Carnival of Venice

安徽省芜湖市第七中学 杨弋普

背景导读

威尼斯狂欢节从2月初到3月初之间到来的大斋节的前一天开始，延续大约两个星期，是当今世界上历史最久、规模最大的狂欢节之一。据说它起源于古代每年初春的神农节，也有说它起源于公元12世纪威尼斯城邦共和国在一场大战中的胜利。到18世纪，狂欢活动盛极一时，欧洲各国的王公贵族都赶到威尼斯，观看精彩的室内音乐和戏剧演出，参与街头和广场上的民众狂欢。威尼斯狂欢节最大的特点是色彩斑斓的面具和服饰。在面具的后面，权贵和穷人融合在一起，贫富、阶级以及性别差异都暂时消除，人们无忧无虑地享受节日带来的快乐。

情景对话

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一组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怪异的!

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环境卫生的precaution预防.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装饰of gold， silver，or crystals.The name comes from a character in Italian theatre and it is only a half-mask because the stunning绝妙的Italian actresses didn't want to completely cover their beautiful faces.

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

吉赛尔：想看看我在意大利旅游拍的照片吗?我们在威尼斯玩得非常开心。

吉姆：你去威尼斯了?你真幸运啊!哇，看看那些漂亮的面具……为什么照片中的人个个盛装打扮呢?

吉赛尔：我们确实很幸运!我们在威尼斯的时候，正好赶上热闹的威尼斯狂欢节。那是一年一度的节日，以大斋节作为结尾。大斋节是指复活节前40天。当时人山人海的。每年大约有300万游客去威尼斯参加这个狂欢节。你看到所有人都戴着面具，是因为狂欢节最重要的活动之一就是最美面具比赛，这在意大利语里叫“la maschera piu bella”（最美面具)。在狂欢节的最后一个周末，一些国际时装设计师组成评审组评出比赛的结果。

吉姆：哇，有些设计非常有趣……这个设计像大大的鸟喙，有点怪怪的!

吉赛尔：每种面具都有自己独特的历史和故事。你觉得奇怪的这个面具叫作“鸟嘴医生”，是最具辨识度的面具之一，最初是用于预防瘟疫的传播。17世纪一位名叫查尔斯·德·洛尔姆的法国医生发明了这种面具，用于卫生预防措施。它通常是白色的，呈中空的鸟嘴状，眼睛部位有两个圆圆的玻璃片，看上去像眼镜一样。这套装束的其他部分包括一顶黑帽子、一件黑色长外套、一副白手套和一根棍子。

吉姆：太有意思了!那这个呢？这个确实漂亮……

吉赛尔：那是科隆比纳面具。它实际上只有一半，只能遮住眼睛、鼻子和上脸颊。它上面不仅装饰着许多羽毛，还装饰着金、银或者水晶。它的名字源于意大利戏剧中的一个人物。面具只有一半，因为那些相貌出众的意大利女演员不想让面具完全遮住自己的美丽容颜。

吉姆：嗯，不管谁带上这些面具都会变美的。

好词靓句

1.dress up乔装；盛装打扮

2.a ton of许多的；大量的

3.start as...作为……开始

4.be covered with...覆盖着……

5.be decorated with...装饰着……