英语美文：Seven Wonders Of The World 世界七大奇迹

The world is full of wonders and amazements that have stood the test of time, captivating the imagination of people for generations. These wonders are not only architectural marvels but also symbols of human ingenuity, creativity, and perseverance.Here are eight of the most famous and awe-inspiring wonders of the world:1. The Great Pyramid of Giza, EgyptThe Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the oldest and largest pyramids in the world, built around 2560 BC. It was originally covered with smooth white limestone, making it shine like a beacon in the desert sun. The pyramid stands at a height of 147 meters and has a base area of 230 meters on each side.It is believed to have been built as a tomb for the Pharaoh Khufu, who ruled Egypt during the Fourth Dynasty.2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, IraqThe Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and were built around 600 BC by King Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife, Queen Amytis. The gardens were said to be located on multiple levels, supported by terraces and massive stone columns. They were filled with exotic plants and trees from all over the world, providing a lush oasis in the middle of the desert.3. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, TurkeyThe Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was one of the largest temples in the ancient world, dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis. It was built around 550 BC and could accommodate up to 10,000 worshippers at a time. The temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times throughout its history, but the ruins that remain today are still impressive, standing at a height of 29 meters and covering an area of 23,000 square meters.4. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, TurkeyThe Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was built around 353 BC to honor the memory of the Persian satrap Mausolus and his wife Artemisia II. The mausoleum was designed by the Greek architects Satyros and Pythius and featured a large central dome surrounded by four smaller ones. The building was adorned with ornate sculptures and carvings depicting scenes from Greek mythology and history.5. The Colosseum, Rome, ItalyThe Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is one of the most iconic landmarks in Rome, built between 70-80 AD. It was used for gladiatorial contests, public spectacles, and other entertainment events. The Colosseum could seat up to 80,000 spectators and was decorated with intricate marble statues and reliefs. Despite being partially destroyed by earthquakes and neglect over the centuries, the Colosseum still stands today as a testament to Roman engineering and architecture.6. The Lighthouse of Alexandria, EgyptThe Lighthouse of Alexandria was one of the tallest structures in the ancient world, standing at a height of 134 meters. It was built around 280 BC to guide ships into the harbor of Alexandria and was made of pure marble. The lighthouse was powered by fire and mirrors, which created a bright beam of light that could be seen for miles out at sea. The lighthouse was destroyed by an earthquake in 1323 AD, but its legacy lives on through historical accounts and archaeological remains.7. The Taj Mahal, IndiaThe Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, built between 1632-1653 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is made entirely of white marble and features intricate carvings and inlay work. It is crowned by a large dome and four minarets, and its gardens are filled with fountains and flower beds. The Taj Mahal is considered a masterpiece of Mughal architecture and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.8. Machu Picchu, PeruMachu Picchu is an ancient Incan city located high in the Andes Mountains of Peru. It was built around 1450 AD and abandoned around 1572 AD when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in South America. Machu Picchu is known for its sophisticated urban planning, advanced engineering techniques, and stunning views of the surrounding landscape. The city was only rediscovered in 1911 by American explorer Hiram Bingham and has since become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.In conclusion, these eight wonders of the world are not only architectural marvels but also symbols of human creativity, innovation, and perseverance. They have stood the test of time and continue to inspire us today with their beauty and grandeur.。

New 7 Wonders vs. Ancient 7 WondersNew: Christ the Redeemer StatuePhotograph by Samba Photo/Photonica/Getty ImagesThe 105-foot-tall (38-meter-tall) "Christ the Redeemer" statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was among the "new seven wonders of the world" announced July 7 following a global poll to decide a new list of human-made marvels.The winners were voted for by Internet and phone, American Idol style. The other six new wonders are the Colosseum in Rome, India's Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, Jordan's ancient city of Petra, the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, and the ancient Maya city of Chichén Itzá in Mexico.The contest was organized by the New7Wonders Foundation—the brainchild of Swiss filmmaker and museum curator Bernard Weber—in order to "protect humankind's heritage across the globe." The foundation says the poll attracted almost a hundred million votes.Yet the competition has proved controversial, drawing criticism from the United Nations' cultural organization UNESCO, which administers the World Heritage sites program (pictures of the newest World Heritage sites)."This initiative cannot, in any significant and sustainable manner, contribute to the preservation of sites elected by [the] public," UNESCO said in a statement.New: Great Wall of ChinaPhotograph by Raymond K. Gehman/National Geographic/Getty ImagesThis newly elected world wonder was built along China's northern border over many centuries to keep out invading Mongol tribes.Constructed between the fifth century B.C. and the 16th century, the Great Wall is the world's longest human-made structure, stretching some 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers). The best known section was built around 200 B.C. by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang Di.The wall was among the winners of the New7Wonders poll announced during a televised ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal. However the Chinese statebroadcaster chose not to broadcast the event, and Chinese state heritage officials refused to endorse the competition.It was a different story for some of the other candidates. In Brazil, for example, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva encouraged his compatriots to vote for Rio de Janeiro's mountaintop statue of Jesus Christ.New: The Colosseum, Rome, ItalyPhotograph by John Lawrence/Photographers Choice/Getty ImagesThe only finalist from Europe to make it into the top seven—the Colosseum in Rome, Italy—once held up to 50,000 spectators who came to watch gory games involving gladiators, wild animals, and prisoners.Construction began around A.D. 70 under Emperor Vespasian. Modern sports stadiums still resemble the Colosseum's famous design.European sites that didn't make the cut include Stonehenge in the United Kingdom, the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.The Vatican in Rome accused the competition's organizers of ignoring Christian monuments, none of which was featured among the 20 finalists. Archbishop Mauro Piacenza, head of culture and archaeology at the Vatican, called the omission of sites such as the Sistine Chapel "inexplicable."New: Petra, JordanPhotograph by Richard Nowitz/National Geographic/Getty ImagesPerched on the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to A.D. 40).Petra is famous for its many stone structures such as a 138-foot-tall (42-meter-tall) temple carved with classical facades into rose-colored rock. The ancient city also included tunnels, water chambers, and an amphitheater, which held 4,000 people.The desert site wasn't known to the West until Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt came across it in 1812.Jordan has taken the New7Wonders competition seriously. Petra is an important attraction in a country where tourism has recently suffered due to troubles in the Middle East region, particularly in neighboring Iraq.The Jordanian royal family backed a campaign promoting Petra's selectionNew: Machu Picchu, PeruPhotograph by Gavin Hellier/Photographers Choice/Getty ImagesOne of three successful candidates from Latin America, Machu Picchu is a 15th-century mountain settlement in the Amazon region of Peru.The ruined city is among the best known remnants of the Inca civilization, which flourished in the Andes region of western South America. The city is thought to have been abandoned following an outbreak of deadly smallpox, a disease introduced in the 1500s by invading Spanish forces.Hundreds of people gathered at the remote, 7,970-foot-high(2,430-meter-high) site on Saturday to celebrate Machu Picchu's new "seven wonders" status.The winners were revealed at a soccer stadium in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, where Machu Picchu reportedly got one of the biggest cheers.The other two Latin American selections were Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Chichén Itzá, Mexico.New: Chichén Itzá, MexicoPhotograph by Steve Elmore/Stone/Getty ImagesChichén Itzá is possibly the most famous temple city of the Mayas, a pre-Columbian civilization that lived in present day Central America. It was the political and religious center of Maya civilization during the period from A.D. 750 to 1200.At the city's heart lies the Temple of Kukulkan (pictured)—which rises to a height of 79 feet (24 meters). Each of its four sides has 91 steps—one step for each day of the year, with the 365th day represented by the platform on the top.The New7Wonders competition was launched in 1999, and the voting process beginning in 2005. Nearly 200 nominations that came in from around the world were narrowed down to 21.Unsuccessful finalists included the giant statues of Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean; the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia; and the Sydney Opera House in Australia.New: Taj Mahal, IndiaPhotograph by Ernst Haas/Getty ImagesThe Taj Mahal, in Agra, India, is the spectacular mausoleum built by Muslim Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to honor the memory of his beloved late wife, Mumtaz Mahal.Construction began in 1632 and took about 15 years to complete. The opulent, domed mausoleum, which stands in formal walled gardens, is generally regarded as finest example of Mughal art and architecture. It includes four minarets, each more than 13 stories tall.Shah Jahan was deposed and put under house arrest by one of his sons soon after the Taj Mahal's completion. It's said that he spent the rest of his days gazing at the Taj Mahal from a window.Old: The Great Pyramid of Giza, EgyptPhotograph by David Sutherland/The Image Bank/Getty ImagesThe Egyptian pharaoh Khufu built the Great Pyramid in about 2560 B.C. to serve as his tomb. The pyramid is the oldest structure on the original list of the seven wonders of the ancient world, which was compiled by Greek scholars about 2,200 years ago. It is also the only remaining survivor from the original list.The Great Pyramid is the largest of three Pyramids at Giza, bordering modern-day Cairo. Although weathering has caused the structure to stand a few feet shorter today, the pyramid was about 480 feet (145 meters) high when it was first built. It is thought to have been the planet's tallest human-made structure for more than four millennia.Initially the Giza Pyramids were top contenders in the Internet and phone ballot to make a new list of world wonders. But leading Egyptian officials were outraged by the contest, saying the pyramids shouldn't be put to a vote."This contest will not detract from the value of the Pyramids, which is the only real wonder of the world," Egypt's antiquities chief Zahi Hawass told the AFP news agency.Instead competition organizers withdrew the Pyramids from the competition in April and granted them "honorary wonder" status.Old: The Colossus of Rhodes, GreeceColor engraving by Ferdinand Knab/The Bridgeman Art Library/Getty ImagesIn contrast to the pyramids, the colossus was the shortest lived of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Completed in 282 B.C. after taking 12 years to build, the Colossus of Rhodes was felled by an earthquake that snapped the statue off at the knees a mere 56 years later.The towering figure—made of stone and iron with an outer skin of bronze—represented the Greek sun god Helios, the island's patron god. It looked out from Mandráki Harbor on the Mediterranean island of Ródos (Rhodes), although it is no longer believed to have straddled the harbor entrance as often shown in illustrations.The Colossus stood about 110 feet (33 meters) tall, making it the tallest known statue of the ancient world. It was erected to celebrate the unification of the island's three city-states, which successfully resisted a long siege by the Antigonids of Macedonia.Old: The Lighthouse of Alexandra, Egypt Illustration by DeAgostini/Getty ImagesThe lighthouse was the only ancient wonder that had a practical use, serving as a beacon for ships in the dangerous waters off the Egyptian port city of Alexandria, now called El Iskandarîya.Constructed on the small island of Pharos between 285 and 247 B.C., the building was the world's tallest for many centuries. Its estimated heightwas 384 feet (117 meters)—equivalent to a modern 40-story building—though some people believe it was significantly taller.The lighthouse was operated using fire at night and polished bronze mirrors that reflected the sun during the day. It's said the light could be seen for more than 35 miles (50 kilometers) out to sea.The huge structure towered over the Mediterranean coast for more than 1,500 years before being seriously damaged by earthquakes in A.D. 1303 and 1323.Old: The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Greece Color engraving by Ferdinand Knab/The Bridgeman Art Library/Getty ImagesThe massive gold statue of the king of the Greek gods was built in honor of the original Olympic games, which began in the ancient city of Olympia.The statue, completed by the classical sculptor Phidias around 432 B.C., sat on a jewel-encrusted wooden throne inside a temple overlooking the city. The 40-foot-tall (12-meter-tall) figure held a scepter in one hand and a small statue of the goddess of victory, Nike, in the other—both made from ivory and precious metals.The temple was closed when the Olympics were banned as a pagan practice in A.D. 391, after Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire.The statue was eventually destroyed, although historians debate whether it perished with the temple or was moved to Constantinople (now Istanbul) in Turkey and burned in a fire.Old: The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, IraqColor lithograph by Ferdinand Knab/The Bridgeman Art Library/Getty ImagesThe hanging gardens are said to have stood on the banks of the Euphrates River in modern-day Iraq, although there's some doubt as to whether they ever really existed.The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II supposedly created the terraced gardens around 600 B.C. at his royal palace in the Mesopotamian desert. It is said the gardens were made to please the king's wife, who missed the lush greenery of her homeland in the Medes, in what is now northern Iran.Archaeologists have yet to agree on the likely site of the hanging gardens, but findings in the region that could be its remains include the foundations of a palace and a nearby vaulted building with an irrigation well.The most detailed descriptions of the gardens come from Greek historians. There is no mention of them in ancient Babylonian records.Old: The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, TurkeyPainting by The Bridgeman Art Library/Getty ImagesThe famous tomb at Halicarnassus—now the city of Bodrum—was built between 370 and 350 B.C. for King Mausolus of Caria, a region in the southwest of modern Turkey. Legend says that the king's grieving wife Artemisia II had the tomb constructed as a memorial to their love.Mausolus was a satrap, or governor, in the Persian Empire, and his fabled tomb is the source of the word "mausoleum." The structure measured 120 feet (40 meters) long and 140 feet (45 meters) tall.The tomb was most admired for its architectural beauty and splendor. The central burial chamber was decorated in gold, while the exterior was adorned with ornate stone friezes and sculptures created by four Greek artists.The mausoleum stood intact until the early 15th century, when Christian Crusaders dismantled it for building material for a new castle. Some of the sculptures and frieze sections survived and can be seen today at the British Museum in London, England.Old: The Temple of Artemis, TurkeyColor engraving by Ferdinand Knab/The Bridgeman Art Library/Getty ImagesThe great marble temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis was completed around 550 B.C. at Ephesus, near the modern-day town of Selçuk in Turkey.In addition to its 120 columns, each standing 60 feet (20 meters) high, the temple was said to have held many exquisite artworks, including bronze statues of the Amazons, a mythical race of female warriors.A man named Herostratus reportedly burned down the temple in 356 B.C. in an attempt to immortalize his name. After being restored, the temple was destroyed by the Goths in A.D. 262 and again by the Christians in A.D. 401 on the orders of Saint John Chrysostom, then archbishop of Constantinople (Istanbul).Today the temple's foundations have been excavated and some of its columns re-erected.。

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza bordering what is now Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact.
The Lighthouse of Alexandria, also known as the Pharos of Alexandria, it was for many centuries among the tallest manmade structures on Earth. It was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The Colossus of Rhodes was a statue of the Greek god Helios. It is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
It was constructed to celebrate Rhodes' victory over the ruler of Cyprus. Before its destruction, the Colossus of Rhodes stood over 30 meters high, ues of the ancient world.
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus or Tomb of Mausolus was a tomb built between 353 and 350 BC at present Turkey. The finished structure was considered to be such an aesthetic triumph that Antipater of Sidon identified it as one of his Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

世界七大奇观是由马其顿王国（Macedonia，公元前4世纪中叶至前2世纪中叶）的亚历山大大帝（Alexander the Greater，公元前356-前323）统治时期建于西亚、北非及爱琴海地区的七处规模较大的雄伟建筑与雕刻品，被古希腊和古罗马的观察家们认可为古代遗迹中最非凡的艺术品和建筑作品。

世界七大奇观的名单有时会有所不同，以下以古代西顿（Sidon）作家安提帕特（Antipater，公元前398？-前319）在他的一本游记中所列举的七大奇观为准。

它不但被广泛使用而且还是标准的名单，七大奇观中除金字塔外，其他六个均未完整保存下来。

1.埃及金字塔（Pyramid）世界七大奇观之一。

金字塔是古代所建的一种方锥形建筑物，因其外形像汉语的“金”字，在中国译称“金字塔”。

墨西哥、希腊、苏丹等国都有金字塔，但名声最为显赫的是埃及的金字塔。

埃及金字塔是古埃及文明的代表作，是埃及国家的象征。

古埃及的金字塔目前保存下来的约有80座，是为古埃及法老（Pharaoh——古埃及国王的称号）修建的陵墓。

最大的一座是古埃及第四朝法老胡夫（Khufu）的金字塔，称为“大金字塔”（The Great Pyramid），位于开罗近郊吉萨（Giza），建于大约公元前27世纪。

它的底座成方形，每边长约232米，高约146米，用230余万块（每块重约2.5吨）巨石叠成。

塔内有墓室、石阶及甬道等结构。

据说建塔时，每天投入80万劳动力，历时30年方建成。

就当时的生产力水平而言，其设计与建筑水平已达到相当惊人的程度。

“大金字塔”附近建有法老哈夫拉（Khafra，约公元前20世纪）的金字塔及斯芬克斯巨型石雕像。

现存于吉萨的70余座金字塔大都残损破朽，墓室里的财宝也被盗劫一空。

2.巴比伦空中花园（Hanging Garden of Babylon）巴比伦空中花园在古巴比伦王国（今伊拉克南部）首府巴比伦城王宫内，是国王尼布甲尼撤二世（NebuchadnezzaⅡ，公元前604-公元前562）建造的。