Azulejo: A Symbol of Portuguese Beauty 葡萄牙唯美的象徵：阿茲勒赫瓷磚畫 Learn about the surprising past of this art form. 了解一下關於這種藝術形式令人訝異的過去。
Part of the beauty of Portugal comes from its many azulejos, which are painted ceramic tiles▼ that come in various colors, though blue and white are the most common. They are often used to make decorative▼ patterns▼ or detailed scenes. The art form originally came to Portugal from Spain. Before 1492, much of Spain was ruled by various Muslim rulers. These Muslim kingdoms brought the art traditions of Africa and the Middle East to Spain. On a trip to Seville, Spain, in 1503, the King of Portugal saw the tiles and brought them back to Portugal, and this is when the art form truly began to spread. At first, these tiles were used to brighten the blank spaces on the walls of churches and public buildings. In Spain, azulejos only featured simple designs. Once in Portugal, however, designs became much more detailed. After falling out of favor in the 1900s, azulejos are popular once again. From subway stations, bars, churches, and even inside homes, these tiles can be found everywhere. While the roots of azulejo tiles are hundreds of years old, the art form lives on. Visitors to Portugal should take in the beauty of these amazing tiles at every opportunity.
▼ceramic tiles n. 瓷磚 ▼ceramic a. 陶瓷的 ▼decorative a. 作裝飾用的，裝飾（性）的 ▼pattern n. 圖案，花樣，式樣
1. various a. 各式各樣的，種種不同的 The speaker covered various topics like poverty, health, and the Internet during his presentation. 那位演講人在他的簡報中提及各種議題，如貧窮、健康和網路。 * presentation n. 簡報，報告
2. detailed a. 詳細的 The office manager gave a detailed report to the company's board of directors. 部門經理向公司董事會作了詳盡的報告。 * board of directors n. 董事會
3. originally adv. 原先，原本 Before David was a teacher, he originally worked at a hotel. 在大衛當老師前，他原本在一家旅館工作。
4. spread vi. & vt. 變得廣為人知，傳開（動詞三態同形） The rumor was widely spread among the crowd. 謠言在人群當中廣泛地傳播開來。
5. brighten vt. & vi.（使）更明亮 The Northern Lights brighten the skies over the North Pole every winter. 北極光每個冬季都會照亮整個北極的天空。
6. fall / go out of favor 熱潮退卻，失寵 As languages grow, new words are introduced, and many words fall out of favor. 隨著語言的發展，新字不斷被引進，而有許多字則沒人使用了。
7. live on 繼續存在著 Hemingway's writings and characters still live on to this day. 海明威的著作和創作的人物至今仍繼續存在著。
8. opportunity n. 機會 Working as Miranda's assistant was a huge opportunity for Andy. 擔任米蘭達的助理對安迪來說是個絕佳的機會。
又一個多功能實用片語！—— take in 本文 "Visitors to Portugal should take in the beauty of these amazing tiles at every opportunity." 中的片語 take in，表「參觀，欣賞」。而 take sth in / take in sth 還可表「領會，理解；記住」或「收容，收養」。例：
The old couple sit on their porch and take in the sunset every evening. （那對老夫婦每天傍晚都坐在門廊欣賞夕陽。）
The teacher is not sure how much of his explanation the students can take in. （這位老師不確定學生對他的解釋能了解多少。）
Judy is always taking in stray dogs. （茱蒂總是會收養流浪狗。）
