She is widely seen as proof that good looks can last forever. But, at over 500 years of age, time is catching up with the Mona Lisa.
The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1505, is getting worse by the year, according to the Louvre Museum (卢浮宫博物馆) where it is housed. "The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since experts checked it two years ago, "the museum said. Visitors have noticed the changes but repairing the world's most famous painting is not easy. Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their current (现在的) chemical state.
Nearly 6 million people go to see the Mona Lisa every year, and many are attracted by the mystery of her smile. "It is very interesting that when you're not looking at her, she seems to be smiling, and then you look at her and she stops. " said Professor Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University. "It's because direct vision (视觉) is excellent at picking up details, but less suited to look at shadows. Da Vinci painted the smile in shadows. "
However, the actual history of the Mona Lisa is just as mysterious as the smile. Da Vinci himself loved it so much that he always carried it with him, until it was eventually sold to France's King FrancisⅠin 1169.
In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louvre by a former employee, who took it out of the museum hidden under his coat. He said he planned to return it to Italy. The painting was sent back to France two years later.
During World War Ⅱ, French hid the painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces.
Like many old ladies, the Mona Lisa has some interesting stories to tell.
It was one o'clock in the morning. In the Ritesville town art gallery, a window opened and a man came in. His name was Harry Black, and he was a thief. It was dark in the gallery, but Harry had a light. He looked around the room for a painting.
"There it is!" he said.
Harry moved quickly across the room. He stood and looked at the painting.
"A million dollars for this?" he thought. "I don't understand it."
But he took a knife from his coat. Then he took the painting very, very slowly from its frame. Harry went back across the room to the window, but he walked into a table. There was a beautiful blue glass vase on the table. It fell onto the floor and broke into pieces. He ran across the pieces of glass to the window.
He had rented a room in Mrs. Allen's house. He went quietly up to his room and closed the door. In his room, Harry took the painting from his bag. He wrapped it in a newspaper and put it under his bed.
In the morning, Janey Allen was putting old bottles into a box. On the TV, a reporter was at the Ritesville town art gallery. He was talking about the lost painting and the broken glass vase. Janey glanced at a photo of a blue vase.
At that time Harry wasn't in his room. He was talking on his telephone. Janey was looking for old newspapers. Every Friday morning, she took them from every room in the house. Then later, the newspaper recycling truck arrived.
Janey opened Harry's door and looked into his room. She always took his old newspapers or bottles for recycling. She found a newspaper under Harry's bed. She put the old newspaper into a black recycling box. Then she ran from the house and saw the truck. "Wait!" she said. And she quickly gave the box to one of the men.
Harry came back to the house. He saw the recycling truck, and he saw Janey.
"The newspaper! Oh, no!" Harry cried.
注意：续写词数应为150左右。
Paragraph 1:
He desperately chased after the truck.
Paragraph 2:
Then Janey called the police on the telephone.
