Vatican City 梵蒂岡城（1）
著名的Vatican City梵蒂岡城是羅馬教廷所在地，是由教皇統(tǒng)治的國家，位于意大利羅馬城內，面積只有109英畝（約180平方公里），可謂是世界上最小的獨立國家。Vatican City的建筑氣勢宏偉、內部裝飾精美，堪稱藝術之杰作……
Vatican City is an independent state under the absolute authority of the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. It is an enclave with Rome, Italy, with an area of 44 hectares （109 acres）。 The smallest independent country in the world, Vatican City was established in 1929 under terms of the Lateran Treaty, concluded by the Italian government and the papacy after many years of controversy. This treaty was superseded in 1984 by a new concordat, which, like its predecessor, recognized the full sovereignty of the Holy See （the jurisdiction of the Pope） within the state of Vatican City.
* enclave:“飛地”，這是個很專業(yè)的名詞:指在某一國境內，但卻隸屬于另一國的地區(qū)。如Vatican在意大利境內，但卻是一個獨立的國家。前綴en-有“包圍，置于……中”等含意，例如enclosure（圍欄），encage（關在籠中），encompass（包圍、環(huán)繞）等。
* conclude:“結束、中止”的意思。Vatican City于1929開始修建，許多年后由意大利政府和羅馬教廷（papacy）最后完成，其中經過了許多爭論（controversy）。
* concordat:“協議”、“合同”的意思，這里指“宗教協定”，是羅馬教皇與各國政府之間的協定，即，承認教皇在Vatican City的統(tǒng)治。
Vatican City is situated on Vatican Hill in northwestern Rome, just west of the Tiber River. It is surrounded by medieval and Renaissance walls and has six gates. Many of the most renowned artists and architects of the Italian Renaissance were commissioned by Popes to work on the Vatican's buildings. The most imposing and important edifice is Saint Peter's Basilica. Built for the most part between the 15th and 17th centuries, and designed by artists, including Bramante, Michelangelo, and Bernini, it is the world center of Roman Catholic worship. In front of the basilica is the great Piazza San Pietro （Saint Peter's Square）。
* imposing:壯觀的、氣勢宏偉的、使人難忘的。
* edifice:“建筑物”、“大廈”，規(guī)模宏大、建筑精美的building.Vatican City最宏偉的建筑是Saint Peter's Basilica（圣彼得大教堂），它是世界上最大的基督教教堂，形狀象一個十字架。
* Bramante:布拉曼特，意大利建筑師、畫家，文藝復興盛期建筑風格的代表。
* Michelangelo:米開朗琪羅，意大利著名的畫家。
* Bernini:貝爾尼尼，意大利建筑家、雕刻家和畫家，是巴洛克藝術風格的代表人物。
* Piazza San Pietro:圣彼得廣場，因位于圣彼得教堂前方而得名。
The other major edifice is the Palace of the Vatican, also known as the Papal Palace. It is a complex of buildings that contains more than 1000 rooms and houses the papal apartments, the government offices of the Roman Catholic church, several chapels and museums, and a library. The most famous portions of the palace are the Sistine Chapel, with its great ceiling frescoes painted by Michelangelo （restored 1980-1990）； and Raphael's Rooms, papal apartments with frescoes painted by the Italian artist Raphael.
* chapel:“小教堂”、“附屬教堂”的意思。
* fresco:濕壁畫，濕壁畫技法。“干壁畫”是fresco secco.
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