托福综合写作优秀作文练习题：骑士回忆录

 　　托福综合写作背景知识：

　　贾科莫?卡萨诺瓦(Giacomo Girolamo Casanova，1725年4月2日-1798年6月4日)，极富传奇色彩的意大利冒险家、作家、“追寻女色的风流才子”。18 世纪享誉欧洲的大情圣。生于意大利威尼斯，卒于波希米亚的达克斯(现捷克杜克卓夫)。卡萨诺瓦一生中最为重要的作品当属其穷尽晚年精力的创作《我的一生》(Histoire de ma vie)，这部法语写成的自传式小说讲述了卡萨诺瓦一生中的故事。(来自百度百科) 这个人跟今天的题目有什么关系呢?卡萨诺瓦喜欢被人称为塞恩加尔骑士，就是文中的Chevalier de Seingalt。

　　阅读材料：

　　Toward the end of his life, the Chevalier de Seingalt (1725-1798) wrote a long memoir¹ recounting his life and adventures. The Chevalier was a somewhat controversial figure, but since he met many famous people, including kings and writers, his memoir has become a valuable historical source about European society in the eighteenth century. However, some critics have raised doubts about the accuracy of the memoir. They claim that the Chevalier distorted or invented many events in the memoir to make his life seem more exciting and glamorous² than it really was.

　　塞恩加尔骑士在晚年写了一部长篇回忆录以描写他冒险的一生。骑士先生是一个充满争议的人物。但是由于他同很多包括国王和作家在内的很多名人都有交集，所以他的这本回忆录对于研究十八世纪欧洲历史有一定价值。然而，一些评论家对这本回忆的准确性提出了质疑。他们认为骑士先生为了让他的一生显得更富有传奇性，他虚构和编撰了很多事件。

　　For example, in his memoir the Chevalier claims that while living in Switzerland, ha was very wealthy, and it is known that he spent a great deal of money there on parties on gambling³. However, evidence has recently surfaced that the Chevalier borrowed considerable sums of money from a Swiss merchant. Critics thus argue that if the Chevalier had really been very rich, he would not have needed to borrow money.

　　比如说，骑士先生忆录中说当他在瑞士居住的时候是非常富有的，而且在各种派对和赌局上挥金如土。然而最近揭示的证据却表明当时骑士先生曾跟一个瑞士商人借了一大笔钱。批评家因此声称，如果骑士先生真的非常有钱，他就不会需要举债度日。

　　Critics are also skeptical⁴ about the accuracy of the conversations that the Chevalier records in the memoir between himself and the famous writer Voltaire. No one doubts that the Chevalier and Voltaire met and conversed⁵. However, critics complain that the memoir cannot possibly capture these conversations accurately⁶, because it was written many years after the conversations occurred. Critics point out that it is impossible to remember exact phrases from extended conversations held many years earlier.

　　同时，批评家们还对他跟著名作家伏尔泰之间过于精确的对话。骑士先生和伏尔泰曾经会面和交谈是确信无疑的。但是，批评家们回忆录是不可能把对话记录的这么精确的，因为这本回忆录是对话发生多年之后才写的。批评家们指出人是不可能记住话题广泛对话的具体用词的，尤其事情发生多年。

　　Critics have also questioned the memoir’s account of the Chevalier’s escape from a notorious prison in Venice, Italy. He claims to have escaped the Venetian prison by using a piece of metal to make a hole in the ceiling and climbing through the roof. Critics claim that while such a daring escape makes for enjoyable reading, it is more likely that the Chevaliers jailers were bribed⁸ to free him. They point out that the Chevalier had a number of politically well-connected friends in Venice who could have offered a bribe⁷.

　　批评家还对回忆录中的一个细节提出了质疑，就是骑士先生对于自己从意大利威尼斯一个臭名昭著的监狱逃出的情节。骑士自己声场他是越狱逃出的，用一块铁片在天花板上弄出洞，然后从屋顶翻出来。批评家说尽管这种冒险的越狱行为让这本书更具有可读性，但是事实上是骑士先生通过贿赂狱卒的方式获得自由的。批评家们指出，骑士先生在威尼斯政界有不少朋友，而这些朋友可以帮他贿赂狱卒。

　　托福综合写作阅读部分需要提取的观点是：

　　- Main point: 塞恩加尔骑士的回忆录不够精确

　　- Sub point 1:回忆录声称自己很有钱，但是事实上不是

　　- Sub point 2:回忆录上对于他跟伏尔泰交谈记录得过于详细，不合常理

　　- Sub point 3:他声称自己在威尼斯越狱，但实际上他是政界朋友帮忙行贿才获得自由的

1 memoir   

n.[pl.]回忆录，自传；记事录

参考例句：

• He has just published a memoir in honour of his captain.他刚刚出了一本传记来纪念他的队长。
• In her memoir,the actress wrote about the bittersweet memories of her first love.在那个女演员的自传中，她写到了自己苦乐掺半的初恋。

2 glamorous   

adj.富有魅力的；美丽动人的；令人向往的

参考例句：

• The south coast is less glamorous but full of clean and attractive hotels.南海岸魅力稍逊，但却有很多干净漂亮的宾馆。
• It is hard work and not a glamorous job as portrayed by the media.这是份苦差，并非像媒体描绘的那般令人向往。

3 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

4 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

5 conversed   

v.交谈，谈话( converse的过去式 )

参考例句：

• I conversed with her on a certain problem. 我与她讨论某一问题。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She was cheerful and polite, and conversed with me pleasantly. 她十分高兴，也很客气，而且愉快地同我交谈。 来自辞典例句

6 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

7 bribe   

n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通

参考例句：

• He tried to bribe the policeman not to arrest him.他企图贿赂警察不逮捕他。
• He resolutely refused their bribe.他坚决不接受他们的贿赂。

8 bribed   

v.贿赂( bribe的过去式和过去分词 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂

参考例句：

• They bribed him with costly presents. 他们用贵重的礼物贿赂他。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He bribed himself onto the committee. 他暗通关节，钻营投机挤进了委员会。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》