VOA常速英语2015--长城需要进行修复及保护（在线收听）

长城需要进行修复及保护

Built in ancient times to keep invading Mongols out, the Great Wall is a historical treasure for China. Stretching for thousands of kilometers across northern China, the World Heritage site is a marvel that attracts tens of thousands of tourists every year. But the massive length of the wall is also its greatest weakness.

为了抵御古代蒙古军队入侵而建造的长城对中国而言是历史的宝藏。长城绵延北方数千公里,世界文化遗产的这个奇迹每年吸引成千上万的游客。但长城城墙的长度也成为其最大的弊端。

In rural areas, the wall continues to disappear with alarming regularity due to erosion and vandalism.

在偏远地区，由于侵蚀和破坏行为城墙继续呈现惊人速度的消失。

Aside from tourist spots near major cities such as Beijing, most of the wall is in poor condition and research indicates that 74 percent of it is poorly protected.

除了如北京等主要城市旅游景点附近,大部分的城墙状况较差,而研究表明74%的城墙保护措施没有到位。

"In the summer of 2014, we discovered that the walls were toppled. There were people buying scorpions from villagers to make Chinese medicine, and each scorpion was worth 5 cents. Five cents meant nothing to adults, but was appealing to children. Since scorpions resided between bricks, children toppled the Great Wall to catch them."

“在2014年的夏天,我们发现城墙被推倒。有人从村民手中购买蝎子制作中药,而抓到的每只蝎子价值5美分。五美分对成年人而言不值一提,但却很吸引孩子。由于蝎子是生活在砖墙之间,因此孩子们为了逮到蝎子推倒长城。”

Hou added that the rural areas of the wall, without the promise of tourists, lack profitability, which leads to a lack of protection from officials.Besides vandalism, the weather itself is largely to blame for the problem, according to local resident A Mao, who did not want to give his family name.

侯补充说,偏远地区的城墙没有游客到访,缺乏盈利能力,因此缺乏官员保护。当地一位不愿透露姓氏的居民毛某表示，除了破坏行为,很大程度上也要归咎于天气问题。

"It starts weathering once the weather gets drier. If the weather is rainy or windy, it weathers as well. There are cavities. They needed to be fixed."

“一旦天气干燥城墙就开始风化。如果遇上下雨或刮风,也是这样。城墙受到破坏。它们需要修复。”

Although China’s State Council recently issued new regulations to protect the wall, the current situation remains gloomy. But according to the Beijing municipal government, Beijing, Hebei, and Tianjin have reached an agreement on repairing and protecting the Great Wall in rural areas.

尽管国务院最近出台了新规定来保护城墙,但前景仍然黯淡。但北京市政府、北京、河北、天津已就修复及保护偏远地区长城达成协议。