2006年VOA标准英语-Egypt's Ramses Gets a New Home Among Pyramids

By Leslie Boctor
Cairo
25 August 2006

Engineers on Friday moved a 3,200-year-old statue of Ramses II.  The pharonic statue had stood for more than 50 years in a congested square in downtown Cairo. Its new home will be at a tranquil¹ spot next to the Great Pyramids. Thousands came out to watch the statue makes its 20 kilometer journey.

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Onlookers² crowded along the street around the statue of Pharaoh Ramses II which was surrounded by a convoy³ including 1,500 soldiers, during the final leg of its journey
  
It took 10 hours for the 11 meter, 83 ton statue to travel through downtown Cairo and cross the Nile River.  Tens of thousands of people, many of them waving Egyptian flags and cheering, turned out to watch the statue make its slow journey to its new home.

The statue was transported, in one piece, on two flatbed trucks and was encased in place with a steel cage.

To accommodate the grand statue on its journey, countless⁴ potholes⁵ had to be fixed⁶, fences removed, and trees cut down. Its final resting place will be next to the Giza pyramids at the site of the new Egyptian Museum. 

Ramses II was one of ancient Egypt's most impressive, and prolific⁷, pharaohs.  He had eight wives and 120 children.  During his more than 60-year reign⁸, Egypt prospered⁹ at home and abroad.  Considered one of Egypt's greatest warriors¹⁰, he is also known as a man of peace, signing what is believed to be the world's first peace treaty. 

The statue depicts¹¹ Ramses with one foot forward, striding boldly into the after life.  But over the past 54 years a concrete jungle had grown up around him.  The statue was hemmed¹² in by a major highway overpass¹³, a mosque¹⁴ and a hotel.  Subway lines ran directly under the monument.

Egypt's director of antiquities¹⁵, Zahi Hawass, says the statue had to be moved to protect it from environmental damage, and to give it a more appropriate home.

"The granite¹⁶ is in danger," he said.  "We are moving it to save it, but we are also moving it to respect [it], because the ancient Egyptians, when they made a statue they did not intend to put it in a square.  The statue has spiritual values. It has to be in their original location. The idea of putting pharaonic statues in squares of towns is completely wrong. Statues were made to be in temples or tombs."

The giant statue of Pharaoh Ramses II is moved Friday Aug 25, 2006, from a congested downtown square to its new home near the more peaceful Great Pyramids   
  
Many Egyptians remember calmer days in Ramses Square, when the statue was surrounded by grass and trees, a place for picnics at the foot of the statue.  Egyptians grew attached to the statue, passing it on their daily commute¹⁷.

Antiques collector Amgad Naguib came to watch the majestic¹⁸ statue leave its home, and, as he puts it, pay his last respects.  He says the great statue was interwoven with people's lives as a daily reminder¹⁹ of Egypt's great history.

"I used to come to sit at the Everest Hotel in the square, right in front of this statue, only to look at it," he recalled.  "Ramses is maybe our last thing to be proud of. Since Ramses, we didn't really do much."

The statue has been reproduced on countless postcards and guidebooks, and was often prominently featured in Egyptian films. It has been a cultural landmark²⁰ for the city, says Naguib, especially for its newcomers.

"Most of Cairo now is immigrants. Cairo is a city of 17 million or more, and most have come from the countryside and from Upper Egypt.  It was the first thing they saw at the railway station," he added.  "They would leave the train station and it was the landmark of all of Cairo, not only the square."

The Ramses statue will be the showcase of the new Egyptian museum, which, says antiquities director Hawass, will be the largest museum in the world.  It is scheduled for completion in 2010.

Since taking office in 2002, Hawass has waged a campaign to recover Egyptian antiquities that he says were illegally taken abroad.  He is not timid about protecting Egyptian monuments.  He says it is right that his country is now finally the authority on its antiquities, rather than foreign institutions.

"What really happened in archeology in the last 25 years, it's always foreigners doing projects," he noted²¹.  "The Egyptians never did any great projects like this, moving Ramses II, it's a shock to them. But at the end, they really like it and that's why I'm really proud.  Because for the first time, the face of Egypt is done by Egyptians, not by foreigners"

Judging by throngs²² of crowds who accompanied the procession of Ramses II throughout the night, Egyptians were indeed reveling in a moment of national pride.

1 tranquil   

adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的

参考例句：

• The boy disturbed the tranquil surface of the pond with a stick. 那男孩用棍子打破了平静的池面。
• The tranquil beauty of the village scenery is unique. 这乡村景色的宁静是绝无仅有的。

2 onlookers   

n.旁观者，观看者( onlooker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A crowd of onlookers gathered at the scene of the crash. 在撞车地点聚集了一大群围观者。
• The onlookers stood at a respectful distance. 旁观者站在一定的距离之外，以示尊敬。

3 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

4 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

5 potholes   

n.壶穴( pothole的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Potholes are also home to tiny desert animals. 洞穴也是弱小动物的家。 来自互联网
• If you're going to enjoy the good times, you've certainly got to deal with some potholes. 如果要享受甜美的胜利果实，当然要应付这些战绩不佳的指责压力。 来自互联网

6 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

7 prolific   

adj.丰富的，大量的；多产的，富有创造力的

参考例句：

• She is a prolific writer of novels and short stories.她是一位多产的作家，写了很多小说和短篇故事。
• The last few pages of the document are prolific of mistakes.这个文件的最后几页错误很多。

8 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

9 prospered   

成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
• Mr. Black prospered from his wise investments. 布莱克先生由于巧妙的投资赚了不少钱。

10 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

11 depicts   

描绘，描画( depict的第三人称单数 )； 描述

参考例句：

• The book vividly depicts French society of the 1930s. 这本书生动地描绘了20 世纪30 年代的法国社会。
• He depicts the sordid and vulgar sides of life exclusively. 他只描写人生肮脏和庸俗的一面。

12 hemmed   

缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 )； 包围

参考例句：

• He hemmed and hawed but wouldn't say anything definite. 他总是哼儿哈儿的，就是不说句痛快话。
• The soldiers were hemmed in on all sides. 士兵们被四面包围了。

13 overpass   

n.天桥，立交桥

参考例句：

• I walked through an overpass over the road.我步行穿过那条公路上面的立交桥。
• We should take the overpass when crossing the road.我们过马路应走天桥。

14 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

15 antiquities   

n.古老( antiquity的名词复数 )；古迹；古人们；古代的风俗习惯

参考例句：

• There is rest and healing in the contemplation of antiquities. 欣赏古物有休息和疗养之功。 来自辞典例句
• Bertha developed a fine enthusiasm for the antiquities of London. 伯沙对伦敦的古迹产生了很大的热情。 来自辞典例句

16 granite   

adj.花岗岩，花岗石

参考例句：

• They squared a block of granite.他们把一块花岗岩加工成四方形。
• The granite overlies the older rocks.花岗岩躺在磨损的岩石上面。

17 commute   

vi.乘车上下班；vt.减(刑)；折合；n.上下班交通

参考例句：

• I spend much less time on my commute to work now.我现在工作的往返时间要节省好多。
• Most office workers commute from the suburbs.很多公司的职员都是从郊外来上班的。

18 majestic   

adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的

参考例句：

• In the distance rose the majestic Alps.远处耸立着雄伟的阿尔卑斯山。
• He looks majestic in uniform.他穿上军装显得很威风。

19 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

20 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

21 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

22 throngs   

n.人群( throng的名词复数 )v.成群，挤满( throng的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She muscled through the throngs of people, frantically searching for David. 她使劲挤过人群，拼命寻找戴维。 来自辞典例句
• Our friends threaded their way slowly through the throngs upon the Bridge. 我们这两位朋友在桥上从人群中穿过，慢慢地往前走。 来自辞典例句