英语听力英语高级听力材料The Lost Continent文档格式.docx
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英语听力英语高级听力材料The Lost Continent文档格式.docx
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Ourjourneywilltakeusacrossoceansandcontinentsandspantenthousandyearsofhumanhistory,ajourneytofindamagicallostworld.
ThesearchforAtlantishascaptivatedsomeofthemostrestlessmindsandoriginalthinkersofeverygeneration.Itisasearchthatbeginshere,inthemostgloriouscityofancientGreece,Athens.Inthe4thcenturyB.C.,Athenswasacitypreeminentinalltheworld,theveryepicenterofclassicalcivilizationandabeaconofculturalandartisticexcellencethathadshonethroughtheagesrightdowntothepresentday.Anditwashereintheworld'
sfirstdemocracy,thatphilosopherPlatowrotethestory,threeandahalfcenturiesbeforethetimeofChrist.ThatisthefirstaccountofAtlantisinallliterature.
IntheholyshrineoftheancientEgyptiancapital,Solonwasshownrecordsofunsurpassedantiquity,thesecretsofalonglostagewhenacivilizationofincomparablepowerandprestigehaddominatedtheworld9,000yearsbefore—theEmpireofAtlantis.ThedescriptiontheEgyptianpriestgavetoSolonofthismightyvanishedcivilizationisthestartingpointforeverysearch,everundertakentofindAtlantis.AdescriptionwhichPlatosays,hasthegreatadvantageofbeingafactandnotafiction.AtlantiswassaidtoliebeyondthepillarsofHercules,outsidetheMediterraneanseainanoceanwenowcalltheAtlantic.
PlatowasveryveryspecificaboutwhereAtlantiswasandwhatsizeitwas,andhedescribeditasbeinglargerthanthecontinentsofAfricaandAsiaputtogetherandhelocateditverycarefullyoutsidethepillarsofHercules.ThepillarsofHerculesarewhatweknownowasthestraitsofGibraltarandwhenyoulocatesomethingoutsidethepillarsofHercules,youarelocatingitintheAtlanticOceanjusttothewestofSpainandNorthAfrica.
Atlantiswasdominatedbyvast,almostperfectlyrectangularplain,surroundedonthreesidesbyhighverybeautifulmountains,possessedofabundantnaturalresources,rareplantsandpreciousflowersofeverydescription,evenelephantsandotherexoticanimals.Atlantiswasalandlikenootherwherethepeoplewantedfornothing.Thatsacredislandwhichthenbeheldthelightofthesunbroughtforthinfiniteabundanceandblessingsoftheearth.
Connectedtotheoceanbyanimmensecanalahundredfeetdeepandseveralmileslong,attheverycenterofthecitywasthedazzlingcitadelofAtlantis,whichhousedthemostspectaculartreasuresthatevergracedtheearth.
"
Theyhadsuchanamountofwealthaswasneverbeforepossessedbykingsandisnotlikelyevertobeagain."
PlatotellsusthatforlongagestheAtlanteanslivedatpeacewiththerestoftheworldontheirbeautifulislandparadise.Unspoiledbytheirmaterialpossessionsandgreatwealth,theywereconcernedonlywithlearning,cultivatingvirtueandlivinginharmonywithnature.
Yetfinallythisgoldenagepassed,thentheAtlanteansbecamelikeothermortals.Humannaturegottheupperhand,theybecametaintedwithunrighteousambitionandpower.Insatiableforwealthandglory,theAtlanteanspushedforwardtheboundsoftheirempire,enslavingallbeforethem.FinallyonlyonecitystoodbetweenAtlantisandworlddomination--Athens.ButhereatthehandsoftheAthenians,thearmiesofAtlantissufferedacrushingdefeatforthefirsttime,adefeatthatwasswiftlyfollowedbyanaturaldisasterthatlaidwastetomostoftheworld,completelydestroyingtheislandsofAtlantis.Violentearthquakesandfloods,andinasingledayandnightofmisfortune,theIslandofAtlantisdisappearedinthedepthofthesea.
ThemythofAtlantiswouldbelost,disappearingintotheshadowsoftheDarkAges.Itwouldn'
tbeuntilEuropeanexplorersinauguratedanageofdiscovery,thatthesearchforalostislandparadisebeganwithfervor,asearchthatwouldbeginwithadoggedpursuitofthemythicalislebyhistory'
smostfamousexplorer,ChristopherColumbus.
TheHolyInquisitionofSpain.MenofGodscourtheland,searchingforanysignofdeviationfromtheonetruefaith.Inlessthanadecade,thousandshavealreadyperished,JewsandMoors,lapsedChristiansandsocialoutcasts,allconsumedbythecleansingfireofreligiouszeal.InsuchanatmosphereofterrorSpainwouldseemanunlikelystartingpointforChristopherColumbus'
sunprecedentedvoyageofdiscovery.YetitwastheKingFerdinandandQueenIsabellaofSpain,theverypeoplewhoacceptedtheinquisitioninmotion,thatColumbuswouldhavetoappealtofinancehisboldplantocrosstheocean.Longneglectedbythehistorybooks,thegreatnavigatorhadasecretreasontoundertakesuchaperilousvoyage.Columbushadheardofalostislandparadiseofuntoldrichesandwealth,amythicallandcalledAnthillia,alandthathadreplacedAtlantisintheMedievalimagination.
SincethecollapseoftheRomanEmpireinthe6thcentury,muchofthelearningofantiquityhadbeenforgotten.Suspiciousofpaganwisdom,Christianityevolvedaverydifferentvisionoftheworld,onedefinedbythebattlebetweengoodandevil.
AtthecentreofthisworldwasJerusalemsurroundedbythethreeknowncontinents--Europe,AsiaandAfrica.Beyondthesewasanotherworld,populatedbypeoplewhowerenotdescendedfromAdamandEve,makingtheminthemindsofmany,childrenofthedevil.ButsomelikeColumbushadradicalideasabouttherealgeographyoftheworld,ideasthathadmadethemobviousfiguresofsuspicion.
IttookColumbusaverylongtimetoconvinceIsabellaandFerdinandthatheoughttobeabletofindsomethingbecauseforthemostparthisideaswereridiculedandthiswasofcourseduringtheInquisition,sothatpeoplewhohadstrangeorantitheticalideaswerenotonlyridiculed,theyweresometimesburnedatthestake.Mockedandabusedevenbychildren,ithadtakenColumbus8longyearstopersuadeFerdinandandIsabellatofinancehisvoyage.Theydidsofortrade.
MuslimconquestoftheholylandshadreducedtheirvaluablecommercewiththeFarEasttoatrickle.AnewroutetotherichesoftheIndieshadtobefound.
Upuntilthemid-fifteenthcentury,allofthesepreciousgoodsgottoEuropebywayofoverlandcaravans.Butin1453,whentheTurksinvaded,theycutoffthesetraderoutes,soifthenationsofEuropewantedtogetthesegoods,theyhadtofindanalternatewayandthatwouldhavetobeasearoute.
Aboveall,mapswerethekey.
ToaEuropeanking,amapwastreasurebeyondanythingelseintheworldbecauseitgavehimaccesstothenewworld,totreasure,tothefuture,andeverybodykepttheirmapsunderlockandkey,andto,tostealamapfromanothercountrywasagreatcoup.
ArmedwiththemostrecentmapsofEurope’sbestcartographers,Columbushadabetterpictureoftheworldthanmostofhiscontemporaries.Hismapsweremuchlikeourown,saveforoneall-importantexception,theundiscoveredcontinentofAmericawasentirelyabsent.Thesemapsalsosufferedfromanotherdangerousdefect:
NooneknewwhatlayintheAtlanticitself.Theoceanwasa…
OnAugust2nd,1492,asColumbusfinallysetoffonhisepicvoyagetocrosstheAtlanticOcean,hehadnotonebuttwogoalsinmind--crossingtheendlessexpanseofanunchartedsea,anddiscoveringthemysteriesofanislandcalledAntillia.HistoryhasrecordedonlyscantevidenceoftheeventsofColumbus'
smomentousjourney.Wedoknowthatwhenhisexpeditionwas12daysoutfromtheCanaryIslandsand2,000milesfromSpain,heorderedhistiny3-shipfleettosetanorthwesterlycourseinpreciselythedirectionthatAntilliawasthoughttobe.Twodayslater,heorderedtheshipstoturnwestagain,andtwodaysafterthat,theysetacoursesouthwest.After6daysofsearching,ColumbusabandonedwhatappearedtohavebeenafranticsearchforAntillia.Thedecisionprobablysavedtheexpedition.Columbushadmadeapotentiallyfatalerror.IncommonwiththemapmakershehadestimatedthesizeoftheworldbasedoncalculationsofArabicscholars.
Theproblemisthatthatmeasurement'
smadeinArabicmileswhich'
smuchlongerthanItalianmileswiththeresultthat,the,er,allthegeographicalthinkerstaketheearthtobemuchmuchsmallerthanitreallywas.
Onthe12th,Octoberafternearlythreemonthsatsea,Columbusandhismenfinallymadelandfall.TheyhadcrossedthevastoceanandreachedtheAmericas.ReturningtoSpainahero,ColumbusmanagedtopersuadetheKingandQueentosupport3furthervoyagestocolonizetheNewWorld.ButAntilliaanditslegendaryricheswereneverfound.ItsnamenowlivesoninachainofislandsintheCaribbeanSea,theAntilles.
Amidthespectacularruinsofthenewworld,thestoryofAtlantiswouldnowtakeadifferentturn,becomingthefocusforoneman'
sboldquesttodiscoverthetruthabouthiscountryandhimself.30milesfrommodern-dayMexicoCityliesTeotihuacan,thespectacularcityofthegods.ItwasalreadyanabandonedruinlongbeforethetimeoftheAztecswhoregardeditasthebirthplaceofthesun.TheSpanishconquistadorshadbeensooverwroughtbythecity'
smajesty.Oneoftheirearliestchroniclershadwritten,
The
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