凡爾賽宮一瞥

山東 李全忠

凡爾賽宮位于法國巴黎郊外的凡爾賽鎮(zhèn)， 是巴黎著名的宮殿之一， 也是世界五大宮殿之一，1979 年被列入《世界文化遺產(chǎn)名錄》。

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Palace of Versailles, former French royal residence and centre of government, now is a national landmark. It is located in the city of Versailles,northern France,16 kilometers southwest of Paris. As the centre of the French court,Versailles was one of the grandest theatres of European absolutism (專制制度).

The original residence was primarily a hunting lodge (小舍) and private retreat for Louis ⅩⅢand his family. In 1624 the king entrusted Jacques Lemercier with the construction of a palace on the site. Its walls are preserved today as it is overlooking the Marble Court.

Under the guidance of Louis ⅩⅣ, the residence was transformed into a great complex surrounded by stylized French and English gardens.Every detail of its construction was intended to glorify the king. The additions were designed by such renowned architects as Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Robert de Cotte, and Louis Le Vau.Charles Le Brun oversaw the inner decoration.Landscape artist André Le N?tre created French gardens that included magnificent fountains (噴泉) with “magically” still water, expressing the power of humanity—and, specifically, the king—over nature.

UNESCO designated the palace and its gardens a World Heritage Site in 1979. Following a destructive winter storm in 1989, which destroyed more than 1,000 trees on the palace grounds, the French government initiated a wide-ranging project of repair and renovation.A severe windstorm in 1999 caused the loss of some 10,000 trees, including several planted by Marie-Antoinette and Napoleon. The palace was also damaged. In 2003 an ambitious restoration and renovation program was launched as the“Grand Versailles” project. With a 17-year schedule and a budget that topped500 million, the plan was billed as the most-significant expansion of the palace facilities since the reign of Louis-Philippe.

Today, Versailles is one of the most-visited sites in France. Visitors are drawn to its architectural magnificence, the stunning water features (concerts are often played in its gardens during the summer) and its sense of history.

Reading Check

1. What does paragraph 1 mainly talk about?

A. Palace of Versailles' grandness.

B. Palace of Versailles' importance.

C.Palace of Versailles'general introduction.

D. Palace of Versailles' accurate location.

2. What do we know about Jacques Lemercier?

A. He was a great architect.

B. He once hunted with Louis ⅩⅢ.

C. He built a hunting lodge for Louis ⅩⅢ.

D. He designed the Marble Court by himself.

3. Who played a big part in the Palace of Versailles' decorating?

A. André Le N?tre.

B. Robert de Cotte.

C. Charles Le Brun.

D. Jules Hardouin-Mansart.

4. Why do visitors come to Versailles probably according to the text?

A. To enjoy its extraordinary appeal.

B. To improve architectural skills.

C. To support its reconstruction.

D. To learn its rich history.

Language Study

Difficult sentence

Following a destructive winter storm in 1989, which destroyed more than 1,000 trees on the palace grounds, the French government initiated a wide-ranging project of repair and renovation. 1989年的一場破壞性的冬季風暴摧毀了宮殿地面上的1,000多棵樹，此后，法國政府發(fā)起了一個廣泛的維修和翻新項目。

【點石成金】句中的Following a destructive winter storm in 1989為現(xiàn)在分詞短語作時間狀語；which引導的是非限制性定語從句，先行詞為a destructive winter storm in 1989。