VOA标准英语2009年-Discovering the Timeless Wisdom of Mac

American architectural photographer presents a new collection of images that give a glimpse into Incan genius for integrating architecture and nature

Faiza Elmasry | Washington, DC 14 December 2009

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Machu Picchu is an awe¹-inspiring symbol of the power of the Incan empire

 
Machu Picchu or Old Peak is the name given to the stone ruins of a pre-Columbian Incan city perched high atop the Andean peaks of Peru.  The site was declared a World Heritage Site by the UN's cultural arm, UNESCO, in 1983.

But for nearly a century since its discovery by outside explorers, Machu Picchu has been an awe-inspiring symbol of the power of the Incan empire just before it fell to 16th century Spanish invaders².

In a newly published collection of images, American architectural photographer Mike Torrey captures the wonder and timeless significance of this mystical, historical site.

Author finds ancient site intriguing³

 

Architectural photographer Mike Torrey says he was lucky to visit Machu Picchu, not once, but twice

Since he was a little boy, Mike Torrey says, he has been fascinated with Machu Picchu.  It wasn't just the beauty of the polished stone block walls or the fact that this abandoned city sits atop a narrow ridge⁴ more than 2400 meters (8000 feet) above sea level.  Torrey says he was also intrigued⁵ by the tragic⁶ history of Machu Picchu.
 
"This was a royal retreat. Very few people actually within the [Incan] empire knew about it. It was built starting around 1450 by the Inca people. It was only around for 90, 100 years when the Spaniards came to South America. They captured a lot of the Incas and eventually wiped them out. The Spaniards never found [Machu Picchu] or they would have destroyed it," Torrey says.

Machu Picchu is rediscovered

 

Since 1911, the Machu Picchu site has become a major tourist attraction

After the Incan civilization collapsed⁷, the site was abandoned and the rainforest overgrew it for 400 years. Then in 1911, Machu Picchu was found once again.  "It was rediscovered by Hiram Bingham, who was a Yale University professor in Latin American Studies. Hiram Bingham was looking for the last citadel⁸ of the empire, which was Vilcapampa; he was looking for another city. He found Machu Picchu, actually, and mistakenly thought it was Vilcapampa for his entire life," Torrey says.

Since Bingham's discovery, the Machu Picchu site has become a major tourist attraction. More than 2000 people on average visit it every day. Torrey says he was lucky to visit it not once, but twice, at the June and December solstices.

"When you get there, you just see it with awe. I read a lot of books. I had a lot of information. It was incomparable to seeing what was there. I think everybody feels something there, you don't know what it is. So I was trying to figure it out with my camera."

Torrey's lens captures the mystery of Machu Picchu

 

"Stone Offerings" is a collection of photographs that gives a glimpse into the Incan genius for integrating architecture and nature

Torrey's two trips resulted in the book, "Stone Offerings: Machu Picchu's Terraces of Enlightenment." It's a collection of 100 photographs, featuring an extended forward by Peruviuan writer Marie Arana, who shares her own sense of awe at the place. Like her narrative¹⁰, Torrey's finely-detailed photographs convey some of the indescribable energy surrounding this mysterious site.

Torrey says it was no small feat⁹ composing shots of the ruins without any tourists in the frame, but even more difficult was chasing the ever-changing angles of natural light. His images are filled with Machu Picchu's unique textures¹¹, such as the mist wrapping around jungle peaks and massive cut stones fitting perfectly¹² against one another.

 

A photo of a temple with three windows is one of the photographer's favorites

Torrey says a photo of a temple with three windows is one of his favorites.  "I show one of the windows and the light coming through it. There are two mountains in the distance. The light was changing quickly, so I had to react so quickly. It's like you're photographing the light as well as the Machu Picchu itself."

Light was important to the Incas, too, says Torrey, and in another of his favorite photos, which was shot inside the Temple of the Sun, he captures the moment when a beam of sunlight marks the changing season.  "The sun comes through the eastern window in June. They have the floor carved so when the light hits at the June solstice, it tells them it's the solstice," he says.

The genius and wisdom of the Incas

 

Machu Picchu is an example of how human and natural environments can exist in a visually cohesive¹³ whole

The architectural photographer says Machu Picchu is an example of how human and natural environments can exist in a well-designed and visually cohesive whole. This stone ruins site, he says, speaks about the genius and wisdom of the Incas.

"It tells us they were very connected to the earth. They studied the earth. They studied the sky. Their temples were aligned¹⁴ with the solstices. I found that this interconnection between the manmade and the natural world was most powerful. It has something that can inspire us as we're trying to become more green and sustainable," Torrey says.

The book, published by Lightpoint Press, offers a new take on the Incan ruins with lessons about the enduring strength and beauty of a city built in harmony with nature.
 

1 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

2 invaders   

入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They prepared to repel the invaders. 他们准备赶走侵略军。
• The family has traced its ancestry to the Norman invaders. 这个家族将自己的世系追溯到诺曼征服者。

3 intriguing   

adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心

参考例句：

• These discoveries raise intriguing questions. 这些发现带来了非常有趣的问题。
• It all sounds very intriguing. 这些听起来都很有趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

5 intrigued   

adj.好奇的，被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式)；激起…的兴趣或好奇心；“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• You've really intrigued me—tell me more! 你说的真有意思—再给我讲一些吧！
• He was intrigued by her story. 他被她的故事迷住了。

6 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

7 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

8 citadel   

n.城堡；堡垒；避难所

参考例句：

• The citadel was solid.城堡是坚固的。
• This citadel is built on high ground for protecting the city.这座城堡建于高处是为保护城市。

9 feat   

n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的

参考例句：

• Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
• He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。

10 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

11 textures   

n.手感( texture的名词复数 )；质感；口感；（音乐或文学的）谐和统一感

参考例句：

• I'm crazy about fabrics textures and colors and designs. 我喜欢各式各样的纺织物--对它的质地，色彩到花纹图案--简直是入了迷。 来自辞典例句
• Let me clear up the point about the textures. 让我明确了一点有关的纹理。 来自互联网

12 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

13 cohesive   

adj.有粘着力的；有结合力的；凝聚性的

参考例句：

• She sealed the parcel with cohesive tape.她用粘胶带把包裹封起来。
• The author skillfully fuses these fragments into a cohesive whole.作者将这些片断巧妙地结合成一个连贯的整体。

14 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。