听美文故事记6级单词05-05

（单词翻译）

5. The Colossus of Rhodes

To you, O Sun, the people of Dorian Rhodes set up this bronze statue reaching to Olympus when they had pacified¹ the waves of war and crowned their city with the spoils taken from the enemy. Not only over the seas but also on land did they kindle² the lovely torch of freedom.Dedicatory inscription³ of the Colossus.

From its building to its destruction lies a time span of merely 56 years. Yet the colossus earned a place in the famous list of Wonders. "But even lying on the ground, it is a marvel⁴", said Pliny the Elder. The Colossus of Rhodes was not only a gigantic statue. It was rather a symbol of unity⁵ of the people who inhabited that beautiful Mediterranean⁶ island -- Rhodes.

Location: At the entrance of the harbor of the Mediterranean island of Rhodes in Greece.

History: Throughout most of its history, ancient Greece was comprised of city-states which had limited power beyond their boundary. On the small island of Rhodes were three of these: Ialysos, Kamiros, and Lindos. In 408 BC, the cities united to form one territory, with a unified⁷ capital, Rhodes. The city thrived commercially and had strong economic ties with their main ally, Ptolemy I Soter Egypt. In 305 BC, the Antigonids of Macedonia who were also rivals of the Ptolemies, besieged⁸ Rhodes in an attempt to break the Rhodo-Egyptian alliance. They could never penetrate⁹ the city. When a peace agreement was reached in 304 BC, the Antagonids lifted the siege, leaving a wealth of military equipment behind. To celebrate their unity, the Rhodians sold the equipment and used the money to erect¹⁰ an enormous statue of their sun god, Helios.

The construction of the Colossus took 12 years and was finished in 282 BC. For years, the statue stood at the harbor entrance, until a strong earthquake hit Rhodes about 226 BC. The city was badly damaged, and the Colossus was broken at its weakest point -- the knee. The Rhodians received an immediate¹¹ offer from Ptolemy III of Egypt to cover all restoration costs for the toppled monument. However, an oracle¹² was consulted and forbade the re-erection. Ptolemy's offer was declined.