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Module2TheRenaissance［话题导读］导语：达·芬奇16世纪创作的不朽名画《蒙娜·丽莎》中的女子一直充满着神秘的色彩。前不久，法国一位艺术家提出了新的见解。现在让我们一起来看看是怎么回事吧！MonaLisa，themysteriouswomaninLeonardodaVinci's16thcenturymasterpiece，hadjustgivenbirthto(生孩子)hersecondsonwhenshesatforthepainting，aFrenchartexpertsaidonTuesday.ThediscoverywasmadebyateamofCanadianscientistswhousedspecialtechnologytopeer(仔细看)throughthepaintlayersonthework，whichnowsitsintheLouvreMuseuminParis.OneoftheresearcherssaidthatonverycloseexaminationofthepaintingitbecameclearthattheMonaLisa'sdresswascoveredinathintransparentgauzeveil.“Thistypeofdresswastypicalofthekindworninearly16thcenturyItalybywomenwhowerepregnantorwhohadjustgivenbirth.Thisissomethingthathasneverbeenseenuptonowbecausethepaintingwasalwaysjudgedtobedarkanddifficulttoexamine，”hetoldanewsconference.Healsosaidthat，contrarytopopularbelief，thesubjecthadnotletherhairhangfreelybutinfactworeabonnetfromwhichonlyafewcurlsmanagedtoescape.“PeoplealwayswrotethatMonaLisahadallowedherhairtohangfreelyoverhershoulders.ThisgreatlysurprisedhistoriansbecauselettingyourhairhangfreelyduringtheRenaissancewastypicalofyounggirlsandwomenofpoorvirtue，”hesaid.TheteamhadhopedtodiscovermoredetailsaboutLeonardo'spaintingtechnique，whichtheartistusedtocreateahazy(朦胧的)effect.ButscientistJohnTaylorsaidtheteamhadbeenfrustrated(使沮丧，挫败)bythelackofbrushstrokedetailonthepainting.SectionⅠIntroduction&ReadingandVocabulary—Comprehending练读文记词汇学翻译1教材助读［先读通］TheRenaissance①Formanypeople,theRenaissancemeans14thto16thcenturyItaly,andthedevelopmentsinartandarchitecture,musicandliteraturewhichtookplacethereatthattime.Butthereisoneworkwhich,perhapsmorethananyother,expressesthespiritoftheRenaissance②：theMonaLisa.Itisbelievedtobethebestexampleofanewlifelike③styleofpaintingthatamazed④peoplewhenitwasfirstused⑤.PaintedbyLeonardodaVinciintheyears1503～1506⑥，theMonaLisaisamysterious⑦masterpiece⑧.PeoplewanttoknowwhoMonaLisais,andwhysheissmiling⑨.EvenifpeopledonotknowmuchabouttheRenaissance⑩，theyhaveheardofthispainting.ButtheRenaissanceis,ofcourse,morethan⑪justMonaLisa.RenaissanceisaFrenchwordwhichmeans“rebirth”⑫anditfirstappearedinEnglishinthe19thcentury.Thewordwasusedto⑬describeaperiodinEuropeanhistorywhichbeganwiththearrivalofthefirstEuropeansinAmerica⑭，anageofexploration,andthebeginningofthemodernworld.ItwasasifEuropewaswakingup⑮afterthelongsleepoftheMiddleAges⑯.FromItaly,theideasoftheRenaissancerapidlyspread⑰northwards⑱toFrance,Germany,England,andtherestofEurope.TradewithotherpartsoftheworldmeantthatEuropewasgettingricher,too.Thismeantthatpeoplehadmoneytospendonthearts⑲；anditbecameeasierforartiststofindpeoplewhocouldaffordto⑳buytheirworksoremploythem○21.LeonardoworkedforimportantpeoplesuchastheDukeofMilan,and,towards○22theendofhislife,theKingofFrance.Renaissanceartistsfoundnewideasfortheirworkinclassical○23GreeceandRome.Buttheylookedforward○24，too,byopeningnewfrontiers○25inthearts.Paintersdiscoveredhowtouseperspective○26andtheeffectsoflight;composersputdifferentvoicestogetherandcreatedpolyphony○27(“manyvoices”);architectspreferred○28designingbuildingswithmorelightwhichcontrasted○29withtheheavinessoftheGothiccathedrals○30oftheMiddleAges○31.Thesenseofexplorationwhichmotivated○32theartists○33wenthandinhand○34withanewtypeofphilosophy.Aftercenturiesofacceptingamedievalworldviewinwhichhumanlifewasconsideredoflittlevalue○35comparedwiththegreatnessofGod○36，philosophersbeganaskingquestionslike“Whatisaperson？”or“WhyamIhere？”Forthefirsttime,theyputpeople,notreligion,atthecentreoftheuniverse.TheRenaissancewasatimeofscientificinvention,too.Leonardo,aswellas○37beingoneofthegreatestpainterstheworldhaseverknown○38，wasalsoaskilled○39inventor.Whereverhewent,hecarriedanotebookaroundwithhim,inwhichhewrotedownhisideas.Theyincludeddetaileddrawingsofthehumanbody,plansforengineerstobuildcanalsandbridges,andastonishingdrawingsofmachineswhichwerenottobebuiltuntil○40hundredsofyearslater,hsuchasaeroplanes,parachutes○41，submarines○42andtanks○43.TowardstheendofhislifehewasemployedbytheKingofFrancetodoscientificresearch,andhedidnothavealotoftimeforpainting.Inshort○44，Leonardowasanextraordinary○45genius,anexampleofwhathasbeendescribedas○46“Renaissanceman”○47：someoneinterestedineverythingandwithmanydifferenttalents○48.ButevenifhisonlycontributiontohistoryhadbeentheMonaLisa○49，itwouldhavebeengeniusenoughforalltime.［再记住］①renaissance［rI'neIsəns］n.(文艺的)复兴②whichtookplacethereatthattime和后句中的“which...expressesthespiritoftheRenaissance”均是which引导的定语从句，分别修饰developments和onework。③lifelikeadj.栩栩如生的；逼真的like是形容词后缀，表示“像……似的，有……特征的”。jellylike果冻状的childlike孩子般的④amazev．使大为惊奇；使惊愕amazingadj.惊人的；了不起的；让人难以相信的amazedadj.感到惊奇的；惊讶的(＝verysurprised)⑤Itisbelievedtobe...“它被认为是……”，此处的it指代theMonaLisa;thatamazedpeople...是that引导的定语从句，修饰anewlifelikestyleofpainting,that在从句中作主语，不可省略。此定语从句中还含有一个when引导的时间状语从句。⑥过去分词短语Paintedby...intheyears1503～1506作状语。⑦mysteriousadj.神秘的mysteryn．神秘事物；难以理解的事物；谜⑧masterpiecen．杰作；名作；佳作；代表作(＝masterwork)⑨此处是and连接的两个宾语从句。⑩此处是evenif引导的让步状语从句。⑪morethan不仅仅nomorethan不过；仅仅notmorethan至多；不超过more...than...与其……不如……moreorless或多或少morethan还可与形容词、副