VOA标准英语2011--Exhibit Could Be King Tut's Last Tour, For a While

Exhibit Could Be King Tut's Last Tour, For a While

As Egypt goes through fundamental political change, people fascinated by the country's ancient civilization worry that a new government might restrict loans to museums overseas. Among the most successful commercial ventures involving Egyptian antiquities¹ have been traveling exhibits of treasures from the tomb of King Tutankhamun, Tut as he is better known.

One of those exhibits is now drawing crowds at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. Many people visiting the museum fear this could be their last chance to see such magnicient and important antiquities.

This exhibit is called “Tutankhamun, the Golden King and the Great Pharaohs.” It shows the splendor² of ancient Egypt through art works and jewelry³ as well as ordinary objects, like this bed.

Visitors like Ayanna feel drawn⁴ to the world of these ancient people. “Three thousand years ago, and I am still able to see things that they touched and felt and interacted with. It's just amazing," she said.

King Tut rested in obscurity until British archaeologist Howard Carter found his tomb in 1922, more than three thousand years after his death. But since then, he has become an international superstar, thanks in part to films of the National Geographic⁵ Society, which was a sponsor of this exhibit.

Kathryn Keane, the society's Director of Traveling Exhibitions, says the world knows Tut because his tomb was mostly intact when Carter found it. “There are much, much larger tombs and burial sites and much more prominent pharaohs than King Tut, but all of those tombs had been looted or otherwise disturbed over time," she said.

Keane says the National Geographic Society has been following Tut ever since. "And new discoveries are constantly being made in Egypt, so we will be there as long as there are stories to tell," she said.

The stories in this exhibit include recent DNA⁶ samples from Tut's mummy, genetically⁷ linking him to Egyptian royals who preceded him, and tests showing an infection in a broken leg that might have caused his death, at the age of 19.

Egypt is building a huge new museum to house its ancient treasures, and some observers fear a new government may be less willing to allow treasures like these to leave the country again.

Mark Lach is a vice⁸ president with Arts and Exhibitions International, the company that organized this exhibit. He's more optimistic. “My sense is that Egypt will always want to share their history with the world and through exhibitions they will do that," he said.

This show is also raking in money for Egypt, something the country needs to maintain its treasures at home. Abd El Hamid Marouf is an official with Egypt's Supreme⁹ Council of Antiquities. “We use the exhibitions everywhere in the world to gain the money for the conservation and preservation¹⁰ of our monuments," he said.

What exhibitions have also done is bring this ancient culture to the US heartland, where people might not otherwise have been able to see such treasures.

“Some of those cities... it has been spectacular, not only the reception of the exhibition, but how people have been affected¹¹ and that has been a joy of ours to be a part of that," said Lach.

After it leaves Houston next April, the exhibition moves to its final US stop in Seattle.

1 antiquities   

n.古老( antiquity的名词复数 )；古迹；古人们；古代的风俗习惯

参考例句：

• There is rest and healing in the contemplation of antiquities. 欣赏古物有休息和疗养之功。 来自辞典例句
• Bertha developed a fine enthusiasm for the antiquities of London. 伯沙对伦敦的古迹产生了很大的热情。 来自辞典例句

2 splendor   

n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌

参考例句：

• Never in his life had he gazed on such splendor.他生平从没有见过如此辉煌壮丽的场面。
• All the splendor in the world is not worth a good friend.人世间所有的荣华富贵不如一个好朋友。

3 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

4 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

5 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

6 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

7 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

8 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

9 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

10 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。

11 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。