常春藤生活英語：China's Great Wall

This month, National Geographic Channel takes a closer look at China''s "Stone Dragon"—the Great Wall. It is one of the structural1 wonders of China which will be shown in NGC''s China Special series. Even though the Great Wall is famous around the world, there are still stories about it that people are not familiar with. NGC brings these stories to life through amazing images and exciting narration2. Don''t miss the danger and beauty of one of the most magnificent ancient structures ever created.

In 133 BC, Emperor Wudi of China ordered a series of attacks on the Xiongnu from Mongolia. After conquering the Hexi Corridor3, which was on the Silk Road, the Emperor wanted to protect his vast new empire. Therefore, he decided to build a long wall. He sent two million people to do it, but there were too many obstacles4. They faced attacks from enemies and poor health from bad food. In addition, the weather conditions were terrible. The high temperatures5 in summer and freezing storms in winter caused damage to the wall. Some of the builders even joined the Xiongnu army against the Emperor, and by 99 BC, the wall was abandoned.

本月份，國家地理頻道將深入探究中國的石龍——萬里長城。它是國家地理頻道《新中國特輯》系列節(jié)目中將介紹的中國建筑奇觀之一。即便萬里長城名聞世界，它還是有一些不為人知的故事。國家地理頻道藉由精彩的影像和活潑的描述，生動(dòng)地將這些故事呈現(xiàn)出來。別錯(cuò)過在這個(gè)史上最壯觀的古老建筑之一里，所蘊(yùn)含的各種危險(xiǎn)和美麗。

公元前133年，中國的漢武帝下令對(duì)蒙古的匈奴發(fā)動(dòng)一連串的攻擊。武帝攻下絲路上的河西走廊后，想要捍衛(wèi)他那遼闊的新帝國。因此，他決定修筑一道長城。他派了兩百萬人前去施工，但是過程中阻礙重重。他們面臨了敵人的攻擊，同時(shí)也因食物粗糙而危害到健康。此外，天候狀況非常糟糕。夏季的高溫和冬季嚴(yán)寒的暴風(fēng)雨對(duì)長城造成損壞。一些建筑工人甚至加入匈奴軍隊(duì)來對(duì)抗武帝，而到了公元前99年，長城竟遭遺棄。

1. order　vt. 命令，囑咐

Mom ordered me to make my bed.

媽媽吩咐我把床鋪好。

2. conquer　vt. 征服，戰(zhàn)勝

When did the Normans conquer England?

諾曼人于何時(shí)征服英格蘭?

3. vast　a. 廣闊的，廣大的

This university has a vast library.

這所大學(xué)里有間龐大的圖書館。

4. abandon　vt. 離棄，遺棄

Don''t abandon your pet just because you''re too lazy to care for it.

不要只是因?yàn)槟銘械谜疹櫮愕膶櫸锞蜅夝B(yǎng)牠

1. be familiar with...　　熟悉……

Iris is familiar with using digital cameras.

艾瑞絲熟悉數(shù)字相機(jī)的操作。

2. bring...to life　　使……更為真實(shí)∕有趣

This movie brought the Middle Ages to life.

這部電影演活了中古世紀(jì)的情景。

1. structural　a. 建筑上的;結(jié)構(gòu)上的

2. narration　n. 敘述;解說

3. corridor　n.(地形上的)走廊;地帶

4. obstacle　n. 障礙，阻礙

5. temperature　n. 溫度

偉大工程奇跡

萬里長城不僅是中國古代一項(xiàng)極為重要的偉大工程，更早在許久之前被稱為中古世界的七大奇跡之一。長城平均高度為7.8公尺，寬則為6.3公尺，而且每隔 100公尺便設(shè)一座長方形石臺(tái)作為瞭望之用。建造長城的材質(zhì)主要為土、木、石、瓦等，而歷代皇帝都以『因地制宜，用險(xiǎn)制塞』作為筑城原則，利用地勢在兩山之間的狹口、河谷會(huì)合轉(zhuǎn)折處、平川往來必經(jīng)之處等建構(gòu)碉堡，這么一來就能以最少的人力物力來控制險(xiǎn)要。每當(dāng)外敵入侵時(shí)，兵士便點(diǎn)燃狼煙報(bào)警，數(shù)小時(shí)內(nèi)便可將消息傳到千里之外，使防區(qū)和中央朝廷能盡快掌握軍情，進(jìn)行下一步行動(dòng)。古時(shí)候，只要有長城在的一日，外族就難踏足中原一步，如今，長城基本上已失去防衛(wèi)的意義，只剩下供人游覽之用。長城因?yàn)樯鷳B(tài)環(huán)境及人為破壞等因素，破損的程度十分嚴(yán)重，有些地方更早已被埋于沙漠之下，只剩下原來的三分之二。即使如此，綿延的長城遺跡仍代表著我們祖先的血汗和智慧，更是中華民族的象征和驕傲。

...there are still stories about it that people are not familiar with.

(……它還是有一些不為人知的故事。)

以下為您介紹 familiar 的用法：

1. 人 + be familiar with...　　某人很熟悉……

I am familiar with every road in Tainan.

(我熟悉臺(tái)南的每條路。)

2. ...look/sound familiar to + 人　　……某人看來∕聽來很熟悉

The voice on the phone sounded very familiar to me.

(電話里的聲音聽起來很耳熟。)