Vincenzo Peruggia looked like any other handyman at the Louvre on a Monday morning in 1911, when the museum was closed to the public for maintenance. In a white worker’s blouse, he entered the museum without drawing attention, took the Mona Lisa off the wall, and walked out into the streets of Paris.
Throughout Monday, no one suspected anything unusual. Staff assumed that the painting was in the studio to be photographed for __1__ postcards or museum catalogs. It wasn’t until 11 a.m. the following day that a guard discovered an __2__ frame on a service staircase. That was when museum staff finally realized the painting was gone. Soon, the news spread internationally, shocking the world. People __3__ to the Louvre to leave flowers at its gates in tribute to the missing masterpiece.
The police didn’t catch Peruggia until 1913, when he tried to sell the painting in Italy. Investigators later pointed out that Peruggia was an outside __4__ who had previously worked at the Louvre. On the morning of the theft, his escape was far from __5__. When he found his exit door was locked, Peruggia changed his __6__. He removed the painted wooden panel from its frame on a staircase, __7__ it in his blouse, and left the museum the way he entered. For two years, the Mona Lisa remained hidden in his home.
Photo: Ivy English / 照片：常春藤解析英語
Peruggia avoided arrest despite leaving a thumbprint behind. As a __8__ worker, he was questioned during a routine staff check, but detectives never searched his home or took his fingerprints. The police remained blinded by __9__. They believed such theft could have only been __10__ by someone of higher social standing, never imagining a working-class man could have been responsible for it.
Before the heist, the Mona Lisa was admired mainly in art circles, but Peruggia’s crime turned the painting into a cultural icon.
1911 年在羅浮宮閉館維護的一個星期一早晨，文森佐．佩魯賈看起來就像館內普通的工友一樣。他穿著一件白色工作罩衫，在沒引起任何注意的情況下走進了博物館、把《蒙娜麗莎》從牆上取下，然後往外走到巴黎街頭。
Photo: Ivy English / 照片：常春藤解析英語
星期一一整天都沒有人懷疑有任何異樣。工作人員以為這幅畫在工作室，為商業明信片或博物館圖錄進行拍攝。直到翌日上午十一點，一名保全才在工務樓梯發現了一個棄置的畫框。那時博物館工作人員才終於意識到畫作不見了。消息很快就傳遍國際、震驚全球。民眾湧向羅浮宮，在門口獻上鮮花以悼念這幅失竊的傑作。
直到1913年，佩魯賈試圖在義大利出售這幅畫時，警方才逮到他。調查人員隨後指出佩魯賈是之前曾在羅浮宮工作的外包員工。竊案發生的當天早上，佩魯賈逃出羅浮宮的路上一點也不順利。他發現自己要離開的門被鎖上時，便改變了路線。他在樓梯上將繪有圖畫的木板從畫框中取下，用罩衫裹好，然後循著進來的路離開了博物館。兩年來，《蒙娜麗莎》一直被藏在他的家中。
儘管留下了拇指指紋，佩魯賈還是逃脫了逮捕。身為前員工，他在一次例行性的員工盤查中被問話，但警探從未搜索他的住處或採集他的指紋。警方一直被偏見蒙蔽了雙眼。他們認為只有社會地位較高的人才會犯下這樣的竊盜案，不曾想過一個勞動階級的人會是罪魁禍首。
在這起竊盜案發生之前，《蒙娜麗莎》主要在藝術圈內受到讚賞，佩魯賈犯下的罪行卻讓這幅畫成為了文化象徵。
What Did You Learn?
(A) flocked (B) prejudice (C) employee (D) former (E) route (F) wrapped (G) commercial (H) committed (I) abandoned (J) smooth
答案：
1. G 2. I 3. A 4. C 5. J 6. E 7. F 8. D 9. B 10. H
Words in Use
1. vanish vi. 消失，不見
The heavy clouds caused the sun to vanish from sight.
厚重的雲層讓太陽從視線中消失。
2. maintenance n. 維護；維修
The building requires regular maintenance to stay safe.
這棟建築需要定期維護以保持安全。
3. suspect vt. 懷疑
The police officer suspected the witness’s story after noticing his nervous behavior.
警察注意到證人緊張的舉止後，開始懷疑他的說法。
4. frame n. （圖畫、門、窗等的）框
Leo bought a beautiful wooden frame for his photo.
李歐買了一個漂亮的木框來放他的相片。
5. previously adv. 先前
The new library stands where a small park previously existed.
新的圖書館坐落於先前曾是一座小公園的地方。
Practical Phrases
1. assume + that 子句 以為∕認為……
assume vt. 認為
Cindy didn’t check because she assumed that the shop was open.
辛蒂沒有進行確認，因為她以為那間商店有營業。
2. in tribute to sb / sth 為表對某人∕某物的敬意∕紀念
tribute n. 敬意
The museum held a special show in tribute to classic movies.
這間博物館舉辦了一場特別展覽，向經典電影致敬。
3. point out + that子句 指出……
Experts point out that regular exercise can help reduce stress.
專家指出規律運動可以幫助減輕壓力。
4. be far from N/Adj. 一點也不∕遠非…
The actual cost of the trip was far from a small amount.
這趟旅行的實際費用遠非一筆小數目。
The old house was far from comfortable.
這棟老房子一點也不舒適。
5. leave. . . behind / leave behind. . . 留下……
The criminal was careful not to leave behind any clues.
那名罪犯很小心，不讓自己留下任何線索。
聽文章朗讀及講解: https://ivy.pse.is/455bfu
本文出自常春藤解析英語雜誌: www.ivy.com.tw
In 2023, an 80-year-old woman in Taipei suffocated her paralyzed son after over five decades of caring for him. Turning herself in immediately, she confessed that worsening health and anxiety about who would care for him after her death had driven her to act. The court, acknowledging her difficult situation, sentenced her to two-and-a-half years in prison while recommending a presidential pardon. This rare judicial recommendation drew a complicated social response. Supporters argue that the mother’s half-century of caregiving renders her deserving of compassion instead of incarceration, believing that allowing her to live her final years in dignity and
★ Bilingual Story is a fictionalized account. 雙語故事部分內容純屬虛構。 The mango looked perfect. It sat on the fruit stand like a small sunset, red on one side and gold on the other. “I’ll take this one,” said Daniel. The fruit seller shook her head. “Not that one.” Daniel was surprised. “Why not? It looks beautiful.” “Yes,” she said, “but beautiful is not always ready.” She picked up another mango and held it near his nose. “First, smell here.” Daniel smelled the top of the mango. It was sweet and warm. “Good mangoes have a smell,” she said. “Next, feel the weight.”
Put the Cart Before the Horse 本末倒置 Iris: I think I’m in love. Carl: What? Iris: We just have so much in common. We like all of the same things. Carl: Yes, but you’ve only chatted with him online. Iris: It doesn’t matter. I know we’ll end up getting married. Carl: I’m afraid you’re putting the cart before the horse. You should at least meet him first. Iris: OK, OK. I’ll do that. 艾瑞絲： 我想我戀愛了。 卡 爾： 什麼？ 艾瑞絲： 我們就是有那麼多的共通點。我們喜歡的東西都一樣。 卡 爾： 是沒錯，不過妳和他只在網路上聊過天而已。 艾瑞絲： 那不重要。我知道我們最後一定會步入禮堂。 卡 爾： 妳恐怕是本末倒置了吧。妳至少應該先跟他見個面。 艾瑞絲： 好啦，好啦。我會的啦。 A tough cookie 強悍的人∕堅強的人 Tracy: I heard you went out with Iris last night. Justin: Yeah. We
1. 他非常討厭偽君子。 ˇ He has a deep hatred for hypocrites. χ He has a deep hatred to hypocrites. 註︰表示「對某人懷著愛、恨」等， 常用 have a love for/of, have a hatred for/of。 例如： We have a love for/of science. The working people have a hatred for/of all forms of exploitation. 2. 問題的答案其實不難找。 ˇ The answer to this question is not difficult to find. χ The answer of this question is not difficult to find. 註︰中文中的「的」在英語中不一定都用 of 來表示，有時須用 to。其他的例子如下： 我把房間的鑰匙弄丟了。 I lost the key to the room. 中間矗立著烈士紀念碑。 In the center stands the monument to the martyrs. 這部電影的續集你看過沒有？ Have you seen the sequel to the movie? 3. 比起那家餐廳，他更喜歡這家。 ˇ He prefers this restaurant to that one. ˇ He likes
RSS