Contest to name new seven world wonders

　　Contest to name new seven world wonders—21 candidates descriptions

　　新世界七大奇迹评选 ——21个候选景点介绍

　　(2006-2007学年第19期)

新世界七大奇迹评选 ——21个候选景点介绍

新世界七大奇迹评选 ——21个候选景点介绍

By Eliane Engeler and Alexander G. Higgins 郑睿 译

　　A global competition to name the new seven wonders of the world is attracting widespread interest. Candidates for the new list have been narrowed down to 21, including the Taj Mahal, Stonehenge, the Acropolis and the Great Wall of China. The public can vote until July 6, 2007, by Internet or phone. The seven winners will be announced July 7 in Lisbon, Portugal.

　　Choosing world wonders has been a continuing fascination over the centuries. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, keeps updating its list of World Heritage Sites, which now totals 830 places.

　　The “New 7 Wonders of the World” campaign was begun in 1999 by Swiss adventurer Bernard Weber, with almost 200 nominations coming in from around the world. Weber’s Switzerland-based foundation aims to promote cultural diversity by supporting, preserving and restoring monuments. It relies on private donations and revenue from selling broadcasting rights.

　　Here are descriptions of the 21 candidates.

　　全球评选新世界七大奇迹的活动正受到人们的广泛关注。最新的候选名单已缩小至21个，其中包括泰姬陵、巨石阵、雅典卫城以及中国的长城。公众可通过互联网或者打电话进行投票，截止日为2007年7月6日。获胜的七大景点将于7月7日在葡萄牙里斯本宣布。

　　几个世纪以来，评选世界奇迹一直为人们所着迷。联合国教育、科学与文化组织，简称联合国教科文组织不断更新其世界遗产名录，迄今总共收录了830个地方。

　　“新世界七大奇迹”评选活动始于1999年，由瑞士探险家贝尔纳•韦伯发起。活动收到来自世界各地的近200个提名。位于瑞士的韦伯基金会旨在通过支持、保护并修复纪念物推进文化的多样性。该基金会的经营依靠私人捐赠以及广播权的销售收入。

　　以下是21个候选景点的介绍。

　　{一}ACROPOLIS, GREECE: A million people come here each year to see the marble temples — including the ruins of the columned Parthenon — and statues of Greek gods and goddesses dating from the fifth century B.C.

　　希腊雅典卫城(希腊)：每年有100万人到此观赏大理石神殿，包括以圆柱为特色的帕台农神庙遗址，以及建于公元前5世纪的希腊神像。

　　{二}ALHAMBRA, SPAIN: The palace and citadel, perched above Granada, was the residence of the Moorish caliphs who governed southern Spain in splendor until 1492. Stunning features include mosaics, arabesques and mocarabe, or honeycomb work.

　　阿勒罕布拉宫(西班牙)： 这座宫殿城堡坐落于格拉纳达之上。1492年前，它一直是辉煌统治西班牙南部的摩尔人哈里发的官邸。最吸引人的特色包括：马赛克镶嵌图案、阿拉伯图饰、莫卡拉比伊斯兰传统建筑，即蜂巢建筑工艺。

　　{三}ANGKOR, CAMBODIA: The archaeological site in Siem Reap was the capital of the Khmer (Cambodian) empire from the ninth to 15th centuries. It served as administrative center and place of worship for a prosperous kingdom. The 12th century ruins include Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom.

　　吴哥窟(柬埔寨)：这个位于暹粒省的考古遗址是9世纪至15世纪高棉(柬埔寨)王朝的首都。它的功能是行政中心以及为王国繁荣而膜拜的场所。12世纪的遗址包括小吴哥窟与大吴哥城。

　　{四}CHRIST REDEEMER STATUE, BRAZIL: The 125-foot statue of Christ the Redeemer with outstretched arms overlooks Rio de Janeiro from atop Mount Corcovado. The statue was built in pieces in France starting in 1926, and shipped to Brazil. A railway carried it up the 2,343-foot mountain for the 1931 inauguration.

　　救世主耶稣雕像(巴西)：125英尺高的救世主耶稣雕像坐落于科尔科瓦杜山之巅，张开双臂俯瞰里约热内卢。1926年这座雕像以分块形式在法国建造，然后船运至巴西。1931年，为举行落成典礼，通过铁路把它运送到2343英尺高的山上。

　　{五}COLOSSEUM, ITALY: The 50,000-seat amphitheater3 in Rome was inaugurated in A.D. 80. Thousands of gladiators dueled to the death here, and Christians were fed to the lions. The arena has influenced the design of modern stadiums.

　　罗马圆形大剧场(意大利)：容纳5万人的罗马竞技场建于公元80年。成千上万的角斗士在这里决斗身亡，基督徒曾在这里被送入狮口。该竞技场对现代运动场的设计产生了影响。

　　{六}EASTER ISLAND, CHILE: Hundreds of massive stone busts, or Moais, are all that remains from the prehistoric Rapanui culture that crafted them between 400 and 1,000 years ago to represent deceased ancestors. Some statues are over 70 feet tall.

　　复活节岛(智利)：存在数以百计的巨石半身像，即“莫埃”，是史前拉帕努伊文化的遗存，于400至1000年前精心制作，代表已故的祖先。一些雕像高度超过了70英尺。

　　{七}EIFFEL TOWER, FRANCE: The 985-foot tower, built in 1889 for the International Exposition, symbolizes Paris. Made almost entirely of open-lattice wrought iron and erected in only two years with a small labor force, the tower — Paris’ tallest structure — demonstrated advances in construction techniques, but some initially criticized it as unaesthetic.

　　艾菲尔铁塔(法国)：塔高985英尺，于1889年为世界博览会而建造，是巴黎的象征。塔身几乎完全由开放晶格的熟铁制成。该塔的建造只花了两年时间，动用了为数不多的劳动力。它是巴黎最高的建筑物，显示了高超的建筑技术，但也有人批评它缺乏美感。

　　{八}GREAT WALL OF CHINA: The 4,160-mile barricade running from east to west is the world’s longest man-made structure. The fortification was built to protect various dynasties from invasion by Huns, Mongols, Turks and other nomadic tribes. Construction took place over hundreds of years, beginning in the seventh century B.C.

　　长城(中国)：4160英里长的防御工事，自东向西绵延，是世界上最长的人造工程。建造该要塞的目的是保卫各个朝代，防御匈奴人、蒙古人、突厥人以及其他游牧部族的入侵。修建始于公元前7世纪，历经数百年之久。

　　{九}HAGIA SOPHIA, TURKEY: The soaring cathedral, also called the Church of Holy Wisdom, was built in 537 B.C. at Constantinople, today’s Istanbul. In 1453, when Constantinople fell to the Ottomans, it became a mosque with minarets. When Turkish President Kemal Ataturk turned it into a museum in 1935, Christian mosaics covered up by the Muslims were revealed.

　　圣索菲亚大教堂(土耳其)： 该教堂气势恢宏，也称为“神圣智慧教堂”。教堂于公元前537年在君士坦丁堡，即今天的伊斯坦布尔建成。1453年，君士坦丁堡被奥托曼人攻陷后，它便成了一座带有宣礼塔的清真寺。1935年，当土耳其总统凯末尔•阿塔土尔克将它改建为博物馆时，发现了伊斯兰表面掩盖下的基督教马赛克。

　　{一〇}KIYOMIZU TEMPLE, JAPAN: Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera, which means Clear Water Temple, was founded by a Buddhist sect in 798 and rebuilt in 1633 after a fire. Drinking from its three-stream waterfall is believed to confer health, longevity and success.

　　清水寺(日本)：京都的Kiyomizu-dera，意思是清水寺，于798年由一个佛教宗派创建，并于1633年在火灾后重建。据说，饮用该寺三川瀑布的泉水，能够带来健康、长寿与成功。

　　{一一}KREMLIN AND ST. BASIL’S CATHEDRAL, RUSSIA: Onion domes with golden cupolas5 surrounded by red brick walls are at the heart of Moscow’s Kremlin. The Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed on adjacent Red Square features nine towers of different colors. It was built by Czar Ivan the Terrible in the mid-16th century.

　　克里姆林宫与圣巴西勒大教堂(俄罗斯)：带金色穹顶的洋葱式圆顶，四周为红色砖墙所围绕，是莫斯科克里姆林宫的中心。神圣的圣巴西勒大教堂坐落于邻近的红场上，以九座不同颜色的塔形建筑而著称。它是由“恐怖的沙皇伊凡”于16世纪中叶所建。

　　{一二}MACHU PICCHU, PERU: Built by the Incan Empire in the 15th century, Machu Picchu’s walls, palaces, temples and dwellings are perched in the clouds at 8,000 feet above sea level in the Andes overlooking a lush valley 310 miles from Lima.

　　马丘比丘城(秘鲁)：15世纪由印加王朝所建。马丘比丘城的城墙、宫殿、庙宇以及居所均建造在安第斯山脉海拔8000英尺高的云间，俯瞰着距利马310英里的富饶河谷。

　　{一三}NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE, GERMANY: The inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, Neuschwanstein is a creation of “Mad King” Ludwig II of Bavaria. Perched on a peak in the Bavarian Alps, the gray granite castle rises to towers, turrets and pinnacles and contains many paintings with scenes from Richard Wagner operas admired by Ludwig.

　　新天鹅堡(德国)：受到了迪斯尼乐园睡美人城堡的启发，新天鹅堡是巴伐利亚“疯王”路德维希二世的杰作。耸立于巴伐利亚阿尔卑斯山脉的一座山峰上。灰色花岗岩城堡由塔楼、炮台、尖顶组成，其中收藏了许多为路德维希所欣赏的理查德•瓦格纳歌剧的场景绘画。

　　{一四}PETRA, JORDAN: This ancient city was the capital of the Arab kingdom of the Nabateans, a center of caravan trade, and continued to flourish under Roman rule after the Nabateans’defeat in A.D. 106. The city is famous for water tunnels and stone structures carved in the rock, including Ad-Dayr, “the Monastery,” an uncompleted tomb facade that served as a church during Byzantine times.

　　佩特拉古城(约旦)：这个古老城市曾经是阿拉伯纳巴泰王国的首都，商队贸易的中心。公元106年，纳巴泰人战败后该市在罗马人的统治下不断繁荣。城市以水渠与岩石雕刻工程而闻名，其中包括“代依尔”修道院，一座未完工的陵墓正面外观，它在拜占庭时期被用作教堂。

　　{一五}PYRAMID AT CHICHEN ITZA, MEXICO: This step pyramid surmounted by a temple was part of a sacred site in an important Mayan center on Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. It is built according to the solar calendar. Shadows at the fall and spring equinoxes are said to look like a snake crawling down the steps, similar to the carved serpent at the top.

　　奇琴伊察金字塔(墨西哥)：阶梯形金字塔建造于庙宇之上，是墨西哥尤卡坦半岛上重要的玛雅文明中心的圣地的一部分。金字塔根据阳历建造。据说，在秋分与春分日，太阳阴影会像蛇一样从台阶上爬行而下，与顶端雕刻的巨蛇相似。

　　{一六}PYRAMIDS OF GIZA, EGYPT: The only surviving structures of the original seven wonders, the three pyramids were built as tombs for pharaohs 4,500 years ago. Nearby is the Great Sphinx statue, with a man’s face and a lion’s body.

　　吉萨金字塔(埃及)：吉萨金字塔是古代七大奇迹中唯一得以保存的遗迹，三座金字塔于4500年前建造，是法老的陵墓。金字塔一旁是狮身人面的斯芬克司雕像。

　　{一七}STATUE OF LIBERTY, NEW YORK: The 305-foot statue in New York Harbor has welcomed immigrants and symbolized freedom since 1886, when it was dedicated as a gift of the French government.

　　自由女神像(纽约)：1886年，由法国政府赠送。自那时起，高305英尺的雕像就矗立在纽约港，欢迎来自各地的移民，它也是自由的象征。

　　{一八}STONEHENGE, BRITAIN: How and why this circular monument of massive rocks was created between 3,000 and 1,600 B.C. is unknown, but some experts say the stones were aligned as part of a sun-worshipping culture or astronomical calendar.

　　巨石阵(英国)： 人们至今还不清楚，在公元前3000至1600年，为何以及采用何种方法建造了这一环形巨石阵。但一些专家称，巨石阵是按照太阳崇拜文化或者天文历法的规则而排列的。

　　{一九}SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, AUSTRALIA: Situated on Bennelong Point reaching into Sydney’s harbor, the opera house was designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon and opened in 1973 by Queen Elizabeth II. Its roof resembles a ship in full sail and is covered by over 1 million white tiles. The building has 1,000 rooms.

　　悉尼歌剧院(澳大利亚)：坐落于贝恩朗角，延伸进入悉尼港，歌剧院由丹麦建筑师乔恩•伍重设计，并于1973年由女王伊丽莎白二世揭幕。歌剧院的屋顶结构看上去像是一艘扬帆远航的帆船。屋顶由超过100万枚白色瓦片所覆盖。该建筑内共有1000个房间。

　　{二〇}TAJ MAHAL, INDIA: The white marble-domed mausoleum in Agra was built by a 17th century Mogul emperor for his favorite wife. The architecture combines Indian, Persian, and Islamic styles. The complex houses the graves of the emperor, his wife, and other royalty.

　　泰姬陵(印度)：这座位于阿格拉的白色大理石圆顶陵墓建于17世纪，由莫卧尔皇帝为他的爱妻而修建。建筑融印度、波斯与伊斯兰风格于一体。整个陵墓中包含了皇帝、皇妃以及其他皇室成员的墓穴。

　　{二一}TIMBUKTU, MALI: Two of West Africa’s oldest mosques, the Djingareyber, or Great Mosque, and the Sankore mosque built during the 14th and early 15th centuries can still be seen here in the northern Sahara Desert. Founded about A.D. 1,100, Timbuktu was a flourishing caravan center in the Arabic world and a leading spiritual and intellectual center in the 15th and 16th centuries, with one of the world’s first universities.

　　廷巴克图城(马里)：位于撒哈拉沙漠北部，在这里，至今还能够看到建于14世纪与15世纪早期的两座西非最古老的清真寺：德真亚瑞柏清真寺或称大清真寺，以及尚克尔清真寺。廷巴克图城建于公元1100年，曾是阿拉伯世界的一个繁荣的商队中心，15与16世纪，这里还是一个重要的精神与知识中心，拥有世界上最早的大学之一。