 by Matthew Brown The Grand Canal has been at the heart of the Venice for centuries. 大運河是威尼斯數百年來的重心。 What would it be like to live in a city where a boat can be more useful than a bus? Take a trip to Venice, Italy, and you'll find out. The Grand Canal is not deep, only five meters on average, but it is long and wide. Winding through the city in an S shape, the Grand Canal is beautiful, yet it's not just for show. The people of Venice use the canal for transportation, and water taxis and water buses are the main ways to get around. Some think of gondolas as the most common means, but they're more for tourists.
住在一個船比公車更有用的城市是什麼樣子？去義大利的威尼斯旅遊一趟，你就會知道了。威尼斯的大運河並不深，平均只有 5 公尺，但它又長又寬。以 S 形蜿蜒穿過整座城市的大運河相當美麗，但它絕不只是好看而已。威尼斯人利用運河進行交通運輸，水上計程車和水上公車是主要的交通工具。有些人認為貢多拉船是最常見的工具，但這種船較常用來載遊客。
There are only four bridges that cross the Grand Canal, and the decision to build the last bridge caused a lot of controversy. People wanted to preserve the traditional ways of crossing the river, which is by ferry or any other boat. For residents, it wasn't the canal itself but its meaning that mattered.
橫跨大運河的橋只有 4 座，而決定建造最後一座橋時引發了許多爭議。威尼斯人想維持傳統的過河方式，也就是搭乘渡輪或別種船隻。對市民而言，重要的不是運河本身，而是它代表的意義。
Along the banks are many breathtaking old buildings, churches, and palazzos. Palazzos are huge, old palaces that were mostly built between the 13th and 18th centuries. Over the years, they had been the homes of rich families that wanted to show off their wealth and power by contributing to the art of the city. Most of the buildings don't have pavement between themselves and the water, so they simply rise out of the water. Therefore, the only way to get a good look at these old buildings is by boat, and that's exactly how the residents of Venice like it. 運河沿岸有許多令人嘆為觀止的古老建築、教堂和 palazzo。palazzo 大多是在 13 到 18 世紀之間建造的大型古老宮殿。多年來，它們是富有人家藉由幫助美化城市以展示自家財富權勢所蓋的房子。這些建築物與河之間大多沒有路面，都是直接建在水面上。因此，搭船是唯一能仔細觀賞這些古老建築的方法，而這正是威尼斯居民喜歡的方式。 |
| 精解字詞片語 |
1. on average 平均而言
例: On average, Brazil receives 450 centimeters of rainfall per year.
（巴西每年平均降雨量有 4 千 5 百公釐。）
2. wind vi. 蜿蜒，迂迴
三態為：wind, wound, wound。
例: There is a path winding along the river behind my house.
（我家後面有一條沿著河的小路。）
3. get around (...) （在……）四處走動∕逛逛
例: The MRT was constructed to help people get around Taipei.
（捷運的建造是用於便利民眾在台北到處走動。）
4. think of A as B 視 A 為 B
= look upon A as B
= regard/view/see A as B
例: Amy's co-workers think of her as a responsible person.
（艾咪的同事認為她是個負責的人。）
5. means n. 工具；方法（恆用複數）
by means of... 以……的方法∕手段
例: The prisoner escaped by means of a secret tunnel.
（那名囚犯利用一條秘密通道逃跑。）
6. controversy n. 爭議
例: There has been a lot of controversy about the health benefits of coffee.
（咖啡對健康的益處一直以來備受爭議。）
7. preserve vt. 維護，保護
conserve vt. 保存；節約（能源）
例: The scientist does his best to preserve the natural habitat of those butterflies.
（那位科學家盡全力保護那些蝴蝶的自然棲息地。）
例: Countries around the world are trying to conserve energy due to oil shortages.
（由於石油短缺，世界各地的國家都設法節約能源。）
8. by ferry 搭乘擺渡船∕渡輪
ferry n. 擺渡船；渡輪
by + 交通工具 搭乘……（交通工具）
例: Larry goes to school by bicycle.
（賴瑞騎腳踏車上學。）
9. matter vi. 重要（= be important）
It doesn't matter + 疑問詞引導的名詞子句 ……無關緊要
例: All that matters is that you try your best.
（重要的是只要你盡力就好。）
例: It doesn't matter what you wear as long as you don't look like a slob.
（你穿什麼都不要緊，只要看起來不像髒鬼就好。）
10. breathtaking a. 令人讚嘆的
例: We couldn't get enough of the breathtaking beauty of the Grand Canyon.
（大峽谷令人嘆為觀止的美景我們怎麼看都看不夠。）
11. show off... 炫耀……
例: After Gary showed off his new cell phone to his classmates, it was stolen.
（蓋瑞向同學炫耀他的新手機後，手機就被偷了。）
12. contribute to + N/V-ing 造成∕導致……
= lead to + N/V-ing
例: Years of drinking contributed to Sam's failing liver.
（經年累月喝酒造成山姆的肝功能衰退。）
13. exactly + 疑問詞引導的名詞子句 正是……；確切地……
例: No one knows exactly how the kitten got stuck in the fireplace.
（沒有人知道這隻小貓到底是如何被困在壁爐裡的。）
例: On average, Brazil receives 450 centimeters of rainfall per year.
（巴西每年平均降雨量有 4 千 5 百公釐。）
2. wind vi. 蜿蜒，迂迴
三態為：wind, wound, wound。
例: There is a path winding along the river behind my house.
（我家後面有一條沿著河的小路。）
3. get around (...) （在……）四處走動∕逛逛
例: The MRT was constructed to help people get around Taipei.
（捷運的建造是用於便利民眾在台北到處走動。）
4. think of A as B 視 A 為 B
= look upon A as B
= regard/view/see A as B
例: Amy's co-workers think of her as a responsible person.
（艾咪的同事認為她是個負責的人。）
5. means n. 工具；方法（恆用複數）
by means of... 以……的方法∕手段
例: The prisoner escaped by means of a secret tunnel.
（那名囚犯利用一條秘密通道逃跑。）
6. controversy n. 爭議
例: There has been a lot of controversy about the health benefits of coffee.
（咖啡對健康的益處一直以來備受爭議。）
7. preserve vt. 維護，保護
conserve vt. 保存；節約（能源）
例: The scientist does his best to preserve the natural habitat of those butterflies.
（那位科學家盡全力保護那些蝴蝶的自然棲息地。）
例: Countries around the world are trying to conserve energy due to oil shortages.
（由於石油短缺，世界各地的國家都設法節約能源。）
8. by ferry 搭乘擺渡船∕渡輪
ferry n. 擺渡船；渡輪
by + 交通工具 搭乘……（交通工具）
例: Larry goes to school by bicycle.
（賴瑞騎腳踏車上學。）
9. matter vi. 重要（= be important）
It doesn't matter + 疑問詞引導的名詞子句 ……無關緊要
例: All that matters is that you try your best.
（重要的是只要你盡力就好。）
例: It doesn't matter what you wear as long as you don't look like a slob.
（你穿什麼都不要緊，只要看起來不像髒鬼就好。）
10. breathtaking a. 令人讚嘆的
例: We couldn't get enough of the breathtaking beauty of the Grand Canyon.
（大峽谷令人嘆為觀止的美景我們怎麼看都看不夠。）
11. show off... 炫耀……
例: After Gary showed off his new cell phone to his classmates, it was stolen.
（蓋瑞向同學炫耀他的新手機後，手機就被偷了。）
12. contribute to + N/V-ing 造成∕導致……
= lead to + N/V-ing
例: Years of drinking contributed to Sam's failing liver.
（經年累月喝酒造成山姆的肝功能衰退。）
13. exactly + 疑問詞引導的名詞子句 正是……；確切地……
例: No one knows exactly how the kitten got stuck in the fireplace.
（沒有人知道這隻小貓到底是如何被困在壁爐裡的。）
| 難句分析 |
Winding through the city in an S shape, the Grand Canal is beautiful, yet it's not just for show.
(1) (2) (3)
(1) 分詞句構，作形容詞用，修飾 (2) 中的主詞 the Grand Canal。本句原為：
The Grand Canal winds through the city in an S shape, the Grand Canal is beautiful, ...
但如此一來造成兩句在一起無連接詞連接的錯誤句構，故將第一個子句化為分詞句構，其原則為：
1) 被化簡的子句中主詞若與主要子句的主詞相同時，該主詞要被刪除，若主詞不同時則予以保留；
2) 之後的動詞要變成現在分詞；3) 若該動詞為 be 動詞時，變成現在分詞 being 後可予以省略。故本句乃因前後主詞相同，所以將第一個子句中的主詞 The Grand Canal 刪掉，其後動詞 winds 變成現在分詞 winding 即成。
(2) 主要子句。
(3) 對等連接詞 yet（= but）引導的第二個主要子句，其中代名詞 it 用來代替 the Grand Canal。
(1) (2) (3)
(1) 分詞句構，作形容詞用，修飾 (2) 中的主詞 the Grand Canal。本句原為：
The Grand Canal winds through the city in an S shape, the Grand Canal is beautiful, ...
但如此一來造成兩句在一起無連接詞連接的錯誤句構，故將第一個子句化為分詞句構，其原則為：
1) 被化簡的子句中主詞若與主要子句的主詞相同時，該主詞要被刪除，若主詞不同時則予以保留；
2) 之後的動詞要變成現在分詞；3) 若該動詞為 be 動詞時，變成現在分詞 being 後可予以省略。故本句乃因前後主詞相同，所以將第一個子句中的主詞 The Grand Canal 刪掉，其後動詞 winds 變成現在分詞 winding 即成。
(2) 主要子句。
(3) 對等連接詞 yet（= but）引導的第二個主要子句，其中代名詞 it 用來代替 the Grand Canal。
| 單字小舖 |
2. transportation n. 交通運輸
public transportation
= mass transportation 大眾運輸工具（指火車、公車、飛機等）
3. gondola n. 貢多拉船（用於威尼斯河的平底狹長小船）
4. resident n. 居民
5. bank n. 河岸
6. palace n. 豪宅；宮殿
7. pavement n. 道路
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