M9-U2--阅读材料中英文对照版

AdvanceWithEnglishM9U2ReadingTheAcropolisnowNoonehashadagreaterinfluenceonWesterncivilizationthantheancientGreeks.Theymademanyadvancesinphilosophy,science,mathematics,art,architecture,theatre,politicsandsport.TheRomanalphabetisaGreekinvention,asisthemarathon,alongdistanceracecreatedinhonourofaGreeksoldierwhoranfromMarathontoAthenstoreportthevictoryattheBattleofMarathonin490BC.Foraperiodofabout300years(from650to323BC),theGreekcivilizationmadeadvancesinvariousfieldsthathaveinfluencedtheworldformorethan2,500yearsandwillcontinuetodoso.Inparticular,weassociateancientGreekcivilizationwiththecapitalcityofAthens,thegreatestsymbolofwhichistheAcropolis.TheAcropolisisalarge,fiatrockinthecentreofAthens,risinguphighabovethecity.Inthe5thcenturyBC,thegreatestarchitectsandartistsofthetimebeganbuildingtemplesandmonumentsonthisSacredRock.OntopoftheAcropolis,therearethreemaintemplestoAthena,thegoddessofthecity:theParthenon,theErechtheumandtheTempleofAthenaNike.TheTempleofAthenaNikeisthesmallestamongthethree.Itusedtohousea13-metre-highgold-coveredstatueofAthenaastheGoddessofVictory.TheParthenon,thelargestofallthree,wasbuiltbetween447and432BCandcontainedagoldstatueofAthena.TheErechtheumisfamousforthesixfemalestatueswhichsupportpartofitsroof.ThebuildingsoftheAcropolisweremadeofmarble,averysmooth,strongstone.However,throughouthistory,fewancientmonumentshaveavoideddamagealtogether.TheAcropolisisnodifferent.Ithasbeendamagedpartlybynaturalforceslikeearthquakes,butthegreatestdamageofallhasbeencausedbyman.In1458,theTurksdefeatedtheGreeksandseizedcontrolofAthens.Later,theyusedtheParthenonasawarehouseandpackeditwithgunpowder.In1687,anattackfromItalycausedthegunpowdertoexplodeandalargepartofthebuildingwasdestroyed.Forcenturies,peoplealsostolefromtheruinsandusedthestonesforotherbuildings.Thelastmajordamageofthiskindoccurredwiththetheftofmanyofthebestsculpturesin1801,whenanEnglishman,LordElgin,cutthemoffthefaceoftheParthenon,andtookthemtoLondon.HelatersoldthemtotheBritishgovernment.In1816,thesesculptureswereturnedovertotheBritishMuseum.Theyarestillshownthereunderthetitleof'ElginMarbles'.ThishascausedsomefrictionbetweenGreeceandBritain,astheGreekgovernmenthasnevergivenaskingforthereturnofthesemarblestatues.In1830,Greecewasrecognizedasanautonomouscountryandfiveyearslater,in1835,thenewgovernmentbeganaseriousefforttorepairthemonumentsandbuildingsontheAcropolis.Unfortunately,someoftheconstructionthatwascarriedoutoverthefollowing100yearswasnotverysuccessful.Infact,repairsweresoclumsythattheymadesomeofthebuildingslesssecurethantheyhadbeenbefore.Thebuildingshavealsobeendamagedbythemillionsoftravellerswhovisitthemeachyear.Somedamagehasbeencausedbythetrafficofsomanypeoplesimplywalkingaroundthebuildings,andsomehasbeencauseddeliberately.Thereisalsotheproblemofsmog.Athenshassomeofthemostpollutedairofanycityintheworld,andacidrainiscausinggradualdamagetothemarbleontheAcropolis.Inagesturetohelppreservehistory,theGreekgovernmentappointedacommitteein1975toundertakeacompleterepairoftheAcropolis.In1987,itwaslistedasaWorldHeritagesitebyUNESCO.Afterthat,muchprogresswasmadeinrepairingtheAcropolis,withalargeamountofworkdoneinpreparationforthe2004AthensOlympicGames.ThecommitteeiscontinuingitsworkandhopestobringtheAcropolisbacktoitsformerglory.Poorrepairworkhastobemended,especiallyonsomesectionswhicharelyingaroundloose,orwhichmightfalldown.Asteadycleaningprogrammemustfollowinordertoprotectthemarblefromsmogandacidrain,aswellasfromnaturalthingssuchasplantroots.Asapartofthisprocess,statueshavebeenremovedfromtheopenairandstoredinaprotectedmuseum.Thecommitteeisalsoundertakingimportantworktoeducatethepublic,basedontheassessmentthatthebestwaytoprotecttheAcropolisistopreventdamage.Therefore,thecommitteeisteachingpeoplehowtoavoiddamagingimportanthistoricbuildingslikethoseontheAcropolis.Bylearninghownottodamagethemonuments,peoplewillbeabletoenjoythishistoricsiteforgenerationstocome.M9U2Reading今日卫城作者：瓦利亚·克特西斯没有人对西方文明的影响比古希腊人更大。古希腊人在哲学、科学、数学、艺术、建筑、戏剧、政治学和体育方面取得了很多成就。罗马字母表是希腊人的发明，马拉松赛跑也是。这项长跑比赛是为了纪念一名希腊战士而创设的。公元前490年，这名战士从马拉松一直跑到雅典，报告马拉松战役大捷的消息。在约7300年里(从公元前650年至公元前323年)，希腊文明在众多领域都取得了长足的发展，已经影响了世界2500多年，并将继续影响世界。我们特别要将古希腊文明与其首都雅典城相联系，雅典最伟大的标志就是雅典卫城。雅典卫城是一块位于雅典市中心的平坦巨石，其海拔高于雅典城。公元前五世纪，当时最杰出的建筑师和艺术家开始在这块圣石之上兴建庙宇和纪念碑。在雅典卫城的顶部，有三座主要庙宇祭祀雅典的守护神雅典娜：帕台农神庙、厄瑞克修姆神庙以及雅典娜胜利女神庙。雅典娜胜利女神庙是三座神庙中最小的，曾经供奉着一尊13米高的镀金雅典娜胜利女神像。在这三座神庙中最大的帕台农神庙建于公元前447年至公元前432年间，神庙中曾有一座黄金雅典娜神像。厄瑞克修姆神庙则以其入口处的六座女神雕像而闻名，这六座雕像支撑着一部分庙顶。卫城的建筑是用非常光滑坚硬的大理石建成的。但纵观历史，几乎没有哪座古代纪念建筑能完全避免受损。卫城也是如此。它部分受损干像地震这样的自然力量，但最大的破坏则是由人造成。1458年土耳其人打败了希腊人并占领了雅典。后来，他们将帕台农神庙作为仓库，在里面堆满火药。1687年，意大利人的一次袭击引起火药爆炸，神庙建筑的很大一部分被毁。几个世纪以来，人们还从废墟中偷窃石料，用来修建其他建筑。最后一次此类重大破坏发生于1801年，许多最精美的雕塑遭窃。当时，英国人埃尔金勋爵把这些雕塑从帕台农神庙的建筑表层切割下来，运往伦敦。后来他把这些雕塑卖给了英国政府。1816年，这些雕塑又被移交给大英博物馆。如今它们仍然在那里展出，冠名为“埃尔金大理石雕塑”。这引起了希腊和英国之间的一些摩擦，因为希腊政府从未放弃要求英国归还这些大理石雕像。1830年，希腊被承认为自治国家。五年后，即1835年，新的希腊政府开始花大力气修复卫城的历史遗迹和建筑。遗憾的是，此后一百多年间进行的一些修建工作并不是很成功。事实上，修复工作非常粗陋，它们使得一些建筑比修复前更不安全。建筑物也遭到每年数以百万计来此参观的游客的破坏。有些破坏只是由于如此多的人流在遗址中行走造成的，而有些则是因故意破坏造成的。另外还有烟雾的问题。雅典是世界上空气污染最严重的城市之，酸雨正逐渐毁坏着卫城上的大理石。为表示其帮助保存历史的意愿，希腊政