Stolen copy of Leonardo da Vinci painting recovered in Naples

江西 黃舒偉

題材繪畫 新聞報道體裁 文章詞數 建議用時304 6分鐘

難詞探意

1.auction /'??k?n/ v.拍賣

2.prosecutor /'pr?s?kju?t?(r)/ n.公訴人；檢察官

3.sphere /sf??(r)/ n.球（體）

A copy of the most expensive painting everauctionedoff has been recovered—and museum officials weren't even aware that it had been stolen.A 500-year-old imitation of Leonardo da Vinci's religious work Salvator Mundi was discovered squirreled away Jan.16 in an apartment bedroom in Naples, Italy.Museum staffers were shocked to learn that the painting, believed to have been created by da Vinci's student Giacomo Alibrandi, had gone missing.The 36-year-old suspect was arrested in suspicion of receiving stolen goods, said the police.“The painting was found on Saturday thanks to a brilliant and diligent police operation,” NaplesprosecutorGiovanni Melillo told Agence France-Presse.

The artwork is part of the Doma Museum collection at the San Domenico Maggiore Church in Naples, but Melillo stated that museum officials were clueless to the steal because “the room where the painting is kept has not been open for three months” due to the COVID-19 outbreak.As for when the theft was pulled off, no one seems sure but museum officials claimed the painting was in their possession as recently as last January.

Police are investigating the theft but have noted there was no obvious sign of forced entry into the museum.“It is likely to be true that it was a commissioned theft by an organization working in the international art trade,” said Melillo.The original Salvator Mundi became the most expensive artwork ever sold in 2017, when it was auctioned off for $450 million.The painting shows Jesus Christ with one hand raised while the other holding a glasssphere.

Fortunately, this painting has finally been located and recovered due to its high artistic value and profound history.This theft is also a good reminder of a future stricter staff supervision and digital monitoring in the museum.

Reading Check

1.What's the meaning of the underlined part “squirreled away” in the first paragraph?

A.Blown away.B.Hidden away.

C.Shipped out.D.Spread over.

2.The painting was found on Saturday thanks to .

A.a wise and diligent police operation

B.the 36-year-old suspect's appearance

C.joint efforts made by museum staffers

D.information offered by da Vinci's student

3.What can we know about the the original Salvator Mundi?

A.It is the cheapest artwork ever sold.

B.It was auctioned off for $450 million in 2017.

C.It shows something about a woman and her baby.

D.It is believed to have been created by da Vinci's wife.

Language Study

Difficult sentence

Museum staffers were shocked to learn that the painting, believed to have been created by da Vinci's student Giacomo Alibrandi, had gone missing.博物館工作人員得知這幅據說是達·芬奇的學生賈科莫·阿利布蘭迪所作的畫失蹤后，感到非常震驚。

【點石成金】此句的謂語動詞是had gone，而believed to have been created by da Vinci's student Giacomo Alibrandi則為插入語，對the painting進行補充說明。