Machu Picchu: A Royal Retreat in the Andes

课文

1. Built around 1450 CE, Machu Picchu sits high in Peru’s Andes Mountains at 2,430 meters.

   马丘比丘建于公元1450年左右，坐落于秘鲁安第斯山脉海拔2430米的高处。

2. Inca rulers likely used it as a summer palace and sacred ceremonial center for the elite.

   印加统治者可能将其用作精英阶层的夏宫和神圣仪式中心。

3. Its stone walls fit together so tightly that not even a knife blade can slide between them.

   石墙严丝合缝，连刀片都无法插入缝隙。

4. Terraced farms on steep slopes grew maize, potatoes, and quinoa to feed residents year-round.

   陡坡上的梯田种植玉米、土豆和藜麦，全年供养居民。

5. A sophisticated water system channeled rainwater through 16 fountains using gravity alone.

   一套精密的引水系统仅靠重力，便将雨水导入16座喷泉。

6. Unlike many Inca sites, Machu Picchu was never found or destroyed by Spanish conquistadors.

   与许多印加遗址不同，马丘比丘从未被西班牙征服者发现或毁坏。

7. American historian Hiram Bingham rediscovered it in 1911 with help from local Quechua guides.

   美国历史学家海勒姆·宾厄姆在本地克丘亚向导帮助下，于1911年重新发现了它。

8. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it reminds us of quiet power in harmony with nature.

   如今作为联合国教科文组织世界遗产，它提醒我们：与自然和谐共生，方显静默之力。