How Art Made The World 说服的艺术 -04

As they examined these more closely, they realized they were in fact ornaments², probably hair clasps, and both beautifully crafted. They may not look very much now, tiny with just a very simple pattern round the edge, but at the time when these were created and worn, that's nearly four and a half thousand years ago, these were probably the greatest treasures that anyone possessed³ in the British Isles⁴.

For the first time, gold had been melted and shaped and then transformed into an ornament¹. This was a new kind of art and the first of its kind in Britain. The big question then was: whose was it? Archeologists needed to examine the skeleton in more detail and what they discovered was that this man was not from the Stonehenge area. He'd come from Central Europe. He was a foreigner who'd made an epic⁵ journey to get to Britain.

It's a journey without compare at this time. And to cross the sea, he would only have had a dugout canoe or a coracle. It's a long and very dangerous journey.

How was it that a stranger from hundreds of miles away had come to be buried with all the trappings of a great and revered⁶ leader?

People would have known him as an exotic and an important person. He had something that nobody else had and he had the skills to transform raw metal into these finished objects. He had knowledge and he had power.

It was the gold, so exquisite⁷ and rare that it created the image of a leader. These would have been like the crown jewels strictly⁸ reserved for a leader of great importance: art fit for a king. Just imagine how he would once have appeared to his subjects. Our king would have looked magnificent. Dressed in a splendid leather tunic⁹, his body and face lit up by shiny metals never before seen. The people who lived around Stonehenge would have worn nothing but simple animal skins. This man's appearance alone must have mesmerize¹⁰d them.


words and usages to remember:

1.hair clasp: 发夹

2.dugout canoe: A A light, slender boat made of a hollowed-out log. 一个用中空的木料做的轻而小的独木舟

3. coracle:A small, rounded boat 轻便的小舟

4.trappings: 装饰

eg: He needs no trappings of fame.

5. tunic: 外套

6. mesmerize: spellbing, enchant¹², enthrall¹³ 迷住

eg: He would mesmerize the audience by the sheer force of appearance.

1 ornament   

v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物

参考例句：

• The flowers were put on the table for ornament.花放在桌子上做装饰用。
• She wears a crystal ornament on her chest.她的前胸戴了一个水晶饰品。

2 ornaments   

n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The shelves were chock-a-block with ornaments. 架子上堆满了装饰品。
• Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments. 一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

4 isles   

岛( isle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the geology of the British Isles 不列颠群岛的地质
• The boat left for the isles. 小船驶向那些小岛。

5 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

6 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

7 exquisite   

adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的

参考例句：

• I was admiring the exquisite workmanship in the mosaic.我当时正在欣赏镶嵌画的精致做工。
• I still remember the exquisite pleasure I experienced in Bali.我依然记得在巴厘岛所经历的那种剧烈的快感。

8 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

9 tunic   

n.束腰外衣

参考例句：

• The light loose mantle was thrown over his tunic.一件轻质宽大的斗蓬披在上衣外面。
• Your tunic and hose match ill with that jewel,young man.你的外套和裤子跟你那首饰可不相称呢，年轻人。

10 mesmerize   

vt.施催眠术；使入迷，迷住

参考例句：

• He could mesmerize an audience by the sheer force of his presence.他只要一出场，观众就为之倾倒。
• He was absolutely mesmerised by Pavarotti on television.他完全被电视上的帕瓦罗蒂迷住了。

11 mesmerized   

v.使入迷( mesmerize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The country girl stood by the road, mesmerized at the speed of cars racing past. 村姑站在路旁被疾驶而过的一辆辆车迷住了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• My 14-year-old daughter was mesmerized by the movie Titanic. 我14岁的女儿完全被电影《泰坦尼克号》迷住了。 来自互联网

12 enchant   

vt.使陶醉，使入迷；使着魔，用妖术迷惑

参考例句：

• The spectacle of the aurora may appear to dazzle and enchant the observer's eyes.极光的壮丽景色的出现,会使观察者为之眩目和迷惑。
• Her paintings possess the power to enchant one if one is fortunate enough to see her work and hear her music.如果你有幸能欣赏她的作品，“聆听”她的音乐，她的作品将深深地迷住你。

13 enthrall   

vt.迷住，吸引住；使感到非常愉快

参考例句：

• She kept her audience enthralled throughout her twenty-minute performance.她的20分钟演出使观众目不转睛。
• They were enthralled with the play.他们被那个戏迷住了。