●Reading閱讀英文
If we wanted to 1)compile an all-time, top-ten list of historical natural 2)disasters, the 3)eruption of Mt. Vesuvius would 4)certainly be near the top. When the famed volcano blew its top in the year 79 A.D.—not for the first or last time—it buried the nearby Roman towns of Herculaneum, Pompeii and others under 70 feet of ash and pumice. For well over a thousand years, the victims of Mt. Vesuvius were forgotten, lost even to history. Their bodies lay undiscovered, frozen in time, until excavations began in the mid-18th century. Today, their remains provide archaeologists and historians alike with a snapshot of what Roman life was like way back in the first century, and Pompeii attracts 2.5 million curious visitors each year.
●中譯
如果我們想編纂人類史上十大天災排行榜，維蘇威火山爆發絕對名列前茅。這座著名火山在西元七九年猛然噴發時─這次絕非空前絕後─附近羅馬帝國的赫庫蘭尼姆和龐貝等城鎮皆被埋入七十呎厚的火山灰與浮石底下。長達一千多年的時間，維蘇威火山的罹難者遭世人遺忘，甚至被歷史埋沒。直到於十八世紀中葉展開的挖掘行動前，他們的遺體始終沒被發現，凍結於時間之中。現今，他們的遺骸讓人類學家、歷史學家得以一窺羅馬人早在西元一世紀時的生活，龐貝每年也吸引二百五十萬好奇的觀光客前來。
英檢字彙 Vocabulary Bank
1) compile (v.) 彙整，編輯
Steven is busy compiling information
for his presentation.
2) disaster (n.) 災難，禍害
My blind date was a complete disaster.
3) eruption (n.)（火山）爆發，（熔岩）噴出
The last eruption of Mt. Fuji was in 1707.
4) certainly (adv.) 無疑地，確實，必定
It certainly is hot outside today.
EZ 好用句型Tongue-tied No More
blow its top 火山爆炸
blow its top 通常用來形容火山爆炸，如果將 its 替換成「人」的所有格，是形容人非常生氣的意思。
A: You’d better stay away from the boss today—he looks like he’s about to blow his top.
你今天最好離老闆遠一點，他看起來好像要氣炸了。
B:
Thanks for the heads-up. Guess it’s time to go hide in my cubicle.
謝謝你的預警。看來我該躲進辦公小隔間裡了。
●Reading閱讀英文
Mysteries remain in Pompeii of course, but the recent discovery of the bones of 54 men, women and children—who took refuge from Vesuvius’ 1)fury in a 2)cellar—are helping to 3)unlock a number of them. These Pompeians thought they had survived the eruption, but it turns out that they were among the last to 4)perish in the disaster. In Pompeii Back From The Dead, presenter Don Wildman takes viewers back in time on an incredible forensic adventure to reveal extraordinary new details about the lives of Pompeii’s rich and poor. With the help of modern scientific tests, we can learn about their sex lives, their racial origins, as well as the priceless treasures with which these ancient people were buried.
●中譯
龐貝城仍有重重謎團未解，但最近出土的五十四具男女與孩童的遺骨─他們在一座地窖裡躲避維蘇威的震怒─有助於解開部份謎底。這些龐貝人以為自己已從火山爆發中生還，結果卻成為最後一批死於這場天災的罹難者。在《龐貝城地窖遺骨》中，主持人唐恩韋德曼帶領觀眾回到過去，進行一趟不可思議的法醫解剖冒險，詳盡揭露了龐貝城富人與貧民生活的奇特新資訊。在現代科學測試的幫助下，我們得以了解他們的性生活、種族起源，以及這些古人拿來陪葬的無價之寶。
英檢字彙 Vocabulary Bank
1).fury (n.) 狂暴，狂怒
The demonstrators expressed their fury about the tax increase.
2).cellar (n.) 地窖，地下室
We keep our wine in the cellar.
3).unlock (v.) 打開，揭開
Scientists are working to unlock the mysteries of DNA.
4).perish (v.) 死去，消滅
Dozens of people perished in the fire.
EZ 好用句型Tongue-tied No More
●take refuge (from/in) 避難
refuge 是「避難（處）」的意思。take refuge from 即為「躲避……」的意思，take refuge in 則是「以……為避難之地」。「避難者」則是在後方再加上 e 成為 refugee。
The family took refuge from the tornado in their storm cellar.
這家人在他們的風暴避難窖裡躲避龍捲風。
●Reading閱讀英文
The discovery of the 54 perfectly 1)preserved 2)skeletons in a Pompeii cellar represents a real 3)breakthrough. According to Wildman, the Romans of this period normally cremated their dead, and skeletons that were found during early excavations were unknowingly 4)contaminated. So, up to now, there had been no good samples to test. The first two skeletons Wildman and the team investigate, a male and a female, may provide clues as to why some citizens chose to remain in Pompeii, particularly after a large earthquake struck in the weeks leading up to the eruption. Both skeletons were found surrounded by 5)dazzling jewelry, gold coins and other riches, suggesting they were quite wealthy. In fact, the metal in the jewelry reacted with their bones in the soil, turning them green.
●中譯
發現這五十四具完整保存於一座龐貝地窖的骨骸，是一大突破性進展。據韋德曼表示，那個時代的羅馬人一般會將死者火葬，而在早期挖掘行動中出土的骨骸，都在不知不覺中遭受污染，因此，截至目前為止，始終沒有適合的測試樣本。韋德曼和該團隊研究的頭兩具骨骸（一男一女）或許能提供線索，說明在火山爆發前幾週發生了大地震之後，為什麼一些居民仍選擇留在龐貝。兩具遺骨身邊都有耀眼的珠寶、金幣和其他財產，顯示他們應該相當富有。珠寶裡頭的金屬成分甚至與埋在土裡的骨頭產生反應，把它們變成綠色。
英檢字彙 Vocabulary Bank
1) preserve (v.) 保存，保藏，防腐
The government has been criticized for not doing enough to preserve historical sites.
?2) skeleton (n.) 骨骸
The museum has a collection of dinosaur skeletons.
?3) breakthrough (n.) 突破性進展
Police are still waiting for a breakthrough in the investigation.
?4) contaminate (v.) 污染，弄髒
Hundreds of miles of coastline were contaminated by the oil spill.
?5) dazzling (a.) 耀眼的，燦爛的
The hikers squinted in the dazzling sunlight.
EZ 好用句型Tongue-tied No More
up to now 在此之前，到現在為止
多用於否定句上，代表狀況在此之前或至今一直持續。
A: Why didn’t you decide to quit your job earlier?
為什麼你不早點決定辭職？
B: Up to now, there hasn’t been any reason to.
在此之前，還沒有原因讓我這樣做。
●Reading閱讀英文
Another remarkable feature of the 54 skeletons is their relaxed poses. This is in stark contrast to the famous 19th century casts of Pompeii’s dead, which reveal faces filled with pain and horror. The fact that the skeletons have few 1)cracks also shows that Cassius’ cellar protected the group from the 2)intense heat and pyroclastic flow from Vesuvius. There was no escape, however, from the 3) toxic gases and volcanic ash in the air they breathed. As they 4)suffocated, they wouldn’t have known what was going on around them, hence the lack of fear in their poses. That fact that they didn’t suffer, however, doesn’t make their deaths any less tragic.
●中譯
這五十四具骨骸還有一個特徵值得注意：他們的姿勢很放鬆。這與眾所皆知、十九世紀做的龐貝死者石膏模呈現鮮明對比，後者的面容都充滿痛苦與恐懼。這五十四具骨骸鮮少有裂痕，也顯示卡修斯的地窖確實保護了這群人免於遭受維蘇威的酷熱和火山碎屑流。不過，他們還是躲不掉空氣中的毒氣和火山灰。在他們窒息的剎那，他們渾然不知身邊發生了什麼事，因此他們的姿勢未表現出恐懼的樣子。但他們沒有受苦的事實，並不會稍減其死亡的悲慘。
英檢字彙 Vocabulary Bank
1) crack (n.) 裂痕，裂縫
I think I have a crack in my tooth.
2) intense (a.) 激烈的，強烈的
Several people passed out from the intense heat.
3) toxic (a.) 有毒的
The company was fined for dumping toxic chemicals in the river.
4) suffocate (v.) 窒息，被悶死
The killer suffocated his victim with a plastic bag.
英語通 Language Guide
火山相關詞彙
● crater 火山口
火山活動所造成的火山頂部環形凹陷區域，較大的火山口有可能成為盆地地形或積水成湖
● vent 火山通道噴發口
是地下的熔岩或其他固體、氣體的噴發口
● fumarole 火山噴氣孔
是通常出現於火山附近的地殼裂縫，會冒出蒸氣或其他氣體
● cone 火山錐
指火山噴發物在通道口堆積而成的錐形山丘
留言列表
料理食譜 (19)
