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Venice is a world-renowned city of water, with
intersecting canals where small boats have become the main means of
transportation, equivalent to cars on the streets.
The small boats in Venice are about twenty to thirty feet long, narrow
and deep, somewhat resembling canoes. The bow and stern of the boats are
raised upwards, like crescents hanging in the sky. They move swiftly and
agilely, resembling water snakes in the fields.
We sit inside the cabin, and the leather cushions are soft like sofas.
The small boat passes under various differently shaped stone bridges. We
open the curtains and gaze at the ancient buildings towering on both
sides, exchanging greetings with passing boats. There is an endless
charm to behold.
The boatmen have exceptional driving skills. The speed of the boat is
extremely fast, with many boats coming and going, but they maneuver with
ease, without any haste or confusion. No matter how crowded it gets,
they can always squeeze through with left and right turns. In extremely
narrow areas, they can smoothly pass through, and they can even make
sharp turns at high speeds. The buildings on both sides seem to retreat
in a flash, keeping our eyes busy, not knowing where to look.
Merchants carrying large bundles of goods hastily disembark from the
small boats and conduct business along the river. Young women chat and
laugh loudly inside the small boats. Many children accompanied by
nannies sit in small boats and go to the outskirts to breathe fresh air.
Serious elderly people take their entire families, carrying the Bible,
and sit in small boats to go to the church for prayers.
In the middle of the night, after the theater ends, a large group of
people rush out and board their respective hired small boats. The small
boats that were clustered together soon disperse and disappear into the
winding canals, accompanied by laughter and farewell voices. The water
surface gradually quiets down, and only the shadow of the moon sways in
the water. Tall stone buildings stand along the river, ancient bridges
span over the water, and boats of all sizes are docked at the pier.
Silence envelops this city on water, and ancient Venice sinks deeply
into sleep. |
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Why does the author praise the boatman's driving skills? |
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What are the characteristics of the small boats in
Venice? |
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In the fifth paragraph of the article, the author
describes the activities of different people on the small boats. What
does this reflect about the relationship between Venetian small boats
and the lives of Venetians? |
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What is Venice like at night, along with its small
boats? |
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Answers |
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Because the speed of the boat is extremely fast,
despite the numerous ships coming and going, he still controls it with
ease, without any haste or confusion. No matter how crowded it is, he
can always maneuver through by turning left and right. When encountering
extremely narrow places, he can smoothly pass through them, and his
speed is very fast, even capable of making sharp turns. |
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Venetian boats are around twenty to thirty feet long,
narrow and deep. The bow and stern of the boat are raised, and they move
swiftly and agilely. |
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This reflects that small boats are a very common means
of transportation in Venice, inseparable from the lives of the
Venetians. |
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In the evening, boats of all sizes dock at the pier.
Silence envelops this city on the water, and the ancient Venice slowly
falls asleep. |
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