Carnival of Venice

安徽省蕪湖市第七中學(xué) 楊弋普

背景導(dǎo)讀

威尼斯狂歡節(jié)從2月初到3月初之間到來的大齋節(jié)的前一天開始，延續(xù)大約兩個(gè)星期，是當(dāng)今世界上歷史最久、規(guī)模最大的狂歡節(jié)之一。據(jù)說它起源于古代每年初春的神農(nóng)節(jié)，也有說它起源于公元12世紀(jì)威尼斯城邦共和國在一場(chǎng)大戰(zhàn)中的勝利。到18世紀(jì)，狂歡活動(dòng)盛極一時(shí)，歐洲各國的王公貴族都趕到威尼斯，觀看精彩的室內(nèi)音樂和戲劇演出，參與街頭和廣場(chǎng)上的民眾狂歡。威尼斯狂歡節(jié)最大的特點(diǎn)是色彩斑斕的面具和服飾。在面具的后面，權(quán)貴和窮人融合在一起，貧富、階級(jí)以及性別差異都暫時(shí)消除，人們無憂無慮地享受節(jié)日帶來的快樂。

情景對(duì)話

Giselle：Wanna see the pictures I took from my trip to Italy?We had such a great time in Venice.

Jim：You went to Venice?Lucky you!Wow，look at all those beautiful masks...Why is everyone①dressed up in these pictures?

Giselle：We were really lucky! During the time we were in Venice，it just so happens that the Carnival of Venice was in full swing.It's an annual festival that ends with Lent， forty days before Easter.There were②a ton of people there.About 3 million visitors come to Venice every year for the festival.You see all the people in masks because one of the most important events is the contest for the most beautiful mask.It's called la maschera piu bella and it is decided on the last weekend of the Carnival by a panel of一組international costume and fashion designers.

Jim：Wow， there are some pretty interesting designs.This one that looks like a giant bird beak is kind of weird怪異的!

Giselle：Each type of mask has its own unique history and story.The one that you think is weird looking is called the Medico Della Peste.It is one of the most recognizable masks and it③started as a method of preventing the spread of the plague瘟疫.A 17th-century French physician named Charles de Lorme created the mask as a sanitary環(huán)境衛(wèi)生的precaution預(yù)防.It is usually white with a hollow beak and round eyeholes④covered with glass discs to look almost like glasses.The other parts of the costume include a black hat and a long black coat，white gloves and a stick.

Jim：How interesting!How about this one，it sure is pretty...

Giselle：That's the Columbina， which is actually only a half-mask.It only covers the eyes， nose， and upper cheeks.This one⑤is decorated with many feathers， but you also see them with embellishments裝飾of gold， silver，or crystals.The name comes from a character in Italian theatre and it is only a half-mask because the stunning絕妙的Italian actresses didn't want to completely cover their beautiful faces.

Jim：Well，anyone wearing these masks would certainly be beautiful!

吉賽爾：想看看我在意大利旅游拍的照片嗎?我們?cè)谕崴雇娴梅浅ｉ_心。

吉姆：你去威尼斯了?你真幸運(yùn)啊!哇，看看那些漂亮的面具……為什么照片中的人個(gè)個(gè)盛裝打扮呢?

吉賽爾：我們確實(shí)很幸運(yùn)!我們?cè)谕崴沟臅r(shí)候，正好趕上熱鬧的威尼斯狂歡節(jié)。那是一年一度的節(jié)日，以大齋節(jié)作為結(jié)尾。大齋節(jié)是指復(fù)活節(jié)前40天。當(dāng)時(shí)人山人海的。每年大約有300萬游客去威尼斯參加這個(gè)狂歡節(jié)。你看到所有人都戴著面具，是因?yàn)榭駳g節(jié)最重要的活動(dòng)之一就是最美面具比賽，這在意大利語里叫“l(fā)a maschera piu bella”（最美面具)。在狂歡節(jié)的最后一個(gè)周末，一些國際時(shí)裝設(shè)計(jì)師組成評(píng)審組評(píng)出比賽的結(jié)果。

吉姆：哇，有些設(shè)計(jì)非常有趣……這個(gè)設(shè)計(jì)像大大的鳥喙，有點(diǎn)怪怪的!

吉賽爾：每種面具都有自己獨(dú)特的歷史和故事。你覺得奇怪的這個(gè)面具叫作“鳥嘴醫(yī)生”，是最具辨識(shí)度的面具之一，最初是用于預(yù)防瘟疫的傳播。17世紀(jì)一位名叫查爾斯·德·洛爾姆的法國醫(yī)生發(fā)明了這種面具，用于衛(wèi)生預(yù)防措施。它通常是白色的，呈中空的鳥嘴狀，眼睛部位有兩個(gè)圓圓的玻璃片，看上去像眼鏡一樣。這套裝束的其他部分包括一頂黑帽子、一件黑色長外套、一副白手套和一根棍子。

吉姆：太有意思了!那這個(gè)呢？這個(gè)確實(shí)漂亮……

吉賽爾：那是科隆比納面具。它實(shí)際上只有一半，只能遮住眼睛、鼻子和上臉頰。它上面不僅裝飾著許多羽毛，還裝飾著金、銀或者水晶。它的名字源于意大利戲劇中的一個(gè)人物。面具只有一半，因?yàn)槟切┫嗝渤霰姷囊獯罄輪T不想讓面具完全遮住自己的美麗容顏。

吉姆：嗯，不管誰帶上這些面具都會(huì)變美的。

好詞靚句

1.dress up喬裝；盛裝打扮

2.a ton of許多的；大量的

3.start as...作為……開始

4.be covered with...覆蓋著……

5.be decorated with...裝飾著……