Level 1 Reading 10B

Ch.20 Reading 10B

第20章 阅读10B

WONDERS OF EGYPT Many people today think of the pyramids of Giza as the defining icon of ancient Egyptian culture. But who actually built them? For years, we did not know for sure. Now, however, archeologists have discovered an ancient city near the pyramids. Close by, there is a cemetery where the pyramid builders were buried. From studying these places, archeologists can now confirm that the pyramids were not built by slaves or foreigners (or space aliens!). Ordinary Egyptians built them. It took about 80 years to build the pyramids. Archeologists believe that about 20,000-30,000 people were involved in the construction. The workers had different roles. Some dug up the rock, some moved it, and some shaped it into blocks. People also worked on different teams, each with its own name. Workers often competed to see whose team could do a job faster. Life for these workers was hard. "We can see that in their skeletons," says Azza Mohamed Sarry El-Din, a scientist studying bones found in the cemetery. According to her research, the bones show signs of arthritis. This probably developed from carrying heavy things for a long time. Archeologists have also found many female skeletons in the ancient city and cemetery. The damage to their bones is similar to that of the men. In fact, their lives may have been even tougher: Male workers generally lived to age 40-45, but women to only 30-35. However, workers usually had enough food, and they also received medical care if they got sick or hurt. The task was challenging, but laborers were proud of their work. On a wall in Khufu's Great Pyramid, for example, a group of workers wrote Friends of Khufu. "It's because they were not just building the tomb of their king," says Egyptian archeologist Zahi Hawass. "They were building Egypt. It was a national project, and everyone was a participant."

埃及奇观 如今，许多人认为吉萨金字塔是古埃及文化的标志性建筑。 但实际上是谁建造的？ 多年来，我们并不确定。 然而，现在考古学家在金字塔附近发现了一座古城。 附近有一座金字塔建造者埋葬的墓地。 通过研究这些地方，考古学家现在可以确认金字塔不是由奴隶或外国人（或外星人！）建造的。 普通埃及人建造了它们。 建造金字塔花了大约80年的时间。 考古学家认为，大约有2万至3万人参与了这项工程。 工人们扮演着不同的角色。 一些人挖出了岩石，一些人移动了它，还有一些人把它做成了块。 人们也在不同的团队中工作，每个团队都有自己的名字。 工人们经常竞争谁的团队能更快地完成工作。 这些工人的生活很艰难。 阿扎·穆罕默德·萨里·埃尔丁说：“我们可以在他们的骨骼中看到这一点。”， 研究墓地发现的骨头的科学家。 根据她的研究，这些骨头显示出关节炎的迹象。 这可能是由于长时间携带重物而发展起来的。 考古学家在古城和墓地也发现了许多女性骨骼。 他们的骨骼损伤与男性相似。 事实上，他们的生活可能更艰难： 男性工人通常活到40-45岁，但女性只能活到30-35岁。 然而，工人通常有足够的食物，如果他们生病或受伤，他们也会得到医疗护理。 这项任务很有挑战性，但工人们为他们的工作感到自豪。 例如，在胡夫大金字塔的墙上，一群工人写下了《胡夫之友》。 埃及考古学家扎希·哈瓦斯说：“这是因为他们不仅仅是在建造国王的陵墓。”。 他们正在建设埃及。 这是一个国家项目，每个人都是参与者。"

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