Without a doubt, one of the world's most recognizable pieces of art is the Mona Lisa. Painted in the 16th Century by Leonardo da Vinci, it continues to attract crowds of people who are captivated by the mysterious woman in the portrait. Her enigmatic smile and penetrating gaze reach out through the ages as if she were alive today.

recognizable 英[ˈrekəɡnaɪzəbl]美[ˈrekəɡnaɪzəbl] adj.容易认出的; 易于识别的;

crowds of 成群的;一群

captivate 英[ˈkæptɪveɪt]美[ˈkæptɪveɪt]  vt.迷住; 使着迷;

portrait 英[ˈpɔːtreɪt]美[ˈpɔːrtrət] n.肖像; 半身画像; 半身照; 详细的描述; 描绘;

enigmatic 英[ˌenɪɡˈmætɪk]美[ˌenɪɡˈmætɪk] adj.神秘的; 费解的; 令人困惑的;

penetrate 英[ˈpenətreɪt]美[ˈpenətreɪt] v.穿透; 穿过; 进入; 渗透，打入(组织、团体等); 看透; 透过…看见; 洞察; 被领悟; （以阴茎）插入;

gaze 英[ɡeɪz]美[ɡeɪz] vi.凝视; 注视; 盯着; n.凝视; 注视;

Critics and art lovers still argue about her identity. One theory is that the way she posed suggests that she was with child. Another theory argues that her hairless face - no brows or lashes - indicates that she was a prostitute.

critic 英[ˈkrɪtɪk]美[ˈkrɪtɪk] n.批评家; 评论家; 评论员; 批评者; 挑剔的人;

theory 英[ˈθɪəri]美[ˈθiːəri] n.学说; 论; 说; 理论; 原理; 原则; (未证明的)意见; 看法; 推测;

lashes ˈlæʃɪz]美[ˈlæʃɪz] n.睫毛; (作为惩罚的)鞭打，抽打; 鞭端皮条; 鞭梢; v.鞭打; 猛击; 狠打; 抽打; 怒斥;

indicate 英[ˈɪndɪkeɪt]美[ˈɪndɪkeɪt] v.表明; 显示; 象征; 暗示; 间接提及; 示意; 指示; 写明; （用灯光或手臂）打行车转向信号; 有必要;

prostitute 英[ˈprɒstɪtjuːt]美[ˈprɑːstɪtuːt] n.卖淫者; 娼妓; 妓女; 男妓; vt.滥用才能; 糟蹋自己; 卖淫; 出卖肉体; v.滥用才能; 糟蹋自己; 卖淫; 出卖肉体; adj.卖淫的; 堕落的;

It seems that in 16th Century Italy women working in the world's oldest profession had hairless faces in order to make themselves more sexually arousing. There is, however, evidence that at one time the woman in the portrait had thick eyebrows. Perhaps they were inadvertently erased when the painting was cleaned. Nobody knows for sure.

似乎在16世纪的意大利，从事世界上最古老职业的女性为了让自己更性感，脸上没有毛发。然而，有证据表明，画像中的女子曾有过浓密的眉毛。也许是在清洗画作时，它们被无意中抹去了。没有人确切知道。

profession 英[prəˈfeʃn]美[prəˈfeʃn] n.(统称，指需要较高教育水平的)职业; (需要专门技能，尤指需要较高教育水平的某一)行业; (某)职业界; 业内人士; 同业; 同行; 同人; 声明;

arouse 英[əˈraʊz]美[əˈraʊz] vt.激起，引起(感情、态度); 激起性欲; 使行动起来; 激发; 唤醒;

portrait 英[ˈpɔːtreɪt]美[ˈpɔːrtrət] n.肖像; 半身画像; 半身照; 详细的描述; 描绘; adj.竖向的; 纵向打印格式的;

inadvertent 英[ˌɪnədˈvɜːtənt]美[ˌɪnədˈvɜːrtənt] adj.无意的; 并非故意的; 因疏忽造成的;

erase 英[ɪˈreɪz]美[ɪˈreɪs] vt.擦除; 清除; 消除; 消灭; 擦掉，抹掉(笔迹等); 抹去，清洗(磁带上的录音或存储器中的信息);

The painting itself has an interesting history. With the death of Leonardo, it went to his friend King Francois , and then to Louis XV and the Palace of Versailles. It wasn't until 300 years after its completion that it was recognized as a master piece. For a time, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte hung it in his bedroom. Eventually, it found a permanent home when it was added to the collection of the Louvre in Paris. In 1911 it was stolen by a museum employee and two accomplices. This theft made the painting famous all over the world. During World War II it was taken away and hidden from the Nazis, as were many important works of art. Today the painting resides at the Louvre, captivating a whole new generation. Whoever she was, the mysteries surrounding the Mona Lisa continue to engage our imaginations.

engage 英[ɪnˈɡeɪdʒ]美[ɪnˈɡeɪdʒ] v.从事; 聘用; 吸引住(注意力、兴趣); 雇用; 与…建立密切关系; 尽力理解; 与（某人）交战; （使）衔接，啮合;

versailles 英[vɛəˈsaɪ]美[vɛrˈsaɪ] 网络凡尔赛; 凡尔赛宫; 凡尔塞;

completion 英[kəmˈpliːʃn]美[kəmˈpliːʃn] n.完成; 结束; (房地产等的)完成交易，完成交割;

permanent 英[ˈpɜːmənənt]美[ˈpɜːrmənənt] adj.永久的; 永恒的; 长久的;

louvre 英[ˈluːvə(r)]美[ˈluːvər] n.百叶窗板; 百叶门; 百叶窗;卢浮宫

reside 英[rɪˈzaɪd]美[rɪˈzaɪd] vi.居住在; 定居于;