2007年VOA标准英语-World's Historic Treasures in Danger Worldwide

By Barbara Schoetzau
New York
06 June 2007

The non-profit World Monument Fund has released its biennial¹ Watch List of the world's 100 most endangered architectural and cultural treasures. From VOA's New York Bureau, correspondent Barbara Schoetzau reports this year's sites can be found across the globe, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. 

Every two years, the New York-based World Monument Fund issues its Watch List to call attention to cultural heritage sites that are at risk. The 2008 Watch List includes sites as diverse as the Blue Mosque² in Cairo, Egypt, rock art in Somaliland and Libya and historic neighborhoods of New Orleans. The U.S. city flooded in 2005.

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Bamiyan Buddha 28 Feb 01 (file photo)

As always, many of the sites on the list are historic sites that have been affected⁴ by conflict. This year all cultural heritage sites in Iraq made the list. Surprisingly, so did the Bamiyan Buddhas⁵ destroyed by the Taleban in Afghanistan. The Fund's president, Bonnie Burnham, says the remaining fragments need preservation⁶.

"The Bamiyan Buddhas were destroyed, weren't they, five or six years ago? But, in fact, an interesting conservation issue has arisen out of this terrible fact, which is that as people today begin to think about visiting Afghanistan, and people have started visiting Afghanistan as tourists, Bamiyan is the very first thing that they want to see," she said.  "Indeed, Bamyian has become a destination."

Burnham says economic and development pressures continue to present the primary challenge to historic and cultural sites. She says the new List's biggest advocacy challenge is Tara Hill in Ireland, a sacred landscape that is threatened by plans to build a highway through it. Old Damascus, Syria, and the skyline of Saint Petersburg, Russia are also listed as sites threatened by modern construction.

The 2008 Watch List adds a new theme, the effects of climate change.

"Not the most charismatic example, but perhaps the most dramatic one, is this island in the Yukon called Herschel Island which, has a millennium⁷ of cultural history beginning with the Inuit people, ending with a major whaling industry installation," she noted⁸.  "The nominators of this site have concluded, after having moved the buildings back on several occasions, that it is no longer possible to save Herschel Island."

This year more than 10 percent of the listed sites are found in sub-Saharan Africa. They include coral structures in Tanzania, 18th century fortifications in Burkina Faso, an ancient religious center in Zimbabwe and a royal palace in Ghana constructed in the disappearing Sudanese earthen architecture style.

"This is a fabulous⁹, traditional African site in Ghana, one of the last examples of this Sudanese architecture built in mud brick," she explained.

The World Monument Fund works with local communities across the globe to identify important sites and help raise funds to save them. Since beginning the Watch List in 1996, the group has made more than 500 grants of more than $47 million to 214 sites in 74 nations.

1 biennial   

adj.两年一次的

参考例句：

• The workers were strongly against the biennial election.工人们强烈反对两年一次的选举。
• His is a biennial,and one of the most useful pasture plants we have.这是两年生植物，也是我们最有用的牧草之一。

2 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。

3 Buddha   

n.佛；佛像；佛陀

参考例句：

• Several women knelt down before the statue of Buddha and prayed.几个妇女跪在佛像前祈祷。
• He has kept the figure of Buddha for luck.为了图吉利他一直保存着这尊佛像。

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 Buddhas   

n.佛，佛陀，佛像( Buddha的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She called on spirits and Buddhas and made innumerable vows, all to no avail. 她把一切的神佛都喊到了，并且许下多少誓愿，都没有用。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• Tibetans identification with the political role of Living Buddhas is declining. 藏新政权的政治舞台中活佛的政治角色处于边缘。 来自互联网

6 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。

7 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

8 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。

9 fabulous   

adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的

参考例句：

• We had a fabulous time at the party.我们在晚会上玩得很痛快。
• This is a fabulous sum of money.这是一笔巨款。