威尼斯面具自由、狂欢和艺术.doc

威尼斯面具自由、狂欢和艺术 　　The masquerade mask of Venice is the cultural symbol of the city. Travelers now flood the piazzas and canals of Venice searching for the mystical culture that once filled the air. These expressive and decorative masks are part of an entire festival that holds strong historic ground. The story of Venetian masks dates back to the 13th century. The citizens of Venice developed a unique culture―one in which the concealing of the identity in daily life became extremely important to daily activity. A mask served as a device for hiding the wearer’s identity and social status. Part of the secrecy was pragmatic there were things to do， people to see， and perhaps you might not want others to know what deals you were cutting. After all， the city was relatively small. Additionally， the masks served an important social purpose of keeping every citizen on an equal playing field. Masked， a servant could be mistaken for a nobleman―or vice versa. State inquisitors and spies could question citizens without fear of their true identity being discovered（and citizens could answer without fear of punishment）. The dignity of the people was maintained through the use of masks―for with no faces， everyone had voices. However， the city fell into a state of luxury， indolence， and moral decay. As a result， the wearing of masks in daily life was banned and limited only to certain months of the year. Eventually， Venetian masks re-emerged as the symbol of Venetian Carnival―a gathering of masked people in the 15th century. The Venice Carnival is the most internationally known festival celebrated in Venice， as well as being one of the oldest. The streets of Venice Carnival were full of people in masks， and no difference could be made between nobility and the common people. Generally， the costume worn was a cloak with a long-nosed mask. Also popular were masked couples， where a man and a woman would dress as allegorical characters. In the squares street-artists and sing