米开朗基罗的“大卫”面临倒塌的危险

 Michelangelo's 'David' in danger of collapse¹

米开朗基罗的“大卫”面临倒塌的危险

Michelangelo's masterpiece statue "David" is in great danger of collapsing² due to its weak ankles and the structure's 5.5-ton weight. Scientists have confirmed that cracks in the heels of the giant 5.17-metre-tall iconic statue make it susceptible³ to crumbling⁴ under its own weight. The cracks have become the statue's Achilles heel. Tests carried out by Italy's National Research Council and Florence University confirmed the existence of a whole series of "micro-fractures" that have weakened David's ankles. A number of factors have led to this weakening. These include the poor quality of marble and the fact that the statue has been leaning at an angle for centuries, and vibrations⁵ from traffic and museum visitors.

The sculptor⁶ Michelangelo spent three years creating David between 1501 and 1504. He was just 26 when he embarked⁷ on the project. The statue depicts⁸ the biblical hero who killed the giant Goliath. It was commissioned by the rulers of Florence as a symbol of the city's commercial and military strength. It was unveiled to the public on the 8th of September, 1504 and remained on display outside in the Piazza⁹ della Signoria for 350 years. It was moved indoors in 1873 to protect it from the elements. Art lovers have been calling for years for the statue to be relocated to the safety of a purpose-built, earthquake proof museum to insulate it from the vibrations from traffic and road construction.

1 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

2 collapsing   

压扁[平]，毁坏，断裂

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The rocks were folded by collapsing into the center of the trough. 岩石由于坍陷进入凹槽的中心而发生褶皱。

3 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

4 crumbling   

adj.摇摇欲坠的

参考例句：

• an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof 一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子
• The boat was tied up alongside a crumbling limestone jetty. 这条船停泊在一个摇摇欲坠的石灰岩码头边。

5 vibrations   

n.摆动( vibration的名词复数 )；震动；感受；（偏离平衡位置的）一次性往复振动

参考例句：

• We could feel the vibrations from the trucks passing outside. 我们可以感到外面卡车经过时的颤动。
• I am drawn to that girl; I get good vibrations from her. 我被那女孩吸引住了，她使我产生良好的感觉。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 sculptor   

n.雕刻家，雕刻家

参考例句：

• A sculptor forms her material.雕塑家把材料塑造成雕塑品。
• The sculptor rounded the clay into a sphere.那位雕塑家把黏土做成了一个球状。

7 embarked   

乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• We stood on the pier and watched as they embarked. 我们站在突码头上目送他们登船。
• She embarked on a discourse about the town's origins. 她开始讲本市的起源。

8 depicts   

描绘，描画( depict的第三人称单数 )； 描述

参考例句：

• The book vividly depicts French society of the 1930s. 这本书生动地描绘了20 世纪30 年代的法国社会。
• He depicts the sordid and vulgar sides of life exclusively. 他只描写人生肮脏和庸俗的一面。

9 piazza   

n.广场；走廊

参考例句：

• Siena's main piazza was one of the sights of Italy.锡耶纳的主要广场是意大利的名胜之一。
• They walked out of the cafeteria,and across the piazzadj.他们走出自助餐厅,穿过广场。