英语听力：自然百科 古格：消失的西藏王朝—3

 In its day, Guge was the Florence of the East. At the time when Genghis Khan's Mongols were advancing into central Asia and Europe, and the Crusades were being fought in Palestine, Guge was a flourishing centre of commerce, art, religion and political power. It dominated the strategic crossroads on the Silk Road between central Asia and China, a crossroads for the numerous caravans¹ trading gold, silk, wool and spices. Guge was the centre of sophisticated art and ideas. a magnet for artisans and intellectuals. It was at the heart of a religious Renaissance² and home to some of the greatest Buddhist³ thinkers of its time. Yet having prospered⁴ for seven centuries, this magnificent kingdom disappeared in 1630, leaving only an enigmatic structure, the very last remaining clue to a lost civilization. 

 

These are the first ever photographs of the Guge kingdom. They were captured in 1933 by an Italian explorer Giuseppe Tucci. Tucci was the first westerner to document these magnificent ruins. Tucci was awestruck by what lay before him, he wrote, "In front of us, the whole hillside is covered with tremendous ruins. A dead city, which seems to be keeping visual over a tormented⁵ waste of stone."

 

Tucci's visit to the ruins of Guge unearthed⁶ no clues to its demise⁷.

1 caravans   

（可供居住的）拖车（通常由机动车拖行）( caravan的名词复数 )； 篷车； （穿过沙漠地带的）旅行队（如商队）

参考例句：

• Old-fashioned gypsy caravans are painted wooden vehicles that are pulled by horses. 旧式的吉卜赛大篷车是由马拉的涂了颜色的木质车辆。
• Old-fashioned gypsy caravans are painted wooden vehicles. 旧时的吉普赛大篷车是涂了颜色的木质车辆。

2 renaissance   

n.复活，复兴，文艺复兴

参考例句：

• The Renaissance was an epoch of unparalleled cultural achievement.文艺复兴是一个文化上取得空前成就的时代。
• The theme of the conference is renaissance Europe.大会的主题是文艺复兴时期的欧洲。

3 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

4 prospered   

成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
• Mr. Black prospered from his wise investments. 布莱克先生由于巧妙的投资赚了不少钱。

5 tormented   

饱受折磨的

参考例句：

• The knowledge of his guilt tormented him. 知道了自己的罪责使他非常痛苦。
• He had lain awake all night, tormented by jealousy. 他彻夜未眠，深受嫉妒的折磨。

6 unearthed   

出土的（考古）

参考例句：

• Many unearthed cultural relics are set forth in the exhibition hall. 展览馆里陈列着许多出土文物。
• Some utensils were in a state of decay when they were unearthed. 有些器皿在出土时已经残破。

7 demise   

n.死亡；v.让渡，遗赠，转让

参考例句：

• He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise.他赞扬协会的目标，但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
• The war brought about the industry's sudden demise.战争道致这个行业就这么突然垮了。