M8U2 重点单词和词汇.docVIP

M8U2 Reading Turandot in Beijing Last night, I witnessed the first of only eight performances of Giacomo Puccini，s world-famous opera, Turandot, being performed in the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. The performance was splendid. Some of the world，s greatest opera singers were cast vt/vi.选派角色；投射（光，影）；向…投以(视线，笑容） in this production, and many great Chinese musicians also participated. Puccini, an Italian, wrote Turandot towards the end of this life, between 1920 and 1924. He liked East Asia very much and also wrote Madam Butterfly n.蝴蝶, which is set in(以…为背景) Japan. Just imagine performing such an opera in the Forbidden City——there could not be a more awesome adj.极好的；令人惊叹的，令人敬畏的 setting (没有比这个更好的背景了)! You could almost feel the history. The weather was also perfect for(绝配的，十分适合的) a performance outdoors. Instead of a stage curtain, there were decorated screens covered with red and gold, and traditional Chinese drums were used to announce the start of the opera. Turandot is the story of a stubborn adj. 固执的，顽固的 and cruel Chinese princess n. 公主, named Turandot,who lives in the Forbidden City in Beijing. In the story, the emperor of China, Turandot，s father, has promised to allow her to choose her own husband. In order to avoid marriage, she says that any potential husband must solve three riddles(猜谜) if he wants to marry her. Those who cannot answer all three riddles, however, will be condemned vt. 判刑，宣判；指责，谴责. to death (被处以死刑). This means that few men would dare vt/vi. 敢于，胆敢 to ask for her hand in marriage（向女方求婚）. The story begins when a prince n. 王子 is killed for failing to(未能做某事) solve her riddles. The emperor finds the death disturbing adj.令人不安的；引起恐慌的. However, although he would like to, he cannot break his promise(食言) and must allow Turandot to do as she wishes. Shortly afterwards(不久以后), another prince, Calaf, falls in love (相爱，坠入爱河) with Turandot at first sight (初次见面；乍一看) and decides to solve the riddles so that he can marry her. Meanwhile, Liu, a young salv