学文网Of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, only one had a practical use in addition to2 its architectural(建筑学的) elegance3: The Lighthouse of Alexandria.For sailors,it ensured a safe return to the Great Harbor. For architects, it meant even more: it was the tallest building on Earth.And for scientists, it was the mysterious mirror that fascinated(迷住) them most... The reflection(反射光) of the mirror could be seen more than 50km off-shore(离岸的).
The Lighthouse of Alexandria was on the ancient island of Pharos, now a promontory (海角，伸入海中悬崖) within the city of Alexandria in Egypt. Shortly after the death of Alexander the Great, his commander(指挥官，司令官) Ptolemy Soter assumed(夺取，篡夺) power in Egypt. He established his capital there. Off the city's coast lies a small island:Pharos.Its name, legend says, is a variation of Pharaoh's Island, but it is more likely that the name is Greek in origin.The island was connected to the mainland by means of a dike(堤，坝), which gave the city a double harbor. And because of dangerous sailing conditions and flat coastline in the region,the construction of a lighthouse was necessary.
The project was conceived(构想，设想) and initiated (创始，倡议) by Ptolemy Soter around 290 BC, but was completed after his death.For centuries, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was used to mark (标志)the harbor,using fire at night and reflecting sun rays during the day.The total height of the building including the foundation base was about 117 m,equivalent4 to a 40-story modern building. The internal core was used as a shaft (井状通道)to lift the fuel needed for the fire.
When the Arabs conquered Egypt,they admired Alexandria and its wealth.The Lighthouse continues to be mentioned in their writings and travelers accounts (记述，描述).But the new rulers moved their capital to Cairo since they had no ties to the Mediterranean (地中海). When the mirror was brought downsmistakenly, they did not restore (使复原)it back into place.In AD 956, an earthquake shook Alexandria, and caused little damage to the Lighthouse. It was later in 1303 and in 1323 that two stronger earth-quakesleftasignificantimpressiononthe structure.
The final chapter in the history of the Lighthouse came in AD1480 when the Egyptian Mamelouk Sultan decided to fortify（筑防御工事于）Alexandria' s defense. He built a medieval6 fort (堡垒，城堡)on the same spot where the Lighthouse once stood, using the fallen stone and marble.
在古代世界七大奇迹中，只有一个除了具有建筑学意义上的优雅之外还具有实用价值，那就是亚历山大灯塔。对于水手而言，它是平安返回亚历山大港的保证。对于建筑师而言，它则更多了一层含义：它曾是地球上最高的建筑物。而对于科学家，最让他们着迷的是那面神秘的镜子……离海岸50多公里远就能看到这面镜子的反光。
亚历山大灯塔位于古代的法罗斯半岛，也就是现在埃及亚历山大市内的一处海角上。亚历山大大帝死后不久，他的司令官托勒密・索特尔夺取了统治埃及的权力。他在那里建立了首都。首都之外的海岸上有一座小岛叫法罗斯。根据传说，这个名字是由“法老之岛”这一名称变化而来的，但更可能源自古希腊语。这座岛通过一条堤坝与大陆相连，这也赐给了这座城市一个双重的海港。由于该地区恶劣的航海条件和平坦的海岸线，因此，建造一个灯塔是十分必要的。
这项工程在公元前约290年由托勒密・索特尔筹划并开始修建，但直到他死后才完工。此后几个世纪里，这座亚历山大市的灯塔成了人们找到这个海港的标识。晚上，它使用火焰；白天，则反射阳光。包括塔基在内，这座建筑物的总高度约为117米，和现代建筑中的40层楼差不多高。灯塔内的井道被当作了升降井，用于往上运送点火所需的燃料。
当阿拉伯人征服了埃及，他们惊羡于亚历山大城及其财富，在他们的著作和游记中，亚历山大灯塔还被不断提及。但由于新的统治者同地中海地区不再有任何联系，便把首都迁往开罗。当灯塔上的镜子被误拆之后，人们没有把它再次复原回去。
公元956年，一次地震袭击了亚历山大市，只对灯塔造成轻微的损坏。可是后来公元1302年和1323年的两次强烈地震却严重地损坏了亚历山大灯塔。
公元1480年，亚历山大灯塔历史上的最后一章来到了，埃及苏丹Mamelouk决定加固亚历山大市的防御。他在亚历山大灯塔曾经耸立的地方用其塌落下来的石块和大理石建起了一座中世纪的城堡。
注释：
1．lighthouse n．灯塔
2．in addition to 除…之外(还)
3．elegance n.优美，文雅，雅致
4．equivalenta．相等的，相同的
5．bring down使落下，使倒下
6．medieval a. 中世纪的，中古（时代）的