Elephant's Journey 英文原版

　　In 1551, King Jo?o III of Portugal gave Archduke Maximilian anunusual wedding present: an elephant named Solomon. The elephant’sjourney from Lisbon to Vienna was witnessed and remarked upon byscholars, historians, and ordinary people. Out of this material,José Saramago has spun a novel already heralded as “a triumph oflanguage, imagination, and humor” (El País).
　　Solomon and his keeper, Subhro, begin in dismal conditions,forgotten in a corner of the palace grounds. When it occurs to theking and queen that an elephant would be an appropriate weddinggift, everyone rushes to get them ready: Subhro is given two newsuits of clothes and Solomon a long overdue scrub.
　　Accompanied by the Archduke, his new wife, and the royal guard,our unlikely heroes traverse a continent riven by the Reformationand civil wars. They make their way through the storied cities ofnorthern Italy: Genoa, Piacenza, Mantua, Verona, Venice, andTrento, where the Council of Trent is in session. They brave theAlps and the terrifying Isarco and Brenner Passes; they sail acrossthe Mediterranean Sea and up the Inn River (elephants, it turnsout, are natural sailors). At last they make their grand entry intothe imperial city. The Elephant’s Journey is a delightful, wittytale of friendship and adventure.