国家地理-2008-06-02 Pagan Tomb 世上最大的异教徒陵墓

The Valeri Mausoleum, the largest and most luxurious¹ of 22 pagan tombs buried under St. Peter's Basilica[1] in Vatican City, was reopened on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
 
The mausoleum lies a few hundred feet away from the burial place of the Apostle Peter, revered² by Catholics as the founder³ of the Catholic Church and first Pope.
 
The reopening was announced during a news conference at the offices of the Fabbrica di San Pietro, which has been in charge of the running and upkeep of St. Peter's Basilica for over 500 years.
 
We've had two important restoration campaigns, an important one between 1998 and 1999 in the western part of the necropolis. That is the area corresponding to St. Peter's tomb, which contains some of the most ancient and beautiful mausoleums restored, as you will see. And then, between 1999 and 2000, another campaign of restoration in the central area of the excavation⁴, and it is in the area of the Valeri Mausoleum, which was restored only during the past year, 2007.
 
The mausoleum consisting of several rooms is noted⁵ for the stucco detail work on its walls, a popular art form at the time of its construction in the second century AD. And for the bas-relief sculptures which adorn⁶ the tombs. The tomb tells the history of the Valeri family, especially through the bas-relief sculptures of patriarch Caius Valerius Herma's two children, a boy and a girl who died during childhood. Emperor Constantine, a convert to Christianity, had the pagan burial grounds covered up in the fourth century, so the basilica could be built above St. Peter's tomb.
 
Notes:
[1] The Basilica of Saint Peter (Latin: Basilica Sancti Petri), officially known in Italian as the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as St. Peter's Basilica, is located within the Vatican City in Rome. It occupies a "unique position" as one of the holiest sites and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom". In Catholic tradition, it is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, according to tradition, was the first Bishop⁷ of Antioch, and later first Bishop of Rome and therefore first in the line of the papal succession. While St. Peter's is the most famous of Rome's many churches, it is not the first in rank, an honour held by the Pope's cathedral church, the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

Vocabulary Mix:
apostle: any of the twelve men sent out by Christ to spread his teaching
necropolis: cemetery, esp a large ancient one
stucco: plaster or cement used for covering or decorating walls or ceilings
bas-relief: form of sculpture or carving in which a figure or design projects only slightly from its background
patriarch:  male head of a family 

1 luxurious   

adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的

参考例句：

• This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。
• The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。

2 revered   

v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例，现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句

3 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

4 excavation   

n.挖掘，发掘；被挖掘之地

参考例句：

• The bad weather has hung up the work of excavation.天气不好耽误了挖掘工作。
• The excavation exposed some ancient ruins.这次挖掘暴露出一些古遗迹。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 adorn   

vt.使美化，装饰

参考例句：

• She loved to adorn herself with finery.她喜欢穿戴华丽的服饰。
• His watercolour designs adorn a wide range of books.他的水彩设计使许多图书大为生色。

7 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。