If you want to read Chinese ghost stories and tomb raiding novels like Gui Chui Deng, you’ll have to learn the tomb-raiders vocabulary; and what better way to do that than by reading about the ancient pyramids? This encyclopedia-style passage covers some of those basics.
Key vocab
法老 – fǎlǎo – pharaoh
考古学 – kǎogǔxué – archaeology
奴隶 – núlì – slave
坟墓 – fénmù – tomb/grave
象形文字 – xiàngxíngwénzì – hieroglyphics
木乃伊 – mùnǎiyī – mummy
世界文化遗产 – shìjiè wénhuà yíchǎn – World Cultural Heritage
宇宙射线 – yǔzhòu shèxiàn – cosmic rays
谜团 – mítuán – mystery/puzzle
古埃及金字塔
古埃及金字塔是世界上最有名的古代建筑之一,主要分布在埃及尼罗河的西岸。其中最有名的一组叫做”吉萨金字塔群”,位于今天开罗的旁边。
最大的金字塔
吉萨最大的金字塔是为法老胡夫(Khufu)建造的,叫做”胡夫金字塔“,也被称为”大金字塔“。它是在公元前25世纪初完成的。大金字塔的高度是146米(481英尺)。一直到公元1221年,人类建造的所有建筑都没有它高——也就是说,这座金字塔在3800多年里都是世界上最高的建筑。
大金字塔不只是高,而且建得非常精确。金字塔底部每边的长度超过230米,可是四条边长度的差别只有4.4厘米,这在四千多年前是非常了不起的成就。
谁建造了金字塔?
很多人以为金字塔是奴隶建造的,但是这种说法已经被现代考古学否定了。考古发现表明,建造金字塔的工人不是奴隶,而是有技术的劳动者。在工人的居住区和墓地里,可以看出他们吃得不错,也受到尊重。
整个工程大约用了二十到三十年的时间,需要两百多万块巨大的石头。
金字塔的用途
金字塔主要是法老的坟墓。古埃及人相信,法老死后会去另一个世界,所以要为他们建造宏伟的坟墓,放进各种物品,帮助他们在死后的世界生活。
有意思的是,吉萨的几座大金字塔里面其实没有象形文字、宝藏或者木乃伊。金字塔内部的装饰是在胡夫、卡夫拉和孟卡乌拉这几座金字塔建成几百年之后才开始出现的。
今天的金字塔
吉萨金字塔群是”世界古代七大奇迹”中唯一保存到今天的一个,1979年被联合国教科文组织列为世界文化遗产。今天,每年还有数百万游客去埃及参观这些四千五百多年前的建筑。
近年来,科学家还用宇宙射线等新技术,在大金字塔内部发现了一些以前不知道的空间。关于金字塔,还有很多谜团等着人们去解开。
The Ancient Egyptian Pyramids
The ancient Egyptian pyramids are among the most famous ancient structures in the world, mainly located on the west bank of the Nile River in Egypt. The most famous group is called the ‘Giza Pyramid Complex,’ located next to modern-day Cairo.
The Largest Pyramid
The largest pyramid at Giza was built for Pharaoh Khufu, called the ‘Pyramid of Khufu,’ also known as the ‘Great Pyramid.’ It was completed in the early 25th century BCE. The Great Pyramid stands 146 meters (481 feet) tall. Until 1221 CE, no human-made structure was taller than it – meaning this pyramid remained the world’s tallest building for over 3,800 years.
The Great Pyramid is not only tall but also built with remarkable precision. Each side of the pyramid’s base is over 230 meters long, yet the difference between the four sides is only 4.4 centimeters – an extraordinary achievement for over four thousand years ago.
Who Built the Pyramids?
Many people assume the pyramids were built by slaves, but this theory has been disproven by modern archaeology. Archaeological evidence shows that the workers who built the pyramids were not slaves, but skilled laborers. From the workers’ residential areas and cemeteries, we can see they ate well and were treated with respect.
The entire project took approximately twenty to thirty years and required over two million massive stones.
The Purpose of the Pyramids
The pyramids primarily served as tombs for pharaohs. Ancient Egyptians believed that after death, pharaohs would go to another world, so magnificent tombs needed to be built for them, filled with various items to help them in the afterlife.
Interestingly, the large pyramids at Giza actually contain no hieroglyphics, treasures, or mummies inside. Interior decorations only began appearing in pyramids built hundreds of years after those of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure.
The Pyramids Today
The Giza Pyramid Complex is the only one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Ancient World’ that survives today. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Today, millions of tourists still visit Egypt each year to see these structures built over 4,500 years ago.
In recent years, scientists have used new technologies such as cosmic rays to discover previously unknown spaces inside the Great Pyramid. There are still many mysteries about the pyramids waiting to be solved.