Italians Search for da Vinci's Mona Lisa Model

     The Mona Lisa with her enigmatic（神秘的） smile hangs in the Louvre Museum in Paris but to this day the woman who was used as the model for Leonardo da Vinci's portrait remains¹ a mystery. Now, a group of Italian experts is trying to establish whether she was an Italian noblewoman who may be buried in a Florence convent.

    A group of Italian researchers have begun their hunt for the remains of the woman whom they believe may have modeled for Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. They hope they will finally be able to unravel² a mystery that has baffled art historians for over five centuries.

    Armed with a special radar³ device they began their search last week in the dilapidated convent of Saint Orsola in Florence where they think the body of the 16th century noblewoman was buried.

    Some Italian historians are convinced the true Mona Lisa was Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a rich Florentine silk merchant named Francesco del Giocondo, who is believed to have commissioned da Vinci to create the portrait.

    But this has never been proven and there are many other theories, including that it was a female self-portrait（自画像） of the artist himself.

    Scientists are now scanning the floor in the Florence convent to pinpoint⁴ areas where they plan to start digging for Gherardini's remains on May 9.

    Silvano Vinceti heads the National Committee for the Promotion⁵ of Historic and Cultural Heritage. He is responsible for the research being carried out.

    Vinceti says he thinks that what his team is doing is the right answer to a painting and a figure that has attracted everyone beyond religion, faith and geographical⁶ location. And he adds that it's right that Italian researchers are committed with passion to provide these answers.

    Professor Francesco Mallegni is a paleoanthropologist also involved in the project.

    Mallegni says that in order to be sure that the remains belong to Lisa Gherardini, the DNA⁷ must be found in her bones. Once her DNA is found, he adds, it can be compared the DNA of her children who are buried at the Santissima Annunziata convent.

    With modern technology, researchers say they can recreate the face of the woman if they can find her skull⁸ and compare its likeliness with the painting.

    There is no question it will be a long process, but all the researchers involved in the project agree that the mystery to be solved is worth the effort however long it takes. The Mona Lisa has captivated art enthusiasts⁹ and others across the world for centuries.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 unravel   

v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开

参考例句：

• He was good with his hands and could unravel a knot or untangle yarn that others wouldn't even attempt.他的手很灵巧，其他人甚至都不敢尝试的一些难解的绳结或缠在一起的纱线，他都能解开。
• This is the attitude that led him to unravel a mystery that long puzzled Chinese historians.正是这种态度使他解决了长期以来使中国历史学家们大惑不解的谜。

3 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

4 pinpoint   

vt.准确地确定；用针标出…的精确位置

参考例句：

• It is difficult to pinpoint when water problems of the modern age began.很难准确地指出，现代用水的问题是什么时候出现的。
• I could pinpoint his precise location on a map.我能在地图上指明他的准确位置。

5 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

6 geographical   

adj.地理的；地区(性)的

参考例句：

• The current survey will have a wider geographical spread.当前的调查将在更广泛的地域范围內进行。
• These birds have a wide geographical distribution.这些鸟的地理分布很广。

7 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

8 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

9 enthusiasts   

n.热心人，热衷者( enthusiast的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A group of enthusiasts have undertaken the reconstruction of a steam locomotive. 一群火车迷已担负起重造蒸汽机车的任务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Now a group of enthusiasts are going to have the plane restored. 一群热心人计划修复这架飞机。 来自新概念英语第二册