Carnival of Venice

安徽省蕪湖市第七中學 楊弋普

背景導讀

威尼斯狂歡節從2月初到3月初之間到來的大齋節的前一天開始，延續大約兩個星期，是當今世界上歷史最久、規模最大的狂歡節之一。據說它起源于古代每年初春的神農節，也有說它起源于公元12世紀威尼斯城邦共和國在一場大戰中的勝利。到18世紀，狂歡活動盛極一時，歐洲各國的王公貴族都趕到威尼斯，觀看精彩的室內音樂和戲劇演出，參與街頭和廣場上的民眾狂歡。威尼斯狂歡節最大的特點是色彩斑斕的面具和服飾。在面具的后面，權貴和窮人融合在一起，貧富、階級以及性別差異都暫時消除，人們無憂無慮地享受節日帶來的快樂。

情景對話

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環境衛生的precaution預防.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?我們在威尼斯玩得非常開心。

吉姆：你去威尼斯了?你真幸運啊!哇，看看那些漂亮的面具……為什么照片中的人個個盛裝打扮呢?

吉賽爾：我們確實很幸運!我們在威尼斯的時候，正好趕上熱鬧的威尼斯狂歡節。那是一年一度的節日，以大齋節作為結尾。大齋節是指復活節前40天。當時人山人海的。每年大約有300萬游客去威尼斯參加這個狂歡節。你看到所有人都戴著面具，是因為狂歡節最重要的活動之一就是最美面具比賽，這在意大利語里叫“la maschera piu bella”（最美面具)。在狂歡節的最后一個周末，一些國際時裝設計師組成評審組評出比賽的結果。

吉姆：哇，有些設計非常有趣……這個設計像大大的鳥喙，有點怪怪的!

吉賽爾：每種面具都有自己獨特的歷史和故事。你覺得奇怪的這個面具叫作“鳥嘴醫生”，是最具辨識度的面具之一，最初是用于預防瘟疫的傳播。17世紀一位名叫查爾斯·德·洛爾姆的法國醫生發明了這種面具，用于衛生預防措施。它通常是白色的，呈中空的鳥嘴狀，眼睛部位有兩個圓圓的玻璃片，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!那這個呢？這個確實漂亮……

吉賽爾：那是科隆比納面具。它實際上只有一半，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人物。面具只有一半，因為那些相貌出眾的意大利女演員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……