This Day in History August 21… 歷史上的今天 8月21日

One of the world's most famous artworks, the Mona Lisa, was almost lost forever. That's because on this date in 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louvre in Paris. After a guest notified a gallery official, the museum was closed for a week as the investigation got under way. It wasn't until two years later, when the painting was put up for sale in Italy, that the thief was caught. The culprit was Vincenzo Peruggia, a former Louvre employee that felt Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece rightfully belonged in its home country. Fortunately, the Mona Lisa was returned and is now safely and securely encased in glass inside the Louvre.

世界上最著名的其中一項藝術品《蒙娜麗莎的微笑》曾經差點永久消失不見。那是因為在1911年的今日，這幅畫從巴黎的羅浮宮中被偷走。在一名訪客通知館內的工作人員後，羅浮宮休館了一個星期以展開調查。直到兩年後，當這幅畫在義大利被拿出來拍賣，竊賊才被逮捕。這名雅賊名叫Vincenzo Peruggia，是羅浮宮的前任員工，他認為達文西的這幅鉅作理當回歸它的故土。幸好《蒙娜麗莎的微笑》被歸還，並安全無虞地放置在羅浮宮內的玻璃夾層中。

單字片語

artwork n.藝術品
notify vt.通知，告知
例：Daniel notified the police that his daughter had been missing for 24 hours.
（丹尼爾通知警方他的女兒已經失蹤24小時了。）
gallery n.（美術作品的）陳列室；美術館；畫廊
investigation n.調查
under way 在進行中
例：Construction on the new skyscraper is under way.（那棟新摩天大樓正在興建中。）
be put up for sale 被拿出來拍賣
culprit n.罪犯
masterpiece n.傑作，名作
例：The great writer is known for having created many masterpieces.
（這位偉大的作家因創作出許多名著而聞名。）
rightfully adv.正當地；合法地
belong vi.應在（某處）；屬於
securely adv.安全地；牢固地

知識大補帖

李奧納多．達文西（Leonardo da Vinci）在1503年文藝復興（Renaissance）時期開始動筆創作《蒙娜麗莎的微笑》（圖，資料照片），據稱耗時4年才完成。現今我們看到的 《蒙娜麗莎的微笑》，畫中女子並沒有眉毛和眼睫毛，因此有些研究員表示當時的婦女有拔除這些毛髮的習慣。但2007年一位法籍科學工程人員 Pascal Cotte利用超高畫素掃描（ultra-high resolution scan）後，顯示達文西原先是有畫上眉毛和眼睫毛的。