沉船船骸共有近 2500 塊碎片，船身長 30 米，重 25 噸，這艘船被稱為 “世界上最大三維拼圖”。經過 20 年的精心修復，考古學家現在終于可以開始重新拼裝在南威爾士河岸發現的一艘 15 世紀沉船。

At 30 metres long, weighing 25 tonnes, it's thought this salvage wreck, found in 2002, was built around 1449 from Basque-country wood and was involved in the lucrative wine trade between Portugal and Bristol (UK).

這艘沉船于2002年被發現，船身長30米、重25噸 ，人們認為它是在1449年前后用巴斯克地區的木材建成的，這艘船被用于葡萄牙和英國布里斯托之間利潤豐厚的葡萄酒貿易活動。

Historians believe it fell into the waters around Newport (UK) while being repaired later that century. Its significance is being compared to the wreck of the 16th Century Mary Rose and the 17th Century Vasa ship in Sweden.

歷史學家們認為，該船在15世紀后期的修繕過程中沉入了英國紐波特附近的水域。它的重要性可以與16世紀的瑪麗·羅斯號沉船和17世紀的瑞典戰艦瓦薩號相提并論。

Since it was found, each one of the 2,500 individual pieces of wood salvage needed to undergo a lengthy process of soaking, waxing and freeze-drying before any reconstruction could take place. And because of the time and capacity constraints, the process has been split between southeast Wales and the south coast of England.

自該船被發現以來，打撈出的2500塊船骸中的每塊碎木都需要經過長時間的浸泡、打蠟和冷凍干燥過程，才能被用于重新拼裝的工作。由于時間和拼裝能力的限制，該過程被分在威爾士東南部和英格蘭南部海岸兩地進行。

The reassembly could take anywhere between three and ten years, and the hope in Newport is that it can be a major boost for tourism in the city centre, just as the Mary Rose has been for Portsmouth (UK).

重新拼裝船骸的工作可能會歷時三到十年，而紐波特希望這艘船能像英國樸茨茅斯的瑪麗·羅斯號一樣，對市中心的旅游業產生重大的推動作用。

詞匯表

salvage （沉船）打撈
lucrative 利潤豐厚的
significance 意義，重要性
soaking 浸泡
waxing 打蠟
freeze-drying 冷凍干燥
reconstruction 重建，重新拼裝
reassembly 重新拼裝

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. What do people think that this old ship was used to transport?

2. What was happening to the ship in Newport when it fell into the water?

3. How many pieces of wood are being put together to rebuild this old ship?

4. Why is it thought restoring this old ship will be a boost for tourism in Newport?

答案  

1. What do people think that this old ship was used to transport?
It is thought this old ship was involved in the lucrative wine trade between Portugal and Bristol (UK).

2. What was happening to the ship in Newport when it fell into the water?
Historians believe it fell into the waters around Newport while being repaired.

3. How many pieces of wood are being put together to rebuild this old ship?
2,500 individual pieces of wood are being restored to rebuild this old ship.

4. Why is it thought restoring this old ship will be a boost for tourism in Newport?
Another medieval ship called the Mary Rose was restored and turned out to be a boost for the city of Portsmouth.