小故事

St. Mark's Basilica stands at one end of St. Mark's Square. Napoleon called the square the "finest drawing room in Europe." Tourists have been going there for centuries to visit its celebrated cafe and get a taste of the party atmosphere.
圣马可大教堂耸立在圣马可广场的一端。拿破仑称此广场为“欧洲最美的客厅”。几个世纪来，游客们纷沓而至，领略此地著名的咖啡馆，感受欢乐的派对气氛。
The best time to visit Venice is during the clear spring days of March and April. From June to August, the city is hot, sticky, and crowded with tourists. Autumn is quite pleasant, but winters are cold. Floods are common in November and December, presenting Venetians with one of their most difficult and ongoing problems.
3月和4月晴朗的春日最适合前往威尼斯。从6月到8月，这儿潮湿闷热，挤满了游客。秋天气候宜人，冬天则寒冷刺骨。11月和12月常有水灾，至今仍是威尼斯人最难解决的问题。
It is well-known that Venice faces an uncertain future. The city is sinking into the sea, its historic buildings are falling to pieces, and the famous lagoon is badly polluted. Unless solutions are found soon for these complex problems, the "Queen of the Adriatic," as Venice is sometimes called, will not be able to sit on her watery throne for very much longer.
众所周知，威尼斯的前途未卜。这座城市逐渐沉向大海，历史建筑日渐破败，著名的泻湖遭到严重污染。除非尽快解决这些复杂的问题，否则这座被称为“亚得里亚海皇后”的威尼斯城不用多久就保不住它的水上宝座了。

重点讲解

重点讲解：
1. a taste of
（短暂的）经历，体验，尝试；
eg. But having had a taste of the big time, he won't want to go back to playing in the reserves...
但是，有过一举成名的经历以后，他就不会再想回去当替补了。
eg. This voyage was his first taste of freedom.
这次航行使他初次体验到了自由的滋味。
2. to pieces
成碎片地；散了架地；成组件地；
eg. Do you wear your old clothes until they fall to pieces?
你一直穿你的旧衣服，直到穿烂了为止吗？
eg. The ferocious winds seemed about to tear the ship to pieces.
狂风仿佛要把船撕成碎片似的。
3. be able to
能做到…的；
eg. He conjectured that some individuals may be able to detect major calamities.
他猜测说有些人也许能够察觉重大灾难。
eg. I was able to get on with my work without interruption.
我可以不受打扰继续我的工作了。