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Leonardo da Vinci: The Unrivaled Genius 旷世奇才，举世无双──达文西

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解

 

繁體中文譯本

 

Throughout time, remarkable people have changed the course of history. Whether it be Mozart or Newton, those who affect such change are often labeled as geniuses due to exceptional talents in their fields. But one man stands out above all others: Leonardo da Vinci.

纵横古今，有许多杰出的人改写历史。不论是莫扎特或是牛顿，造成这些改变的人在各自的领域怀有超然天赋，常被归类为天才。然而其中有一人脱颖而出：李奥纳多．达文西。

 

There are two main reasons why most people see Leonard’s genius as unrivaled. First of all, it is the sheer diversity of Leonardo’s expertise that makes him unique. He demonstrated brilliance in painting and drawing, architecture, engineering, sculpture, anatomy, and botany, to name but a few, and he is responsible for some of the most iconic works of all time. Alongside this, one must also consider Leonardo in his time. Living nearly 500 years ago, it is hard to believe he is credited with designing the first flying machine.

达文西之所以被公认为旷世奇才主要的原因有两个。首先，他那多样化的专业技能使其超群卓越。他的天赋与才识展现在绘画、建筑、工程、雕刻、解剖和植物学上（以上只是提几个例子罢了），他还创作出一些历来最有名的代表作。除此之外，我们必须考虑到达文西的时代背景。身处500年前的他，竟能不可思议地设计出史上第一架飞行器。

 

Leonardo was born in 1452 in Vinci, Italy. Benefiting from the tutorship of leading artists and scientists of the era, Leonardo’s ingenuity soon exceeded that of his teachers. One art historian even describes him as “superhuman.” With his curiosity, intelligence, and the unprecedented diverseness of his talents in the arts and sciences – two subjects he viewed as intertwined – he is viewed as the perfect example of a “Renaissance man.”

达文西于公元1452年出生在意大利的文西镇。拜当代艺术家与科学家之指导，达文西的聪明才智很快便青出于蓝更胜于蓝。有一位艺术史学家甚至形容他为「超人」。达文西有着好奇心和智慧，还有在艺术与科学方面前所未有的多样才华（他认为艺术与科学两个领域有紧密关联），被誉为「文艺复兴人」的完美典范。

 

Above all, Leonardo is celebrated as a painter, creating some of the most famous artworks in human history. The Mona Lisa, with her haunting smile and mysterious eyes, has been the topic of rumor and debate for centuries. In his work The Last Supper, which depicts Jesus and his disciples before the crucifixion, we can see Leonardo’s experimentation and use of new techniques which were to influence generations of artists thereafter.

达文西尤其是以画家的身分闻名于世，创作了一些人类史上最有名的艺术作品。《蒙娜莉萨的微笑》画出难以忘怀的笑容与神秘眼神，好几世纪以来都是传闻与争议的主题。《最后的晚餐》这幅作品描绘耶稣在被钉上十字架前与门徒齐聚的景象，其中可窥视达文西的实验手法与新技术的运用，对其后世世代代的艺术家产生影响。

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

genius [ˋdʒinjəs] n. 天才; 天赋

exceptional [ɪkˋsɛpʃən!] adj. 优秀的；卓越的

stand out 突出, 显着 to be conspicuous, distinctive, or prominent

unrivaled [ʌnˋraɪv!d] adj. 无敌的；无可比拟的

sheer [ʃɪr] adv. 全然，十足地

expertise [͵ɛkspɚˋtiz] n. 专门知识；专门技术

sculpture [ˋskʌlptʃɚ] n. 雕刻术，雕塑术

to name but a few 仅以这些为例 giving only these as examples, even though more could be cited

credit [ˋkrɛdɪt] v. 归功于

ingenuity [͵ɪndʒəˋnuətɪ] n. 心灵手巧；独创性

exceed [ɪkˋsid] v. 超过；胜过

curiosity [͵kjʊrɪˋɑsətɪ] n. 好奇心﹐求知欲

intelligence [ɪnˋtɛlədʒəns] n. 智力, 聪明, 理解力

rumor [ˋrumɚ] n. 谣言，谣传；传闻，传说

thereafter [ðɛrˋæftɚ] adv.【书】之后，以后

 

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单词发音

 

diversity [daɪˋvɝsətɪ] n. 多样性

brilliance [ˋbrɪljəns] n.（卓越的）才华，才智

drawing [ˋdrɔɪŋ] n. 素描；制图

anatomy [əˋnætəmɪ] n. 解剖学

botany [ˋbɑtənɪ] n. 植物学

diverseness [daɪˋvɝsnɪs] n. 差异性；多样性

intertwine [͵ɪntɚˋtwaɪn] v. 使）缠绕; （使）交织在一起

Renaissance ['renəsɑns] n. 文艺复兴

celebrated [ˋsɛlə͵bretɪd] adj. 著名的，驰名的[（+as/for）]

haunting [ˋhɔntɪŋ] adj. 萦绕于心头的，不易忘怀的

supper [ˋsʌpɚ] n. 晚餐，晚饭

disciple [dɪˋsaɪp!] n. 信徒，门徒

crucifixion [͵krusəˋfɪkʃən] n. 钉死于十字架

experimentation [ɪk͵spɛrəmɛnˋteʃən] n. 实验（法）

 

 

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解

 

Leonardo meticulously recorded his thoughts in journals every day. His notebooks contain some 13,000 pages of sketches, studies, and designs besides the occasional grocery list! Interestingly since he wrote in mirror-image cursive – perhaps because he wrote with his left hand – his words can only be read with the aid of a mirror. Yet it is his sketches and studies that are most impressive. Vitruvian Man, an image we recognize instantly, is an exact study of the proportions of the male body and an example of how Leonardo married art with science. It is also one of the most reproduced images in the world. His notebooks also contain one of the first scientific portrayals of a fetus in the womb, and many more anatomical studies. With permission from a hospital to dissect corpses, Leonard was able to pencil drawings that demonstrate a precision and understanding of the human body that had not been seen before.

达文西一丝不苟地将他的想法纪录在每天的手稿中。他的笔记囊括了13,000页的草图、研究与设计，其中还包括临时购物清单呢！有趣的是，也许是因为他惯用左手写字的缘故，手稿是以镜像文字书写，只能透过镜子的反射来阅读。不过，最令人印象深刻的还是达文西的素描和研究。《维特鲁威人》是我们马上就能认出的图像，其为男性身体比例的详细研究，是达文西结合艺术与科学的例子。它也是世上被复制最频繁的影像之一。他的笔记也包含子宫内胚胎的描绘以及许多的解剖研究。达文西有医院的允许可解剖尸体，能够用铅笔画出人体图像，展现前所未见的精确度与洞察力。

 

Furthermore, we must not forget the influence of Leonardo the inventor. His revolutionary visions included a helicopter, a hang glider, a calculator, solar power, and a 240-meter-long bridge.

此外，我们不可忽视达文西作为发明家所带来的影响。他的革命性远见包括直升机、悬挂式滑翔机、计算器、太阳能和一座长达240公尺的桥。

 

If you want to learn more about the amazing mind of Leonardo da Vinci, the exhibition Da Vinci The Genius is a great place to start. Constructing his designs as they were envisioned and exploring the mysteries of his paintings, this exhibit – which is coming to the end of its stay in Taipei before moving on to Kaohsiung – will bring you as close as possible to one of the most important forefathers of modern art and science.

若是你想更了解李奥纳多．达文西这样的人物，参观《天才达文西特展》是个不错的开始。这次展览建造了他发想的设计，也探索其绘画中的神秘性。台北展期很快要结束，之后会移至高雄，尽可能地带你更亲近这位最重要的当代艺术与科学的先父。

 

−by Alice Davis

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

sketch [skɛtʃ] n. 素描

occasional [əˋkeʒən!] adj. 偶尔的，非经常的

proportion [prəˋporʃən] n. 比例；比率

marry [ˋmærɪ] v. 结合

reproduce [͵riprəˋdjus] v. 拷贝，复制

portrayal [porˋtreəl] n. 描绘；描写

permission [pɚˋmɪʃən] n. 允许，许可

corpse [kɔrps] n. 尸体

precision [prɪˋsɪʒən] n. 精确（性）；准确（性）；

inventor [ɪnˋvɛntɚ] n. 发明家，发明者

exhibition [͵ɛksəˋbɪʃən] n. 展览

envision [ɪnˋvɪʒən] v. 想象，展望

forefather [ˋfor͵fɑðɚ] n. 先人; 前辈; 祖宗

 

More Information

单词发音

 

meticulously [məˋtɪkjələslɪ] adv. 极细心地，一丝不苟地

cursive [ˋkɝsɪv] n. 草写体的文件  adj.〔字迹〕草写的;〔字母间〕连笔的

fetus [ˋfitəs] n. 胎；（三个月后的）胎儿

anatomical [͵ænəˋtɑmɪk!] adj. 解剖学上的；解剖的

dissect [dɪˋsɛkt] v. 解剖；切开

pencil [ˋpɛns!] v. 用铅笔写（或画）

glider [ˋglaɪdɚ] n. 滑翔机

 

 

Reading Questions

 

1. Why do people view Leonardo da Vinci as an unrivaled genius?

A. He created the first airplane.

B. He had a very unique personality.

C. His talents were many and varied.

D. He was an excellent painter.

 

2. Which of the following is NOT true about the journals?

A. The writing is quite difficult to read.

B. The drawings inside are often scientific.

C. Leonardo wrote his shopping lists in them.

D. Leonardo devoted little time to keeping them.

 

3. Which of the following is true, according to the article?

A. Vitruvian Man cannot be copied and reprinted.

B. The Mona Lisa has long been controversial.

C. Leonardo built the longest bridge of his era.

D. Leonardo studied medicine and became a doctor.

 

4. What might be an alternative name for the Da Vinci The Genius exhibition?

A. Contemporary Artist, Modern Mind: Leonardo

B. Limited Leonardo: An Exhibition

C. Without Equal: Leonardo da Vinci

D. The Tragedy of Leonardo da Vinci

 

without equal 无敌, 举世无双 distinct; peerless; unrivaled

 

Mona Lisa Song by Nat King Cole

 

Leonardo's Last Supper: A Vision by Peter Greenaway - Preview

 

 Leonardo da Vinci

 

 

The Life of Leonardo da Vinci - part 1

 

The Life of Leonardo da Vinci - part 2

 

 

 

Answer

1. ( C )

2. ( D )

3. ( B )

4. ( C )