Lesson 27 The ‘Vasa’“瓦萨”号 瓦萨, Lesson, The, Vasa, font

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参考译文
1628年，一艘大帆船在处女航开始时就沉没了，这个从17世纪瑞典帝国流传至今的故事无疑是航海史上最离奇的事件之一。这艘大船在斯德哥尔摩港口的海底躺了将近3个半世纪之后，直到1956年才被发现。这就是“瓦萨”号，帝国大舰队的皇家旗舰。
当时号称“北方飓风”的国王古斯塔夫斯·阿道尔弗斯正处在“三十年战争”的军事鼎盛阶段，他亲自规定了这艘船的规模和武器配备。3层的火炮甲板上装着64门青铜加农炮，目的就是要在不断增长的瑞典势力中起主导作用。
1628年8月10日，“瓦萨”号准备首航时，斯德哥尔摩一片欢腾。人们从斯开波斯布朗和周围的岛屿前来观看这艘美丽的战船扬帆起航，乘风前进。瑞典人辛辛苦苦干了3年才建成这件水上艺术品，它比以往任何船只雕刻得都更加精美，装饰得都更加华丽。高耸的船楼上雕刻着令人眼花缭乱的神仙、妖魔、骑士、国王、武士、美人鱼和小天使，还有用红色、金黄色、蓝色绘制的光彩夺目的兽形图案，象征着勇敢、力量和残暴，以激起当时崇尚迷信的水手们的想像。
这时，停泊在港口的其他战船向“瓦萨”号鸣炮致礼，“瓦萨”号也鸣炮回礼。当“瓦萨”号从弥漫的礼炮烟云中出现时，船头下浪花四溅，舰旗迎风招展，三角旗随风飘动，微风鼓起风帆，金碧辉煌的船楼闪耀着灿烂的色彩。“瓦萨”号展现的壮观景象是斯德哥尔摩人从未见过的。船上的炮眼都开着，炮口虎视眈眈地向外窥视着。
当风力增强时，突然刮来一阵大风，“瓦萨”号奇怪地摇晃了一下，便向左舷倾斜。炮长命令把左舷上所有大炮搬到右舷上来以抵消船的倾斜，但甲板的倾斜度仍在增加。当物品、压舱物、弹药和400个人轰地一声滑向陡斜的左舷时，岸上的观众听到船上发出了雷鸣般的轰响。下层炮眼已淹没在水里，涌进船舱的水给“瓦萨”号带来了难以逃脱的厄运。就这样，想要统治波罗的海的大型战舰“瓦萨”号，在它壮丽的起航时刻，带着全身飘扬的彩旗，沉没在了它诞生的港口。
Comprehension 理解
Answer these questions:
1 Why was the Vasa regarded as an important ship when she was built?
2 How long did it take to build the Vasa?
3 Why is the Vasa described as a ‘floating work of art’?
Vocabulary  词汇
Refer to the text to see how the following words have been used, then write sentences of your own using these words: galleon (1.1); dictated (1.6); might (l.7); maiden voyage (1.8); in a ferment (1.8); zoomorphic (1.12); ablaze (1.12); portrayed (1.13); churned (1.16); freshened (1.20); sudden squall (1.20); ballast (1.23); inrush (1.24); sealed theship's fate (1.24).
Summary 摘要
A Drawing your information from lines 8-26 (‘As she was prepared ... her birth.’) write a list of points innote form describing what the people in Stockholm harbour saw on August 10, 1628.
B Using this list of points, reconstruct the author's description of the scene in not more than 100 word.Your answer should be in one paragraph.
Composition 作文
Write a composition of about 300 words on the following subject:
Recovering lost treasure from the sea.
You may use some or all of the ideas given below if you wish:
1 The difficulty of salvaging wrecks in the past.
2 Modern techniques have made salvaging less difficult: skin diving.
3 Hunting for treasure is carried out not only by experts but also by amateurs.
4 Examples of treasure recovered: the Mediterranean: Roman ships; Greek works of art. Off the coast of Florida: gold from Spanish galleons.
Key structures 关键句型
A Supply the correct form of the verbs in parentheses in the following. Do not refer to the passage until you have finished the exercise:
King Gustavus Adolphus, ‘The Northern Hurricane’, then at the height of his military success in the Thirty Years' War,_____ (dictate) her measurements and armament. Triple gun-decks ____(mount) sixty-four bronze cannon. She _____(intend) to play a leading role in the growing might of Sweden.
As she ____(prepare) for her maiden voyage on August 10, 1628, Stockholm ____(be) in a ferment. From the Skeppsbron and surrounding islands the people ____(watch) this thing of beauty begin to spread her sails and catch the wind. They ____(labour) for three years to produce this floating work of art; she more richly _____(carve) and _____(ornament) than any previous ship. (11.5-11 ).
B Study this sentence pattern:
The people watched this thing of beauty begin to spread her sails and catch the wind. (11.9-10)
Complete these sentences using the same pattern:
1 I heard him____
2 I noticed someone ____
3 Did you see anyone____
C Supply for or since in the following sentences:
1 They had laboured ____three years to produce this floating work of art. (1.10)
2 _____1628 few attempts had been made to salvage the Vasa.
3 ____nearly three and a half centuries she lay at the bottom of Stockholm harbour. (11.2-3)
D Note this construction:
As the wind freshened there came a sudden squall. (1.20)
Write sentences using the following: there lived; there seemed.
E Study the construction in italics:
400 people went sliding and crashing ... (1.23)
Write sentences using the following expressions:
go shopping; go swimming; go sailing.
Special difficulties难点
A Explain the meaning of spread in these sentences:
1 The people watched this thing of beauty begin to spread her sails. (1.9)
2 You should know better than to .spread such rumours.
3 Spread some jam on your bread.
4 Help me to spread the tablecloth.
B Explain the meaning of produce in these sentences:
1 They had laboured for three years to produce this floating work of art. (1.10)
2 The inspector asked me to produce my ticket.
3 Who produced this play?
4 This country does not produce enough wheat for its needs.
C Explain the meaning of the words in italics:
1 All gun-ports were open and the muzzles peeped wickedly from them. (11.18-19)
2 I opened the door and peered into the darkness.
3 I've been so busy, I haven't even glanced at today's newspapers.
4 I just caught a glimpse of a face at the window.
Multiple choice questions 多项选择题
Choose the correct answers to the following questions.
Comprehension 理解
1 The loss of the Vasa ____.
a．was discovered in 1956
b．had been known for centuries
c．played a leading role in the growing might of Sweden
d．increased the King's reputation as ‘The Northern Hurricane’
2 At the launch of the Vasa ____.
a．it must have been immediately obvious she was going to sink
b．everyone in Stockholm was depressed by the event
c．the people of Stockholm must have been very impressed by the spectacle
d．the sailors knew they had been right to be superstitious
3 The Vasa listed to one side because ____.
a．no one could see anything as a result of the gun smoke
b．all the cannons of the anchored warships thundered a salute
c．all gun ports were open
d．the cannon made one side of the ship too heavy
4 Once ____, it was impossible to prevent the Vasa from sinking.
a．the wind freshened
b．the sound of rumbling thunder was heard
c．the port-holes were no longer above the surface
d．the Ordnance Officer ordered all the port cannon to be moved to starboard
Structure 句型
5 How long has the Vasa _____at the bottom of Stockholm harbour? (1.2)
a．lied
b．laid
c．lain
d．lying
6 First they ____. Then they produced this floating work of art. (1.10)
a．laboured
b．had laboured
c．were labouring
d．are labouring
7 The cannons thundered a salute which the Vasa replied ____. (1.15)
a．at   
b．form  
c．to
d．in
8 The mighty Vasa sank in the harbour where she ____.
a．was borne
b．born
c．was born
d．has borne
Vocabulary 词汇
9 This must be one of the strangest ____of the sea.
a．mysteries
b．tails
c．storeys
d．stories
10 She was intended to play a leading role in the growing ____of Sweden. (1.7)
a．ability
b．forces
c．expectations   
d．power
11 As she prepared for her maiden voyage, Stockholm was ____. (1.8)
a．churning
b．boiling
c．fermenting
d．in a state of high excitement
12 The Ordnance Officer ordered all the port cannon to be ____to starboard. (1.21)
a．pulled
b．dropped
c．lifted
d．thrown