Historic Town of Ouro Preto|黑金之城 欧鲁普雷图

by Matthew Brown

The gold rush town of Ouro Preto is one of the most interesting places to visit in Brazil.

If you ever get the chance to visit Brazil, you have to go to the town of Ouro Preto. The name alone should be enough to convince you because Ouro Preto means black gold. It was a mining town during the 1700s and became very wealthy thanks to the gold trade. Thousands of people poured into the town in hopes of finding gold and striking it rich, an event known as a gold rush. Ouro Preto was bigger than Rio de Janeiro or New York City then and was the place to go for buying, selling, and measuring gold. The town wasn't only filled with gold hunters because artists and writers followed soon after, which is why the area is full of beautiful works of art.

The incredible buildings and art still exist to be seen and enjoyed since Ouro Preto has been extremely well-preserved over the years. Changes in the modern world haven't really touched it, partly because the town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This architecture has helped boost the development of tourism, which Ouro Preto now relies on heavily. The favorites are the 18th- and 19th-century churches that are decorated with real gold. There are also many breathtaking sculptures by famous Brazilian artist and architect Aleijadinho.

One of the masterpieces in Ouro Preto is the Church of Sao Francisco de Assis, which was designed by Aleijadinho. This elegant building has two circular towers at the front and a single door with fantastic wall carvings above it. Inside are beautiful wood carvings, statues, and paintings. However, the most amazing sight, other than the church itself, is the painted wooden ceiling inside. Created by Manuel da Costa Ataide, the painting has stunning colors and depicts cupids flying in a heavenly scene. With all its spectacular buildings and statues, Ouro Preto is attracting more and more visitors every year.

1.  Which of the following best describes Ouro Preto?

(A) A city that has changed a lot in the last century.

(B) A city that was transformed due to the gold rush.

(C) A town that is now bigger than New York City.

(D) A town that has one famous church.

2.  According to the article, why is Ouro Preto filled with beautiful works of art?

(A) Painters beautified the walls after it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

(B) Buildings in Ouro Preto are all decorated with real gold.

(C) Artists were drawn there and created many masterpieces.

(D) Artists were hired to make churches more beautiful during the gold rush.

3.  Who would find this article most helpful?

(A) People that hunt for gold.

(B) Locals in Ouro Preto.

(C) Religious people on a pilgrimage.

(D) Tourists going to Ouro Preto.

4.  What is NOT true about the Church of Sao Francisco de Assis?

(A) It was paid for by Manuel da Costa Ataide.

(B) Inside are sculptures carved out of wood.

(C) The two towers are round in shape.

(D) The ceiling is the major attraction.

黑金之城 欧鲁普雷图

对前往巴西旅游的人来说，淘金城欧鲁普雷图是其中一个最引人入胜的地方。

　　如果你有机会到巴西旅游，就一定得到欧鲁普雷图这个城镇走一趟。欧鲁普雷图的意思是『黑金』，所以光是这名字就应该足以说服你到此一游。18世纪时，欧鲁普雷图是个采矿城，因金矿的交易而变得非常富裕。数以千计的人涌入此城，希望在淘金热潮中寻获黄金而一夕致富。欧鲁普雷图比当时的里约热内卢或纽约市都来得大，是个买卖和测量黄金的地方。城中不只到处是淘金客，因为艺术家和作家没多久也跟随着淘金热潮来到此地，这就是当地拥有许多美丽艺术品的原因。

　　这些绝美的建筑物和艺术作品至今仍流存下来供人观赏，因为欧鲁普雷图多年来一直被保存得非常完善。现代世界的变迁并没有真正影响到欧鲁普雷图，部分原因在于它被联合国教科文组织列为世界遗产。欧鲁普雷图的建筑让该城目前极力仰赖的观光业更加蓬勃发展。当地最受喜爱的建筑为 18 和 19 世纪用真金装饰的教堂。此外还有许多令人叹为观止的雕塑，它们是著名的巴西艺术家和建筑家 Aleijadinho 的作品。

Aleijadinho所设计的圣佛兰西斯科教堂是欧鲁普雷图的建筑杰作之一。这座优美建筑前方有 2 座圆塔和一扇有华丽雕刻的大门。教堂内部有许多美丽的木制雕刻、雕像以及绘画作品。不过，除了教堂本身以外，最令人赞叹的景象是教堂内部的木制彩绘天花板。这幅画是 Manuel da Costa Ataide 的创作，画作里的色彩不但令人惊艳，同时也描绘出爱神们在天国翱翔的景象。欧鲁普雷图壮丽的建筑和雕像每年不断吸引更多游客来此参访。

答案：1. (B)2. (C)3. (D)4. (A)

Ouro Preto 的意思是『黑色的金子』，因为这里的金矿中含有钯元素，而钯能够吸收气体，使金子的表面呈现黑色光泽。欧鲁普雷图城位于巴西东南部的米纳斯吉拉斯州，是巴西历史上『淘金热』的发源地，有『黑金城』之称。1696年，当地发现了储量惊人的金矿，从此遭到葡萄牙殖民者掠夺式的开采。在淘金鼎盛时期，当地被驱使的非洲黑奴达 5 万之多。1711 年，葡萄牙国王决定将这个初具规模的矿区升格为城市（即欧鲁普雷图城），并将其作为米纳斯吉拉斯地区的首府。

进入 19世纪，当地的金矿资源渐趋枯竭，欧鲁普雷图日益冷落，但城市的旧貌却被完整地保存下来。1980年，因其拥有较为杰出的巴洛克建筑，被联合国教科文组织列入世界遗产。1933年，巴西政府宣布欧鲁普雷图城为受国家重点保护的历史文化城市。在这座城市，所有旧时的街道、店铺和住宅等建筑物不许随意改动一砖一瓦；许多被损毁的古老建筑，都按原样重新修缮。（数据源：世界遗产专题集邮网）