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The Getty Center: A Work of Art 巧夺天工的盖蒂中心

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When oil billionaire J. Paul Getty died in 1976, he was one of the richest Americans to have ever lived. The self-made man’s legacy reaches beyond the business world, though. Getty was also a keen art collector who set up the J. Paul Getty Trust, the planet’s most affluent art institution. After his death, Getty’s personal art collection would form the grounding for the Getty Museum, which comprises the Getty Villa – containing art from ancient Greece and Rome – and the Getty Center – displaying pre-20th-century European art, including works by Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, and Paul Cezanne.

石油亿万富翁尚．保罗．盖蒂于1976年辞世时，曾经是最富有的美国人之一。他白手起家的传奇故事不仅流传于商界，生前更是位慧眼独具的艺术收藏家，成立了世上最富裕的艺术机构──尚．保罗．盖蒂信托基金会。盖蒂逝世后，他的个人艺术收藏品成为盖蒂博物馆展览品的基底。其中，盖蒂博物馆包括了展出古希腊罗马艺术作品的盖蒂别墅和展示20世纪初的欧洲艺术作品（包括有文森．梵．谷、保罗．高更和保罗．塞尚的画作）的盖蒂中心。

It’s only fitting that an illustrious collection be exhibited in style. And the stunning architecture of the Getty Center couldn’t serve as a better complement for its glorious contents. Designed by Richard Meier in the 1980s, the museum complex is situated on top of a high hilltop in Los Angeles. Meier arranged the buildings along two natural ridges, taking advantage of the panoramic views. The landscaped gardens between the buildings feature fountains and courtyards. Rotundas, pavilions, bridges, and plazas make the Getty Center much more than a museum. The color white features prominently in Meier’s architecture, and the Getty Center is no exception with the white stone walls that give the buildings a Mediterranean feel.

出色的盖蒂艺术品唯一适合的展出方式就是让他们新潮地在人们面前展示，而令人惊叹的盖蒂中心之建筑为其辉煌的展览品做了更好的诠释。80年代，理查德德德．迈耶设计了这位于洛杉矶山顶的博物馆群，他沿着双山脊安排建筑物，好让自然的辽阔景色尽收眼底。建物与建物之间妆点着有喷泉和庭园的大型景观花园，圆形拱顶建物、凉亭、桥梁及广场等布置，让盖蒂中心不只是博物馆而已。白色是迈尔建筑作品的用色特点，盖蒂中心也不例外，白色石头的墙面营造出地中海风格的感觉。

The Getty Center is a feat of architecture, and every detail of the grounds is carefully considered. It was a labor of love indeed, taking nearly ten years to complete, and costing an estimated US$ 1.3 billion. Still, for those who visit, the Getty Center is as memorable as the paintings and sculptures on display. It is, in fact, a work of art in its own right.

盖蒂中心是一个建筑壮举，每一个细节都经过精心设计。的确，盖蒂中心是许多人无怨无悔的心血结晶，耗费将近十年的时间和估计十三亿美元的成本所建构而成。然而，对于游客来说，参观盖蒂中心是值得纪念的，就如同馆内展出的绘画和雕塑一样令人难忘。其实，就算没有展览品在馆内，盖蒂中心本身就是一个令人激赏的艺术作品。

－by Alice Davis

Vocabulary

单词发音

self-made [ˋsɛlfˋmed] adj. 靠自己努力而成功的，白手起家的

keen [kin] adj. 敏锐的; 锐利的

affluent [ˋæflʊənt] adj.富裕的

grounding [ˋgraʊndɪŋ] n. 基础

fitting [ˋfɪtɪŋ] adj. 适当的，合适的；相称的

illustrious [ɪˋlʌstrɪəs] adj. 著名的，杰出的，卓越的

complement [ˋkɑmpləmənt] n. 补足物; 补充; 使完备之物

hilltop [ˋhɪl͵tɑp] n. 山顶

ridge [rɪdʒ] n. 山脊，山脉

panoramic [͵pænəˋræmɪk] adj. adj. 全景的

courtyard [ˋkortˋjɑrd] n. 庭院

rotunda [roˋtʌndə] n. 圆形建筑；圆形大厅

pavilion [pəˋvɪljən] n. 亭子，凉亭；阁

plaza [ˋplæzə] n. 广场

Mediterranean [͵mɛdətəˋrenɪən] adj. 地中海的

feat [fit]  n. 功绩，业绩；英勇事迹

memorable [ˋmɛmərəb!] adj. 值得怀念的；难忘的；显著的

Idiom

in style 有气派地；阔气地; 时髦地, 豪华地 in the current fashion or style      

labor of love 爱做的事；心甘情愿做的工作 work done for interest in the work itself rather than for payment

Reading Questions

1.    Why does the author say the Getty Center is “more than a museum”?

(A)  Because visitors can also purchase paintings there.

(B)  Because there’s more to enjoy than just the artwork.

(C)  Because the pieces on display are more interesting than you’d think.

(D)  Because visitors can stay there when in Los Angeles.

2.    From the article, what can you assume about Richard Meier?

(A)  He was very good friends with J. Paul Getty.

(B)  He donated a lot of money to the J. Paul Getty Trust.

(C)  He singleheartedly built the Getty Center.

(D)  He is held in high regard by many as an architect.

3.    Which of the following does NOT describe J. Paul Getty?

(A)  He collected artworks only to sell them for profit.

(B)  He was a successful business tycoon.

(C)  He made his own money, and died very wealthy.

(D)  He founded an art trust.

Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California (HD)

The Getty Villa in Malibu California

History of the Getty Villa

The Getty Center in full HD

Answer