On-the-Way-to-Cerveteri-(复旦高级英语第一册)

OntheWaytoCerveteriD.H.LawrenceItaly------------EtruscanCivilization

TheEtruscancivilizationisthenamegiventodaytothecultureandwayoflifeofapeopleofancientItaly.ThecivilizationenduredfromanunknownprehistorictimepriortothefoundationofRomeuntilitscompleteassimilationtoAncientRomeintheRomanRepublic.Butnumerousvestiges(signs)ofEtruscanculturedosurvivetheRomanconquest.768BC–264BC

EtruscanCulturedevelopedinItalyafterabout800B.C.E.approximatelyovertherangeoftheprecedingIronAgeVillanovanculture(维朗诺瓦文化).InfluencedbyGreektradersandGreekneighborsinMagnaGraecia(大希腊),theHellenic(希腊的)civilizationofsouthernItaly,EtruscanculturereachedaveryhighmateriallevelbythetimeitwasabsorbedbyRome.MapofMagnaGraecia

ThehighculturalachievementsofRomemayhavebeenlargelyderivative(衍生的),andtheEtruscanheritagewasavitalingredient.ThustheEtruscanlegacymadeamajorcontributiontotheculture(Rome)thatdidmuchtounifyEuropeandtheMediterraneanBasin,andwhoselegalandadministrativesystemsarestillthebasisofmanyEuropeanstates.TheNecropolisofCerveteri

(7thcenturyBC)

On2July2004,atasessionoftheUNESCOWorldHeritageCommitteeinSuzhou,China,thecemeteriesofCerveteriwereinscribedonthelistofWorldHeritagesites.

IntroductiontoCerveteriCerveteriislocatedinsouthernEtruria,50kmnorthwestofRome.TheearliestdataofCerveteridatesfrom7centuryBC,andwearscharacteristicsofthegivenperiod.In253BC.CerveteriappearsinconfrontationsagainstRome.TheEtruscancitywasdefeatedandlostpartofitsterritory,includingthecoast.Deprivedofitsports,itisdoomedtoapermanentcrisis,whichleadstototaldestructionduringthe1stcenturyBC.Historically,thecitycoversabout150hectares,comparedwiththemoderncity,whichoccupiesonlyonethirdofthatspace.Thelargenumberandwealthofthetombsalsoindicateahighdevelopmentofthecity.Cerveterihasfivenecropolises,wheretheyfoundmorethan400tombs,theformationofrealstreetsofthedead,coveredwithvolcanictuft(丛生植物).Mostofthetombscanbedatedbetween7and6centuryBC.Themostcommonarethosewithanundergroundchamberandtumulus(坟墓)siteinwhichtheinnerroomsimitateEtruscanhomes.Treasuresinthetombsincludemanybronzeandsilveritems,finegoldjewelry,vasesproducedlocally,andceramics(陶器).TombsatCervetericemeteryareainCerveteri

theoldEtruscancity

Watervessel,winejugorflaskexcavatedinthetombsEtruscanmurals(壁画)Etruscansarcophagus,(石棺)Cerveteri,c.520,withrecliningcoupleonlid

TomboftheReliefs,Cerveteri,3rdcenturyBCTheStructureoftheTextPart1:IntroductionoftheEtruscans.Part2:ThetriptoCaere.Part3:Theauthor’sdescriptionoftheplace.Part4:Theauthor’sdescriptionofandhiscommentontheflowers.Part1:(Para.1—2)IntroductionoftheEtruscans.Para.1:D.H.Lawrenceopenshistravelogue

withhishumorous,satiricalandexaggeratedclaimsregardingtheRomans’relationshiptotheEtruscans.Para.2:Whatcanbeknownonlycomesfromthetombs.RomanEmpire

TheempirecenteredatthecityofRome,Italy.Itwasatfirstruledbykings.Then,about500b.c.,theRomanRepublicwasestablished,withtwoannuallyelectedconsuls(执政官)atitshead,guidedbyasenate.Therepubliceventuallyweakened,andRomewasruledbyoneman—firstJuliusCaesar,whowasassassinatedin44b.c.HissuccessorwasAugustus,whoassumedthetitleofemperor.ThewholeWesternworldeventuallybecamesubjecttoRomeandwasatpeaceforroughlythefirstfourcenturiesafterthebirthofJesus.JuliusCaesar100B.C.--44B.C.

Augustus63BC–14ADRome'sHistoryandLegacyTheempirewasknownforitsstronglycentralizedgovernmentandformassivepublicworks,suchasroadsandaqueducts(沟渠),whichhelpedmaintainitspowerandefficiency.Astheyearspassed,theRomanEmpirewasdividedintoeasternandwesternportions(ByzantineEmpire“拜占庭帝国”

andConstantinetheGreat“君士坦丁大帝”),developedinternalweaknesses,wasinvadedbyoutsidetribes,andeventuallyceasedtoexist.ancientRomeaqueductsItalianFascismisassociatedwiththeNationalFascistParty,whichunderBenitoMussoliniruledtheKingdomofItalyfrom1922until1943.BenitoMussoliniPart2:(Para.3—10)ThetriptoCaere.Para.3:Thedestinationtovisit–thetombsPara.4:TimeandroutePara.5:ThedescriptionoftheCampagnaPara.6:Caereusedtobeagayandgaudycity.Butnowtherearetombsthere.Para.7:FromPalotoCerveteri,itisaboutfivemiles.Para.8:PoorserviceandlittlehelptheygotatPalo.Para.9:Theybegantogoonfoot.Para.10:ThedescriptionofthelandscapealongthetripPart3:(Para.11—19)Theauthor’sdescriptionoftheplacePara.11:TheycametoasmallvillagenearCaere,ashabbyplace.Para.12:Theytriedtofindarestaurant.Para.13:Theydinedinadeepcavernservingasarestaurant.Para.14:Thefoodanddrinkthereisnottotheirtaste.Para.15:Theygottwolocalboystoleadtheway.Para.16--17:ThedescriptionofthelayoutofthecityofCerveteriPara.18:TheEtruscanwomenPara.19:Theypassedbysomesmalltombsforunimportantpeople.Part4:(Para.20—26)Theauthor’sdescriptionofandhiscommentontheflowers.Para.20:TheycameoutofthetownandthescenerywassimilartothatofMexico.Para.21--22:Theauthorlikedtheflower–asphodel,becauseithasacertainrecklessglory.Para.23:Someonesaidtheasphodelisyellow.Para.24:ThewilddaffodilisalsocommoninGreece,andthenarcissusispureMediterraneanandGreek.Para.25:EnglishpeopleandGreekpeopledifferintheirattitudestoflowers,whichshowstheirdifferentcharacters.Para.26:Theyareontheirwaytothetombs.ThemainideaandstylisticfeaturesofthetextLawrenceopenshis“Cerveteri”withhishumorousandexaggeratedremarkregardingtheRomans’relationshiptotheEtruscans.Shrewdly,hedrawsthereaderrightinandgainstheiralliancebystartingwith“TheEtruscans,aseveryoneknows,werethepeoplewhooccupiedthemiddleofItalyinearlyRomandays,andwhomtheRomans,intheirusualneighborlyfashion,wipedoutentirelyinordertomakeroomforRomewithaverybigR.”Lawrence’sconversationaltonemakesthereadersfeeltheyareonhisintellectuallevel.Hisabilitytowinoverthereader’sallianceatthebeginningiswhatallowsLawrencetocarrythereaderwithhimthroughouthisnarrative.Hecontinueswithhistiradeasitbuilds,attackingtheRomans’ruthlessdestructionoftheEtruscans.Thosepure,clean-living,sweet-souledRomans,smashednationafternationandcrushedthefreesoulinpeopleafterpeople.

In“Cerveteri”Lawrencetakesusdownthebrokenpathwaysandrocky,sun-drenchedcliffsofItalytothetombsoftheancientEtruscans.HisessayreadsasadefensivepleatodiscoverthisnobleandvanishedtribewhosegreatstructuresonceadornedthehillsidesofItaly.Ontheonehand,LawrencecondemnedtheRomanswhodestroyedandburiedEtruscansociety.Ontheotherhand,hetenderlypraisedtheEtruscancharacter.

ButwhatismostpeculiaraboutLawrence’spassionandhisdetaileddescriptionoflifeintheEtruscanworldisthat“weknownothingabouttheEtruscansexceptwhatwefindintheirtombs”,and“theirtombsthatweraidedandemptiedlongago”.Inthemeantime,Lawrencehimselfactsasthelastlivingvoiceoftheselongdeadandlongforgottenpeople.

HisdescriptionsoftheEtruscanshaveamagicaltone,asheillustratestheirarchitecturalpreferenceswhichseemflowfromLawrence’simagination.

LawrenceextractstheheartoftheEtruscancharacteraswellasthecultureoftheirlongcrumbledtownsfromthegrayandemptyruinsoftheirtombs.TheEtruscansdidwhateverintheirnaturalandeasywayasifbreathingeasily.ThatisthetrueEtruscanqualityinthepast:AnattitudewitheaseAlandwithnaturalnessApeopleenjoyinganabundanceoflife

ThepowerofD.H.Lawrence’sproseisoverwhelming.Hedescribesthephysicallandscapesinsuchawayastotrulybringthereadertothoseveryplaces,makinghimaneffectivetraveler.Whenreadinghisessay,wearefollowinghimonhisphysicalandspiritualjourneythroughtheplacesandthroughhismindasheattemptstouncoverdeepertruthsabouttheworldaroundhim.

Hislanguageisstriking,hiscondemnationrelentless,hisinwardrealizationthoughtful,andhispanoramabeautiful.

Lawrenceusesspecificcolorsanddescriptionstoexplainvividlyhisscenes,“green,”“foam-white,”and“atiltedoxenwagon…likeahugesnailwithfourhorns.”Lawrenceblendsthenaturalandphysicalearthwithhumanbeingsthroughoutthisessayandinthispassagehedescribes:“Downhereinthegull,thetown–village,rather–hasbuiltitswash-house,andthewomenarequietlywashingthelinen.Theyaregood-lookingwomen,oftheoldworld,…”WhydoesLawrencecombinethenaturalenvironmentwithhischaracters?

“Manypeople,however,areverydisappointedwiththeGreeks,forhavingmadesomuchofthisflower…

IconfessIadmiretheflower.Ithasacertainrecklessglory,suchastheGreeksloved.”

HereLawrencepersonifiestheasphodel,givingitcharacterandglory,creatingforitaspecialplaceandpurposeinthereader’smind.Butwhatishisrealintention?WasheintendingtoconvinceonlytheEnglishpeoplethattheywerewronginallowingthemachinetodestroynaturallife?Orwashealsoattemptingtopossiblyreachthoseinthecountriesthathehadtravelledthroughinhopesthattheycouldstaveoff(避开)theinvasionofthemodernmachinery?

Asatravelwriter,D.H.Lawrencedepictsnotonlyenvironmentsinvividdetails,butcapturescharactersinhisbeautifulprose.Heusesagreatdealofactionverbstomovehischaractersthroughthesceneshecreateswiththeclarityandcolorofaphotograph.Lawrence’scombinationofaheavyuseofrichadjectivesandpowerfulverbsmakeshimaneffectivetravelwriter.

Intheessay,heusedthefollowingcolors:black,white,green,greyandpink,greentoindicatetheCampagna,wheatisgreen....flowerswhite...withroad