With plaster casts now scattered about the ancient city， we can observe the images of Pompeians as they died. Most tourists find these casts both macabre and enjoyable.
It is still true today， as J. W. Goethe （1749-1832） wrote about Pompeii， "Many a calamity has happened in the world， but never one that has caused so much entertainment to posterity as this one." People's interest in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 comes to mind as a modern example of society's fascination with how people react when they recognize that their own death is imminent.
My impression of Pompeii during my first visit was much like that of Mark Twain's. He found the city fascinating， yet terribly depressing. There are reminders of death everywhere. It is apparent that the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. caught the inhabitants totally by surprise. Destruction and death brought a horrifying end to a day that started out as pleasant as any other August day for Pompeii's citizens.
參考譯文
通過(guò)散落在這座古代城市的人體石像，我們可以看到龐貝人死時(shí)的形象。大多數(shù)旅游者都會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)，這些石頭人像既讓人毛骨悚然，也讓人覺(jué)得興趣盎然。
它們直到今天還栩栩如生。歌德談到龐貝的時(shí)候?qū)懙剑骸笆澜缟习l(fā)生過(guò)許多災(zāi)禍，但從未有一件像在龐貝城發(fā)生的這樣給后來(lái)人以如此巨大的玩味?！?912年泰坦尼克號(hào)的沉沒(méi)曾也曾引起人們的興趣，這是近代的一個(gè)佐證。社會(huì)迷戀它、談?wù)撍窍胫喇?dāng)人們意識(shí)到自己的死亡無(wú)可避免的時(shí)候，他們會(huì)有什么反應(yīng)。
我第一次參觀龐貝城的印象和馬克-吐溫的差不多。他覺(jué)得整個(gè)城市讓人迷醉，但極其壓抑沉悶。到處都是死亡的暗示。顯然，發(fā)生在公元79年的維蘇威火山的爆發(fā)使所有居民陷入驚恐。那一天終止于毀滅和死亡的結(jié)局，雖然對(duì)龐貝市民來(lái)說(shuō)，那一天的清晨也許和任何一個(gè)愉悅的八月早晨并無(wú)不同。
It is still true today， as J. W. Goethe （1749-1832） wrote about Pompeii， "Many a calamity has happened in the world， but never one that has caused so much entertainment to posterity as this one." People's interest in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 comes to mind as a modern example of society's fascination with how people react when they recognize that their own death is imminent.
My impression of Pompeii during my first visit was much like that of Mark Twain's. He found the city fascinating， yet terribly depressing. There are reminders of death everywhere. It is apparent that the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. caught the inhabitants totally by surprise. Destruction and death brought a horrifying end to a day that started out as pleasant as any other August day for Pompeii's citizens.
參考譯文
通過(guò)散落在這座古代城市的人體石像，我們可以看到龐貝人死時(shí)的形象。大多數(shù)旅游者都會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)，這些石頭人像既讓人毛骨悚然，也讓人覺(jué)得興趣盎然。
它們直到今天還栩栩如生。歌德談到龐貝的時(shí)候?qū)懙剑骸笆澜缟习l(fā)生過(guò)許多災(zāi)禍，但從未有一件像在龐貝城發(fā)生的這樣給后來(lái)人以如此巨大的玩味?！?912年泰坦尼克號(hào)的沉沒(méi)曾也曾引起人們的興趣，這是近代的一個(gè)佐證。社會(huì)迷戀它、談?wù)撍窍胫喇?dāng)人們意識(shí)到自己的死亡無(wú)可避免的時(shí)候，他們會(huì)有什么反應(yīng)。
我第一次參觀龐貝城的印象和馬克-吐溫的差不多。他覺(jué)得整個(gè)城市讓人迷醉，但極其壓抑沉悶。到處都是死亡的暗示。顯然，發(fā)生在公元79年的維蘇威火山的爆發(fā)使所有居民陷入驚恐。那一天終止于毀滅和死亡的結(jié)局，雖然對(duì)龐貝市民來(lái)說(shuō)，那一天的清晨也許和任何一個(gè)愉悅的八月早晨并無(wú)不同。