彭蒙惠英语：Roam Rome on Fleet Feet

Roam Rome on Fleet Feet

 

By Anne Chalfant / © 2004, as first appeared in the Contra Costa Times, Knight¹ Ridder Newspapers.

Distributed by Tribune Media Services International.

 

Rome wasn’t built in a day, but you can see a lot of it in three

1

We can’t tour Rome any way but fast. A whole lifetime isn’t enough to savor² the art and marvel³ at the antiquities⁴ this famous Italian city has to offer. So it is the three-day lightning tour of Rome for us.

 

Luckily, we have an advance scout⁵. Our son Ethan, an architecture student, is spending a semester abroad in Rome. He knows the fast track to tourist sites, and can also direct his parents to his favorite less-visited Roman treasures.

 

Vatican fast track

Outwitting the massive crowds that visit the Vatican, we tour the Sistine Chapel⁶ and St. Peter’s Basilica in a couple of hours. How? We arrive early, right when the museums open, buy our tickets and walk briskly through the beckoning⁷ artwork with nary a glance, eyes alert for the small printed signs directing us to the Sistine Chapel. Most people get waylaid⁸ on the circuitous⁹ route through the treasure-filled Vatican museums, but we don’t stop.

 

The chapel is nearly empty when we arrive. Michelangelo’s masterpiece is all ours. We sit on a bench with heads tilted¹⁰ back to delight in the ceiling popping with muscle-bound lads and that stern finger of God ordering Adam and Eve to leave Paradise.

 

Next, we zip onward¹¹ through the Vatican museums to Giuseppe Momo’s fascinating spiral ramp¹². Then we are off to explore St. Peter’s Basilica, a huge hall containing lots of sculpture and art. Besides some gawk-time for the grandeur¹³ of St. Peter’s Basilica itself, we hit pre-designated targets. We admire the stunning¹⁴ Michelangelo dome¹⁵ above, then Bernini’s baldacchino, a canopy¹⁶ of gilded¹⁷ bronze on spiral columns. We stand in awe¹⁸ before Michelangelo’s touching¹⁹ sculpture, La Pieta, which depicts²⁰ Mary holding the dead Christ in her arms.

 

Vocabulary Focus

fast track (n phr) the quickest way to get somewhere or achieve a goal

nary a (idiom) without even one

waylay²¹ (v) [5wei5lei] to distract or be distracted by something so that one slows down or stops

gawk (v) [^C:k] to stare; to look at something or someone in a stupid or rude way

 

Specialized²² Terms

advance scout (n phr) 先遣侦察员 a person sent to get information about something

Vatican (n) 梵蒂冈 the main offices of the Catholic Church in Rome, which includes the building where the Pope lives

Paradise (n) 伊甸园，乐园 the Garden of Eden, the place where Adam and Eve lived according to the Bible

 

闪电游罗马

 

罗马不是一天建成的，但是你可以在3天内看到许多东西

 

许美鸾 译

 

1

除了快以外，我们没有其它的方法游罗马。一辈子的时间也不足以品尝这个意大利著名城市所提供的艺术，以及赞赏它的古物。所以对我们来说，这是一场罗马3日闪电之旅。

幸运的是，我们有个先遣侦察员。我们的儿子伊森是建筑系学生，正在罗马读海外学期课程。他知道到观光景点的快捷方式，也能指引他的父母到他最喜爱而较少人去观光的罗马宝地。

 

梵蒂冈捷径

我们比参观梵蒂冈的大批群众来得机灵，在一两个小时内就能游完西斯汀礼拜堂和圣彼得大教堂。如何办到的呢？我们在博物馆开门之时就早早到达，买票后就飞快地走过那些呼唤着我们的艺术品，瞧也不瞧一眼，眼睛只留意着那些指引到西斯汀礼拜堂的印好的小标记。大部分的人走在充满宝藏的梵蒂冈博物馆内迂回的路线上都会分心，但我们绝不停留。

我们到达时礼拜堂几乎是空的。米开朗基罗的杰作完全让我们独享。我们坐在长椅上，头向后倾，快乐地看着天花板，上面浮现着肌肉发达的年轻男子们，以及上帝那根命令亚当和夏娃离开伊甸园的坚定的手指头。

接着，我们加快速度穿过梵蒂冈博物馆到达乔塞普·摩莫引人入胜的螺旋坡道。然后，我们前往探索圣彼得大教堂，那是一座容纳了许多雕塑和艺术品的建筑物。除了花些时间为圣彼得大教堂本身的伟大而目瞪口呆之外，我们去了教堂内所有预先规划要参观的目标。我们欣赏了米开朗基罗那令人叹为观止的圆顶，然后是贝尼尼的圣体伞，那是由螺旋柱子顶着用镀金青铜制作的顶篷。我们充满着敬畏站在米开朗基罗感人的小雕塑“圣殇像”之前，雕像呈现着圣母马利亚把死去的基督抱在怀里。

 

1 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

2 savor   

vt.品尝，欣赏；n.味道，风味；情趣，趣味

参考例句：

• The soup has a savor of onion.这汤有洋葱味。
• His humorous remarks added a savor to our conversation.他幽默的话语给谈话增添了风趣。

3 marvel   

vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事

参考例句：

• The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。
• The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。

4 antiquities   

n.古老( antiquity的名词复数 )；古迹；古人们；古代的风俗习惯

参考例句：

• There is rest and healing in the contemplation of antiquities. 欣赏古物有休息和疗养之功。 来自辞典例句
• Bertha developed a fine enthusiasm for the antiquities of London. 伯沙对伦敦的古迹产生了很大的热情。 来自辞典例句

5 scout   

n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索

参考例句：

• He was mistaken for an enemy scout and badly wounded.他被误认为是敌人的侦察兵，受了重伤。
• The scout made a stealthy approach to the enemy position.侦察兵偷偷地靠近敌军阵地。

6 chapel   

n.小教堂，殡仪馆

参考例句：

• The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
• She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

7 beckoning   

adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• An even more beautiful future is beckoning us on. 一个更加美好的未来在召唤我们继续前进。 来自辞典例句
• He saw a youth of great radiance beckoning to him. 他看见一个丰神飘逸的少年向他招手。 来自辞典例句

8 waylaid   

v.拦截，拦路( waylay的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I got waylaid on my way here. 我在来这里的路上遭到了拦路抢劫。
• He was waylaid by thieves. 他在路上被抢了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 circuitous   

adj.迂回的路的，迂曲的，绕行的

参考例句：

• They took a circuitous route to avoid reporters.他们绕道避开了记者。
• The explanation was circuitous and puzzling.这个解释很迂曲，让人困惑不解。

10 tilted   

v. 倾斜的

参考例句：

• Suddenly the boat tilted to one side. 小船突然倾向一侧。
• She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。

11 onward   

adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先

参考例句：

• The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。
• He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。

12 ramp   

n.暴怒，斜坡，坡道；vi.作恐吓姿势，暴怒，加速；vt.加速

参考例句：

• That driver drove the car up the ramp.那司机将车开上了斜坡。
• The factory don't have that capacity to ramp up.这家工厂没有能力加速生产。

13 grandeur   

n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华

参考例句：

• The grandeur of the Great Wall is unmatched.长城的壮观是独一无二的。
• These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place.这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。

14 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

15 dome   

n.圆屋顶，拱顶

参考例句：

• The dome was supported by white marble columns.圆顶由白色大理石柱支撑着。
• They formed the dome with the tree's branches.他们用树枝搭成圆屋顶。

16 canopy   

n.天篷，遮篷

参考例句：

• The trees formed a leafy canopy above their heads.树木在他们头顶上空形成了一个枝叶茂盛的遮篷。
• They lay down under a canopy of stars.他们躺在繁星点点的天幕下。

17 gilded   

a.镀金的，富有的

参考例句：

• The golden light gilded the sea. 金色的阳光使大海如金子般闪闪发光。
• "Friends, they are only gilded disks of lead!" "朋友们，这只不过是些镀金的铅饼！ 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡

18 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

19 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

20 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。

21 waylay   

v.埋伏，伏击

参考例句：

• She lingered outside the theater to waylay him after the show.她在戏院外面徘徊想在演出之后拦住他说话。
• The trucks are being waylaid by bandits.卡车被强盗拦了下来。

22 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。