Lesson10:
Sissi
and
Schonbrunn
茜茜公主和美泉宫 原文: F1 : Friend l F2 : Friend 2
F1: I picked up a biography in thebookstore, about Empress Elisabeth of Austria, you know “Empress
Sissi” ?
F2: Really, was it good? I've seen some of thefilms about her, but I've never read her biography. F1:i would recommend that anybody who is enchanted by the myth NOT read it-realitymight destroy the romantic illusion. F2:Why? I think the story of her
and
her husband.Franz Joseph is extremely romantic. They seemed to be so in love. F1: Butthat's it, it's just a story. In the biography it says that Franz was aworkaholic
and
spent most ofhis time in his love. F2:Really? I thought they were always together. Anyway, I know something abouther. For example, she was born in 1837, in Munich. F1:Right! But, I bet you didn't know this . . . Franz Joseph was actually meant tomarry her sister, Helene, but Franz fell in love with
Sissi. F2:I did know that, actually. It was in a film I once saw. The engagement toSissi
was a sensation. Fl:I bet. She later said that she regretted marrying him. Also, did you know shewas murdered? A crazy anarchist stabbed her to death when she was 60 years old. F2:I didn't know that! I did read that she went a little crazy though, because shedieted too much. Did you read anything about their castle? Schon … something. F1:
Schonbrunn, yes. It was built in around 1700
and
lots of famouspeople have lived there over the years, not only
Sissi. F2:It's in Vienna, isn't it? F1:Yes, that's right. It was the Viennese summer residence for Austrian royaltyfor many decades, even Empress Maria Theresa, who give birth t0 16 childrenthere. F2:I read that Mane Antoinette was born there,
and
lived thereuntil she married into the French royal family. F1:She was one of Empress Maria Theresa's many kids.
Schonbrunn
is huge
and
totallybeautiful! It has l, 441 rooms
and
is decorated inthe delicate rococo style. F2: That is big. We should visit in the summerholidays, I hear the guided tour is great .It would certainly be an interestingholiday. |