20100621 Mount Vesuvius (1)

Mount Vesuvius

Many wonder if one of the world's most famous volcanoes will roar to life again

On August 24 of A.D. 79 an earthquake shook Vesuvius just before the top of the mountain burst open and a monstrous cloud shot upward. Ash, stones and pumice showered down upon the frightened citizens of Pompeii. "We also saw the sea sucked away.... from the shore so that quantities of sea creatures were left stranded on dry sand...... A fearful black cloud was rent by ... and quivering bursts of flame, and parted to reveal great tongues of fire." Then darkness fell. "You could hear the shrieks of women, the wailing of infants, and the shouting of men. People bewailed their own fate or that of their relatives, and there were some who prayed for death in their terror of dying."

A remarkable account

While this may sound like a terrifying scene from a disaster movie, it's actually an eyewitness account of one of Italy's worst natural disasters. This description of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius marked the very first time a volcanic eruption had been described in detail. In recording the horror of the event, Pliny the Younger, a Roman author, left behind this record that still benefits historians and scientists today.

monstrous adj. 巨大的/令人害怕的

=> very large or very scary

eg: The monstrous beast in the movie really scared some of the younger viewers.

=> 電影中可怕的野獸嚇到一些年紀比較小的觀眾

eg: The monstrous stones in the desert became a famous tourist attraction.

=> 沙漠中的巨石已成為有名的觀光景點

quiver 顫抖/發抖/抖動

=> shaking slightly

eg: Nina's lips quivered and she started to cry when she heard the terrible news.

=> 當Nina聽到這個噩耗，她開始顫抖而且開始哭了起來

eg: The teenagers quivered with excitement when the pop star entered the stage.

=> 當這位流行音樂歌星走上舞台的時候，這些青少年興奮得發抖

eg: His voice quivered when he mentioned his father who passed away last year.

=> 當他提到他去年過去的父親時，聲音就顫抖了起來

erupt- 噴出/爆發

eruption n. 爆發

=> volcano explosion

eg: The eruption of the volcano caused serious damage in the area.

=> 火山的爆發造成鄰近的區域嚴重的損傷

eruption 事件的爆發

eg: The eruption of the disease affected millions.

=> 疾病的爆發影響了數百萬人民

Pompeii 龐貝(義大利那不勒斯附近一古城)

=> an ancient city in southwest Italy right next to Vesuvius

pumice 輕石/浮石

bewail v. 為...痛哭/為...悲傷

=> feel deep sadness about something

eyewitness n. 目擊者/見證人

=> a person who has seen the event

//== Chat room ==//

onomatopoeia n. 擬聲詞

roar 獅子的吼叫聲

hoot 貓頭鷹的叫聲

chirp 一般的鳥叫聲

bark 狗的叫聲

meow 貓的叫聲

purr 貓很舒服滿足的時候發出的聲音

hiss (蛇等或氣體漏出時)發出嘶嘶聲

buzz 蜂/蒼蠅嗡嗡叫

hum 蚊子發出的聲音