It was August in Paris. Most people were out of the city, enjoying their summer holiday. The streets were empty and restaurants were closed.
那是巴黎的八月。大多数人都不在城市里，享受他们的暑假。街道空无一人，餐馆也关门了。
But on a Saturday morning at 9 a.m., I was standing in a queue. I was waiting to see Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the world’s most famous artwork. I bought the ticket in advance. However, by the time I arrived at the Louvre, there had been a very long line.
但在一个星期六早上9点，我却站在了队伍中。我在等待观看世界上最著名的艺术作品——达芬奇的《蒙娜丽莎》。我提前买了票。然而，当我到达卢浮宫时，已经排起了很长的队伍。
It took me around 30 minutes to pass the security check. As I entered the museum, I found the second airport-style queue of the day. The queue moved forward slowly and silently. It’s just like a trip to IKEA. You have to be patient because it takes much time to move forward. However, you have to walk, eyes-down, past lots of sofas and tables before you reach what you need.
我花了大约30分钟通过安检。当我进入博物馆时，我发现当天的第二条机场风格的队伍。队伍缓慢而安静地前进。这就像去IKEA购物，你必须保持耐心，因为前进需要很长时间。然而，你得低着头走过一堆沙发和桌子，才能找到你需要的东西。
The only sign the Mona Lisa was close was a forest of security officers. Only ten people were allowed to view the painting at a time. A poster outside the pen warned. “The Mona Lisa has many admirers. Please keep your visit short and sweet to give everyone a chance to meet her.”
《蒙娜丽莎》的唯一标志就是一片保安的“森林”。每次只有十个人被允许观看这幅画。围栏外的一张海报提醒道：“《蒙娜丽莎》有很多崇拜者。请保持短暂而愉快的参观，以便给每个人都能有机会见到她。”
“How short is short and sweet?” I wondered. Very short, it turned out.
“短且愉快到底有多短呢？”我在想。结果，真的非常短。
My watch clocked only 22 seconds from entering the pen before two staff members told me it was time to go. “One photo and leave,” they said. I tried to take a selfie, but an arm quickly came to guide me onwards. Behind me, the queue moved forward, ten by ten, to take a photo and leave.
从进入围栏到被两名工作人员告知该离开，我的手表计时仅为22秒。“拍一张照片然后离开，”他们说。我尝试自拍，但一只手很快伸过来引导我前进。在我身后，队伍按十人一组前进，拍照后便离开。
I was almost alone as I admired the other artworks in the Louvre. I couldn’t help wondering: Why are there so many people to see the Mona Lisa and so few to see the other artworks? Are we really going to appreciate the famous artworks or are we just “checking in” at the “popular” attractions?
当我在卢浮宫欣赏其他艺术作品时，我几乎感到孤单。我忍不住想：为什么那么多人来看《蒙娜丽莎》，却那么少人去看其他的艺术作品？我们真的是在欣赏这些著名的艺术品，还是只是来“打卡”这些“热门”景点呢？
==
**填入单词后的完整段落：**
It was August in Paris. Most people were out of the city, enjoying their summer holiday. The streets were **empty** and restaurants were closed.
But on a Saturday morning at 9 a.m., I was standing in a queue. I was waiting to see Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the world’s most famous artwork. I bought the ticket in advance. However, by the time I arrived at the Louvre, there had been a very long **line**.
It took me around 30 minutes to pass the security check. As I entered the museum, I found the second airport-style queue of the day. The queue moved forward **slowly** and silently. It’s just like a trip to IKEA. You have to be patient because it takes much time to move forward. However, you have to walk, eyes-down, past lots of sofas and tables before you reach what you need.
The only sign the Mona Lisa was **close** was a forest of security officers. Only ten people were allowed to view the painting at a time. A poster outside the pen warned. “The Mona Lisa has many admirers. Please keep you visit short and sweet to give **everyone** a chance to meet her.”
“How short is short and sweet?” I wondered. Very short, it turned out.
My watch clocked only 22 seconds from entering the pen before two staff members told me it was time to **go**. “One photo and leave,” they said. I tried to take a selfie, but an arm quickly came to guide me onwards. Behind me, the queue moved forward, ten by ten, to take a photo and leave.
I was almost **alone** as I admired the other artworks in the Louvre. I couldn’t help wondering: Why are there so many people to see the Mona Lisa and so few to see the other artworks? Are we really going to appreciate the famous artworks or are we just “checking in” at the “popular” attractions?