superimposed arcades of travertine* faced with engaged orders—unfluted Doric at the lower level and Ionic on the second level (the treatment of the third level is not known, for it was rebuilt during the Middle Ages). Unlike Greek theatres, Roman the­atres were exactly semicircular, with a half-circle orchestra where Senators were often seated; the Theatre of Marcellus measured 365 feet (111 meters) in diameter. In its three tiers of seats, each one pitched more steeply than the one below, the Theatre of Marcellus could accommodate eleven thousand spectators.

* travertine – известковый туф

Exercise 4. Translate the words:

ramp up, tilt, curve, semicircular, pier, pitch (v., n.), diameter, treatment, stone, incline, seat, locate, temple, volume, cover (v., n.), high, height, stairs, ramp, urban, rural, raise, model, works, order (n.).

Exercise 5. Choose the right translation from A to B:

A: ramp, tilt, pier, stone, curve, temple, rural, urban, semicircular, volume, pitch, treatment, level, typical, exactly, permanent, vault, shape, rebuild, rear.

B: перестраивать, постоянный, форма, типовой, свод, уклон (пандус), наклонять, городской, сельский, изгибать (-ся), опора, уровень, камень, точно, храм, полукруглый, объем, уклон (скат) (крыши), обработка, задний (задняя часть).

Exercise 6. Are these meanings correct or incorrect? Correct the mistakes:

tilt – наращивать

semicircular – круглый

pier – опора

ramp – скат (крыши)

pitch – пандус

temple – гробница

permanent – временный

vault – свод

lead – вести

concrete – бетон

side – размер

urban – городской

raise – поднимать

locate – выдерживать

radiating – радиация

Exercise 7. Translate the following word combinations:

intensive urban life, varied public building type, tilted concrete barrel vault, Greek model, Roman works, business centre, radiating stone pier, basic form, outer curved wall, lower level, Middle Ages, half-circle orchestra, rear wall, pitched roof, business centre, Greek theatre, semicircular seatings.

Exercise 8. Translate and explain:

build – rebuild

develop – redevelop

use – reuse

circular – semicircular

circle – half-circle

impose – superimpose

like (adj.) – unlike

treatment – pretreatment

fluted – unfluted