That was the start of their fortune. There was also a great deal of another commonplace thing right at hand too—this was sand.  他们周围还有一样很普通的东西——那就是大量的沙子。

Sand seems to have very little value, but the Venetians found out that they could make glass out of sand by melting it in a furnace with something else.  沙子似乎很不值钱，但威尼斯人发现把沙子和另一种东西一起放到火炉里熔化就能制成玻璃。

They found out too that they could blow this melted glass as one blows soap-bubbles,  他们还发现可以像吹肥皂泡那样去吹熔化的玻璃。

and by blowing the glass in this way into different shapes they made wonderfully beautiful bottles, vases, beads, and drinking- glasses.  把玻璃吹成各种不同的形状，他们就制造出非常美丽的瓶子、花瓶、珠子和酒杯。

The glass-blowers became as famous as any artist who could make beautiful paintings or beautiful music,  吹玻璃工匠变得和那些能画出美丽的画或演奏出美妙音乐的艺术家们一样，

and the glass-blowers made fortunes besides, for people everywhere sought their work and paid high prices for it.  成了名人，而且还发了财，因为各地的人都寻求他们的作品并出高价购买。

They were the most important people in Venice.  他们是威尼斯最重要的人。

A specially fine glass-blower was as important as the Doge himself—one glass-blower was made a Doge 一位出类拔萃的吹玻璃工匠和总督本人一样重要——有位吹玻璃工匠还当过总督

—and some of their daughters even married princes. ——有些工匠的女儿甚至嫁给了王子。

Venice is now no longer a country by itself.  威尼斯现在不再是一个独立的国家。

It is now only one city in Italy, but people go from all over the World to see St. Mark’s and the Doge’s palace,  只是意大利的一个城市，但世界各地的人都去参观圣马可大教堂和总督的宫殿，

to bathe at its wonderful beach nearby called the Lido, to ride in gondolas on its canals,  到附近一个风光美丽叫做“丽都”的海滩浴场去享受一下，乘坐凤尾船在运河上游玩，

and listen to musicians who on warm moonlight nights sing and play on stringed instruments.  在月色溶溶、暖洋洋的夜晚聆听音乐家一边唱歌一边弹琴。

Venice is one of the places in the World where every girl thinks she would like to spend her honeymoon when she is married. 威尼斯是世界上每个女孩希望将来能去度蜜月的地方之一。

An American girl once sent a postal card home: Here I am in Venice.  一个美国女孩曾经给家里寄了一张明信片，上面写道：我现在到了威尼斯。

It is wonderfully beautiful—the golden palaces, the gorgeous sunsets, the enchanting music.  这里太美了——金色的宫殿、绚丽的落日、迷人的音乐。

I am sitting in a gondola on the Grand Canal and drinking it all in! 我正坐在大运河上的凤尾船上，陶醉于这里的一切！

We speak of a person “thirsting” for knowledge or beauty, but one would have to be very thirsty to drink in the Grand Canal. 我们常说一个人“渴望”获得知识或者美丽，但是说一个人非常想陶醉于大运河，也只能用“渴望”一词。

The “Boot” lies in the Mediterranean Sea, but the part of the sea that borders Venice is called The Adriatic.  “靴子”位于地中海，但威尼斯周围那部分海叫做亚得里亚海。

Venice is so beautiful it is known as the “Queen of the Adriatic.”  威尼斯非常美丽，被称为“亚得里亚海女王”。

Fame and fortune made from fish and salt and ships and sand! 她的名声和财富来源于鱼、盐、船和沙子！