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Puzzling Puzzles 拼图片片，想象无限

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Have you ever done a wasgij or a photomosaic? Or are you feeling puzzled? Well, maybe you haven’t puzzled over a wasgij, but chances are you’ve ___1___ a jigsaw puzzle.

你做过wasgij或相片马赛克吗？还是你正觉得困惑不已？也许你还没有为了玩 wasgij 绞尽脑汁过，但是你应该曾经拼过拼图。

The jigsaw dates back to the 1760s, when London-___2___ mapmaker John Spilsbury stuck one of his maps to a sheet of wood. He cut around the borders of the countries, ___3___ an educational game that would help schoolchildren learn geography. Later, manufacturers would use different materials, like plywood and cardboard, and experiment with diverse designs. Soon, jigsaws were ___4___ a learning tool; they became a popular pastime.

拼图的历史最早可追溯到1760年代，伦敦地图制作家约翰．史毕尔斯伯里把他的其中一张地图贴到一片木板上。他沿着国家边界切割，创造出一种寓教于乐的游戏用以帮助学童学习地理。后来，制造商会用胶合板或是硬纸板之类不同材质制作拼图，并且实验各种不同的设计。不久，拼图不只是一个学习的工具；它们变成一种受欢迎的休闲嗜好。

Over the years, jigsaws grew more complicated, with more pieces. So-called impossipuzzles have repetitive ___5___, like Smarties or baked beans, and are extremely difficult to solve. There’s even a picture-less jigsaw, as well as 3D puzzles of globes, cities, and skyscrapers.

这些年来，拼图的展由于片数增加而变得更加复杂困难。所谓的「不可能的拼图」有着重复性的图案设计，例如雀巢聪明豆或是烤豆子，因此相当难解。甚至还有没有图案的拼图，以及球体、城市和摩天大楼等的3D立体拼图。

Are you still confused about the wasgij? Well, it’s a “cult jigsaw.” The picture on the box shows a different perspective than the puzzle inside. In case you hadn’t noticed, wasgij is jigsaw spelled ___6___! The photomosaic might also have you scratching your head. Close up, many varied little images are ___7___, but from a distance, the eye sees one single complete picture.

你还在苦思wasgij是什么吗？它是一种深受某些狂热份子所喜爱的拼图。拼图外盒上的图案所呈现的是完成图的另一个面向。万一你还没注意到，wasgij其实就是jigsaw这个字的颠倒拼法。相片马赛克可能也让你想破头了。当近看时相片马赛克能看到一幅幅不同的小张图画，但是远看就会看到一张完整的图画。

Alternatively, you could try the world’s largest jigsaw, with 24,000 pieces! For those without the space for a puzzle of these dimensions, try an online jigsaw instead. There are numerous options for jigsaw fun. So don’t fall to pieces – take a deep breath and start solving the puzzle piece by piece!

另外，你还可以尝试世界上最大的拼图，高达两万四千片！至于那些没有空间能放得下如此大尺寸拼图的人，可以改尝试在线拼图。有许多能体验拼图乐趣的方式，所以别崩溃得太快，先来个深呼吸再开始一片片地拼拼图吧！

－by Alice Davis

Vocabulary

单词发音

puzzle over 苦苦思索,为…大伤脑筋 try to solve

border [ˋbɔrdɚ] n. 边界，边境，国界

cardboard [ˋkɑrd͵bord] n. 硬纸板

diverse [daɪˋvɝs] adj. 多种多样的；多变化的

complicated [ˋkɑmplə͵ketɪd] adj. 复杂的；结构复杂的

so-called [ˋsoˋkɔld] adj. 所谓的; 号称的

skyscraper [ˋskaɪ͵skrepɚ] n. 摩天楼，超高层大楼

perspective [pɚˋspɛktɪv] n. 看法，观点

scratch [skrætʃ] v. 抓；搔

alternatively [ɔlˋtɝnə͵tɪvlɪ] adv. 要不然；或者

dimension [dɪˋmɛnʃən] n.（长，宽，厚，高等的）尺寸

fall to pieces  跌得粉碎, 散开, 坍塌  to become emotionally upset

More Information

单词发音

wasgij [ˈwɑzgɪdʒ] (n. 拼图的一种)

photomosaic [ˌfotəmɔˋzeɪk] n.像片镶嵌图; 照相拼接

plywood [ˋplaɪ͵wʊd] n. 夹板；胶合板

cult [kʌlt] adj. 受特定群体欢迎的; 在特定群体中流行的 an exclusive group of persons sharing an esoteric, usually artistic or intellectual interest

impossipuzzles

3D puzzles

Wasgij on Overdrive

Answer