2017考研英语阅读每日精选：世界上最小的王国

　　考研英语阅读真题中的文章，多摘自英美主流外刊，有时候你认识所有单词、搞清全部语法还不够，还需要了解英美文化，掌握他们的表达方式，这就是阅读的潜台词。有时候是一些俗语和俚语，有时候是固定搭配，有时候需要借助历史、风俗、文化才能理解某种现象或表达。总之，这些地道的英语文章背后都有潜台词，一般人不容易读出，但往往是理解文章的关键。

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　　The world’s smallest kingdom

　　世界上最小的王国

　　Just south of Sardinia’s world-famous Costa Smeralda, the lonely island of Tavolara rises wildly from the cerulean sea like a jagged mountain. There are no roads or hotels, and the only inhabitable stretch is a white-sand tongue that’s best measured from end to end in steps.

　　塔沃拉拉孤岛如一座锯齿状的山峰，从蔚蓝的海面升起，坐落于撒丁岛举世闻名的翡翠海岸南部。这里没有道路，也没有酒店，唯一适宜居住的地方就是一个白沙舌，测量它最好的方法就是一步挨着一步。

　　This is where I found Antonio Bertoleoni as our ferry sputtered to a float. Better known as "Tonino", the 83-year-old former fisherman owns Tavolara’s only restaurant and is the reigning ruler of the island, which happens to be the smallest inhabited kingdom in the world. For the past 22 years, Tonino has commanded this 5sqkm mini-monarchy in shorts and sandals.

　　这就是我遇见Antonio Bertoleoni 的地方，当时，我们的渡船撞到了一个浮船上。最好把Antonio Bertoleoni叫做"Tonino"，他是前拥有塔沃拉拉唯一一间餐厅的渔夫，现年83岁，是这座岛屿的执政统治者，这是世界上最小的人居王国。在过去的22年里，Tonino穿着短裤和凉鞋指挥这座五平方公里的袖珍君主国。

　　“I’m probably the world’s most ordinary king,” Tonino said, burying his feet in the sand and looking toward his restaurant. “The only privilege I enjoy is free meals.”

　　Tonino说：“我可能是世界上最普通的国王了。“他将双脚埋入沙中，看着他的餐厅。我享有的唯一特权就是免费餐饮。

　　The Kingdom of Tavolara is currently celebrating its 180th anniversary and actually predates Italy by 25 years. Forming your own island nation might sound like the kind of thing you’d dream up when you’re marooned in the Mediterranean, but the story began in 1807 when Tonino’s great-great-grandfather, Giuseppe Bertoleoni, became the then uninhabited island’s first settler. Described as a “half shepherd, half pirate” in the book Tavolara, Island of the Kings, the Genovese immigrant had recently married two sisters and was seeking a safe haven to escape his bigamy charge.

　　目前，塔沃拉拉王国正在庆祝它180周年的纪念日，其实，该岛的建立早于意大利25年。当你被孤身放逐到地中海后，组建属于自己的岛屿王国也许是一种梦想，但是1807年时，Tonino的祖祖祖父Giuseppe Bertoleoni,成为了当时无人岛的第一个定居者，故事便开始了。塔沃拉拉的书籍将这描述为“一半牧羊人，一半海盗”，近日，岛上的国王-热那亚移民和两个姐妹成婚，寻求一个安全的避难所以逃避重婚罪指控。

　　Giuseppe and his small harem soon realised that they were sharing their island paradise with a rare species of wild goats whose teeth were dyed a golden-yellow colour by the seaweed and lichen they ate. Word of the gilt-toothed goats eventually spread to Sardinia’s ruler, Carlo Alberto, who eagerly travelled to Tavolara to hunt the animals in 1836. Giuseppe’s 24-year-old son, Paolo, guided the hunting excursions.

　　Giuseppe和他的小妾马上意识到，他们正在和一种罕见的野生山羊共享岛屿天堂，这种山羊的牙齿被他们吃的海藻和地衣染成了金黄色。金牙山羊这个词语最终传到了撒丁岛统治者Carlo Alberto的耳朵里，1836年，他热切地到塔沃拉拉旅行，猎捕这种金牙山羊。Giuseppe24岁的儿子Paolo指挥狩猎短途旅行。

　　“When he landed, Carlo Alberto introduced himself by saying, ‘I’m Carlo Alberto, the King of Sardinia,’” Tonino said. “And so my great-grandfather replied, ‘Well, I’m Paolo, the King of Tavolara.’”

　　“当他着陆的时候，Carlo Alberto这样介绍自己，我是Carlo Alberto，撒丁岛的国王。”我的曾祖父Tonino回答道：“你好，我是Paolo，塔沃拉拉的国王。”

　　After killing several goats and feasting for three days at Paolo’s home, Carlo Alberto was so delighted that he said, “Paolo, you really are the King of Tavolara!” before sailing off, according to Tonino. Joking or not, Carlo Alberto later confirmed that the far-flung island had never officially been part of the Kingdom of Sardinia, and he sent Paolo a scroll from Carlo Alberto’s royal family, the House of Savoy, that certified the monarchy’s status.

　　在捕杀了几只山羊，然后在Paolo家设宴三天后，Carlo Albert非常开心地说：“Paolo，你真的是塔沃拉拉的国王!”起航离开前，据Tonino说，不知道是不是开玩笑，Carlo Alberto随后承认，这座偏远的岛屿官方上从来都不是撒丁王国的一部分，他赠与 Paolo 一个Carlo Alberto皇室家庭的画册——《萨沃伊的家》，证明岛屿君主国的地位。

　　“For me, it’s a privilege just to live here,” Tonino said,. “Who needs a crown when you have a palace?”

　　Tonino说：“对我来说，只是住在这里就是一种特权。”当你拥有一个宫殿的时候，还需要王冠吗?”

　　来源:BBC 新闻

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